A walk in the woods produces peace | GARY COSBY JR.

Gary Cosby Jr., Tuscaloosa News
·3 min read

As we pass through life, drive around Tuscaloosa and get frustrated with the traffic and road construction, we sometimes miss the things that can bring us peace. At least one of those things is all around us, always seen but seldom perceived.

The woods are everywhere in West Alabama. In fact, if anyone wants to borrow some of our trees to help them deal with their greenhouse gas emissions, we have more than enough to spare. But that is not why I love the woods.

There are at least three deer in this photo taken in Sokol Park, including one young buck.
There are at least three deer in this photo taken in Sokol Park, including one young buck.

A walk in the woods brings peace to my mind. If there is a creek, the peace is magnified.

There are plenty of trails in and around Tuscaloosa. I love to hike the mountain bike trails in Sokol Park. Hurricane Creek Park has a wonderful system of trails and you can get a good workout there since many of those trails have some good hill climbs.

To make matters even better, there is no charge to use those trails. Lake Lurleen State Park near Coker is filled with trails. There is a small entry fee to use the state park, but it is more than worth it.

I hike most often in Sokol Park because it is the most convenient for me. I had a goal this year to hike 900 miles. I might not get to 900, but I will be pretty close. The trail system has a basic 3-mile trail and then there are side trails, usually loops that come back to the main trail, allowing a hiker to add as many miles as one can do in an afternoon.

Light on the surface and a colorful leaf trapped in the water makes a sublime image.
Light on the surface and a colorful leaf trapped in the water makes a sublime image.

If you hike in the woods, you will always see wildlife. Squirrels are ubiquitous, but you will also see chipmunks.

There are deer in Sokol and I am certain in the other parks as well. I once saw a small herd that had at least eight deer as they grazed in the woods. And I am certain I surprised a beaver one day. I had no idea a beaver could move so fast!

I hear owls calling to each other at times and that is a treat. They have a peculiar voice that is not often heard, particularly if all you do is drive up and down McFarland Boulevard to work and back home.

A rainbow of color shimmers on a spider’s web when photographed up close. Beauty can come in some very small packages.
A rainbow of color shimmers on a spider’s web when photographed up close. Beauty can come in some very small packages.

The creeks and the bodies of water provide the most peaceful sound in all the world. No matter how wound up I am, when I get near a creek and hear that babbling sound of the water flowing over rocks, the stress just melts away.

As much as a hike is good for you body, I think it is even better for your soul. There is something special about a walk in the woods that can’t be replicated in any other environment.

If you go right now, you get to see fall colors. The sunlight shining through golden leaves or orange leaves or red leaves, even through brown leaves, is a beautiful, beautiful sight.

Gary Cosby Jr.
Gary Cosby Jr.

Gary Cosby Jr. is the photo editor of The Tuscaloosa News. Readers can email him at gary.cosby@tuscaloosanews.com.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: A walk in the A walk in the woods produces peace | GARY COSBY JR.