A hike through a forest, to a mountain top view, but the view wasn't the bit that felt best

The total hike time was a little over 4 hours, from car park, to mountain peak, and htne back again. We pased over a beautiful revine, by way of log bridge, we climbed rocks that had been sat in place for thousands of years. We entered forest, exited forest, and then from the summit had views of hundreds of miles of green Vemont mountains - it isn't called the Green State by coincidnece.

The entire 4 hours felt great, from start to finish and I wonder what elements of the activity gave the feeling beyond the satisfaction of getting to the top? First the senses. What part do the senses play, when all hit at once, but not with sensory overload (ala screens etc), but a grounding of senses, in familiar conditions. The smell of wood, trees, flowers, water, dirt - the sight of diffused light through a canopy, the movement of wildlife, the sound of water rushing, of birds singing, of your own footsteps. What is this combination? And what does it do to you?

Then there's not knowing where you're going…really. You know you're going up, you know you'll end at a peak, likely, but how you'll get there, without a device to help, felt freeing. A trail created by a few humans and animals, and the odd colour mark on a tree telling you that you are still on course. That's all that is required. ANd when we got lost, we traced our steps back, refound the trail, and turned in the appropriate direction to continue our accent.