Slow down and take your time hiking and enjoy the experience of the hike. Like this encounter with a chipmunk I recently had at Ault Park.
When he looked down I took a step closer to him.
He looked down again and I took another step forward.
At this point EVERY chipmunk is doing the alarm call of the real sharp bark/chirp and the birds have now gotten in on the act and are screeching like mad.
The chipmunks looked away for a second and I took another step closer..
The second chipmunk looked at me and then backed up and disappeared. The other chipmunk just looked perplexed.
He finally decided the nut wasn’t worth it and zipped down this hole…
So, the next time you are on the trail take your time and enjoy the stories going on all around you.