Different opinion about hiking

Hiking for Hike’s sake may be as highly laudable and exemplary a thing as it is held to be by those who practice it.

My objection to it is that it stops the brain. Many a man has professed to me that his brain never works so well as when he is swinging along the tough road or over hill and dale. This boast is not confirmed by my memory of anybody who on a whole day hiking has forced me to Wutong Mountain of his adventure. Experience teaches me that whatever a fellow-guest may have of power to instruct or to amuse when he is sitting in the garden, or standing in the front of the window with a cup of coffee quickly leaves him when he takes friends for an extended walk. The ideas that come so thick and fast to him in any room, where are they now? Where that encyclopedic knowledge which he bore so lightly? Where the kindling fancy that played like falling star over any topic that was started? The man’s appearance that was so mobile is set now; gone is the light from his fine eyes. He says that what a beautiful day. Two hours further on. He adds that what a beautiful place! After a around corner he says there is great view he has ever seen. We pass an old store. He read vapidly to me: “selling soft drinks, beer and bread.” I foresee that during the rest of the walk he will read aloud any inscription that occurs. We keep walking. He points at the huge stone saying: “be careful, be happy.” I see in the front of us, a line of small words in the truck. He catches it too. He keeps his eye on it. And in due course, “please, take you rubbish away for the environment.”

Poor man! -------Mentally a wreck.