Living on Wilderness Time

by Melissa Graves Walker

Melissa Walker set out on a journey that many women of her generation have mapped only in their dreams. Like many American chroniclers before her who have surrendered to the aimless pleasures of the road, Walker had no geographical destination in mind, but she did have two definite goals―one personal, one political―for her journey. She was looking for the peace and solitude of the backcountry, certainly, but she also wanted to learn the dynamics of preserving wild places and to devote herself to that cause. In the Sky Islands of southern Arizona, on the banks of the Popo Agie River and the Wind River Mountains in Wyoming, in Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Rocky Mountain, and Olympic National Park, in Gila and Glacier Peak Wilderness, she encountered the hazards of wild animals and extreme weather, and she began to reassess what parts of her life she could control.Living on Wilderness Time is a book for those who have visited wild places and want to return, and for others whose overcommitted urban lives make them long for land where time is measured differently and human beings are scarce. Above all it is a call to join those who, like Aldo Leopold, see wilderness as vital to the human community.Melissa Walker is vice president of National Wilderness Watch, chair of the Georgia chapter of Wilderness Watch, serves on the Southern Appalachian Council of the Wilderness Society, and is the author of Reading the Environment and Down from the Mountaintop. She has been Professor of English at the University of New Orleans and Mercer University and a fellow of Women’s Studies at Emory University. Walker lives with her husband in Atlanta, Georgia.

Genres: Memoir, Travel

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Άννα ⛧⛧⛧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating travel narrative on the value of nature and wilderness 🍃🖤

[Julie Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting essays of a women's lone travels in the wilderness. I do wish she had dealt more with what she learned of herself. Seemed toward the end, she didn't want to do that. As I age and have come to understand certain things about time, I do appreciate this portion of her last lines.

"...I knew that in the time I had left on this earth, there was only so much I could do, only so much I could love. It was time to choose with care."

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most wilderness writing that I have read is either overtly political, forgetful of the human dimension(understandably), or rather macho, so I found this book an interesting exception on all three counts. Walker does allude to the politics of wilderness on several occasions, but for the most part this is the story of one woman's spiritual sojourn, and though she speaks lovingly and compellingly of the places she visits, she also has lots to say about herself and the people she meets on her journeys. It is a decidedly feminine story, told by a 50-something woman who is happily married to her husband of 30 years, has raised her children, and who goes off for a season (or series of seasons) to see what the wild can teach her. Not every chapter is a winner, to be sure, but there is great honesty here and a touch of sorrow in the knowledge that within 10 years of publishing this book the author died of cancer. She has left a worthy literary legacy in this account.

[Sayde · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am rating this title as 3.5 stars. Melissa's writing here, like her title, develops on wilderness time, and to be honest, it was difficult for me to feel really involved in her journey. There were times where her internal dialog was so intriguing and pulled me in but I found my mind wandering a lot in between those times as she focused a majority of the book on recounting exact places or timetables. These details were less important to me as a reader and I often found myself wondering how she felt instead. Having been to or lived in several areas she traveled to it was really interesting for me to read about the decades before I lived there and see them in a new perspective.
One thing I did absolutely love about her style was her frankness, whether in regards to her relationship with her husband or how to deal with the "man-woman thing" while trying to extract intriguing and useful information from locals. I appreciated this honesty and as a result, feel I learned a lot I could apply to my own solo travels.

[Bill Yates · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no trouble reading this book for long stretches. When finished, I was left with the desire to read more about Ms. Walker's adventures while hiking in the wilderness, camping, and traveling. She visited several locations that are familiar to me from my own wandering in the western states.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really thought this was going to be another book about a middle class american who grew up in the outdoors, but it was much more than that. It was informative and relatable

[Stacey Schmeidel · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable account of one woman's solo time in wilderness.

[Aurora · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent memoir of time and place, and a solo woman's adventure to explore American national parks. Ms. Walker translates for us the value and beauty of wild places, while emphasizing the importance of stopping the busy-ness of modern life to get in touch with the part in each of us that's inherently wild. She shows readers how to stop the clock and exist as wilderness does, instinctively, one moment at a time.

Her observations of wild ecosystems and the human organizations and infrastructures that support and thrive because of them are eye-opening.

A courageous documentation. For anyone, especially for women who are honest and self-examining.

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book awhile back and I'm rereading. Excellent memoir of Melissa's journey. Inspirational!

[Tanya D. Brady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Met this author at an event last weekend and absolutely LOVED her. This book is a memoir of sorts. Looking forward to reading it.

[Joni]

A great story, a bad author.

[Kori · Rating 4 out of 5]

This gave me ideas about sitting in a quiet place more often.