EDITOR'S NOTE:
There is a place in northeastern New Mexico called Philmont Scout Ranch and Explorer Base. It is nestled in a part of the Rocky Mountains and every year thousands of Scouts and Explorers hike its rugged trails and are inspired and awed by the beauty and grandeur of the mountains. Around 1985, a group of staff members at Philmont came up with the idea for a collection of ``wilderness'' quotes and a small handout was created. The collection has grown over the years but I hope the spirit of the original collection has not been lost. Although the place you are in may not actually be wilderness, and although the activity you are doing may not be extremely challenging, I'm sure you'll still find the words powerful.
It has been a long time since I hiked Philmont's trails. For the last few years I have been enjoying the beauty of Arkansas and working as a ranger in a state park. Helping considerably with that enjoyment has been a well-thumbed copy of ``Wilderness Quotations.'' I know many people have found pleasure with ``Wilderness Quotes; for that reason, I wanted to continue the tradition of the quotebook. Many of the quotes may be Philmont or Boy Scout oriented, but I think the words have meaning no matter where you are. Find a shady tree on a warm, sunny afternoon and lose yourself for a couple of hours.
--Russ Riegel