Wednesday, October 9, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
5
Sisters woman hikes UK National Trail
By Carol Statton
Correspondent
It was primarily a solitary
journey across England, on
foot, spanning 20 days and
308 miles.
Distant views were often
shrouded in clouds, creating
a sense of tunnel vision and
isolation. Terrain included
moors and bogs, seemingly
never-ending expanses of
treeless hills, intense altitude
climbs and pastures filled
with livestock.
Each day would conclude
at a B&B in a quaint village
where there might or might
not be resources from a store
or restaurant. For Diana
Durbin Field, completing the
UK National Trail, called the
<Pennine Way,= was a chal-
lenging experience that satis-
fied her love of walking and
filled her soul at the deepest
level.
The adventure required
physical ability, determination
and a willingness to overcome
the elements. For Diana, there
were many moments when
the ground underfoot was so
wet that the only way forward
was to leapfrog across large
stones or search for different
ways around a bog. The route
was often unmarked, with
limited visibility at times, and
the possibility of getting lost
seemed quite likely.
<With the combination of
weather and getting off track,
you could conceivably end up
going over a cliff,= Field said.
GPS was helpful, when
available, to navigate
uncharted territory. A hail-
storm came down at the most
inopportune time, when there
was no tree or building in
sight, and the only protection
was to turn her back to the
storm and stand in place.
Not everyone could or
would want to experience
these challenging factors,
but for Field, the potential
was understood because of a
previous coast-to-coast trek
across England two years
prior. Diana knew, beyond a
shadow of a doubt, that the
walk would contain far more
positives than negatives and
that time spent within the
beauty and intensity of this
place would be a long-lasting
and transformational gift.
When you have only your-
self to depend on, and there
is often no cell service to fall
back on, you must plan well
and be prepared for anything.
Field kept her pack as simple
as possible, not wanting to be
too weighed down, so meals
were more like snacks. Maps
were critical, especially when
GPS wasn9t accessible, and
there were still moments of
getting off track. The route
would often lead through
miles and miles of rolling hills
and across various farmlands
where a distant gate would
be the only thing to confirm
being at the correct location.
Identifiers are important when
traveling through natural set-
tings, away from roads and
civilization. And, as Field
learned, there are times to
be wary of livestock such as
steers who may not appreciate
your presence in their field.
There is a code that those
walking the countryside are
asked to honor, ensuring a
peaceful quality of life for
local residents and continu-
ing opportunities for future
travelers: Be considerate and
quiet; honor private property
while being allowed to access
it; leave no trace; keep water
clean; control pets; use gates;
protect other living entities
and vegetation and guard
against risk of fire.
These are but a few of the
agreements understood by
those passing through. All
were common-sense requests
that Field could easily follow
without thought because they
PHOTO PROVIDED
Diana Durbin Field on the “Pennine Way” in Great Britain.
mirrored the way of life back
home.
The Pennine Way is a walk
through history: Diana9s foot-
steps covered the same land
where Roman soldiers once
traversed and the Bronte fam-
ily created their literary trea-
sures. Nature, just as it was
centuries ago, remains com-
pelling and impressive every
step of the way. Some of the
challenges found throughout
the ages remain constant as
well. History and great liter-
ary works have told the story
in countless ways: Weather
and challenging terrain can
be a formidable opponent
requiring those who push for-
ward to summon deep internal
strength and fortitude not only
to complete their journey but
to remain safe.
See UK HIKE on page 21