Bushwhacking 101

bush·whack

/ˈbo͝oSHˌ(h)wak/

verb

verb: bushwhack; 3rd person present: bushwhacks; past tense: bushwhacked; past participle: bushwhacked; gerund or present participle: bushwhacking

    North American•Australian

    travel in wild or uncultivated country.

    "for 12 years, he has bushwhacked across southern Utah"

So, what is a Bushwhack?  The term actually originates from pre- US-revolutionary war times.

"Bushwhacking was a form of guerrilla warfare common during the American Revolutionary War, American Civil War and other conflicts in which there were large areas of contested land and few governmental resources to control these tracts"  Wikipedia

The most basic definition I have seen is from Merriam-Webster

"Bushwhacking: to travel by foot through uncleared terrain"

From 1809, the American English definition of 'bushwhacker" is:

"woodsman, one accustomed to life in the bush," 

literally "one who beats the bushes" (to make his way through), perhaps modeled on Dutch bosch-wachter "forest keeper;" see bush (n.) + whack (v.). 

Not to worry, we are peaceful woodspeople and mean no harm to land owners, public or private, nor to the fern, fauna, and phylum that exist throughout the woods we'll be enjoying.  

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When is the best time to explore off-trail excitement?

Bushwhacking season normally runs late fall to early spring, when the ground cover is low, the briers more manageable, the ticks are asleep (?) and the final preps for spring ultras are underway.   And given how many folks use The Barkley for their Hardrock qualifier, I figure we should get accustomed to some off-trail excitement.

What is the objective?

Now, the goal of bushwhacking is not to create new trails. In fact, the objective is just the opposite, it's to enjoy the woods randomly, in all their glory, (similar to the way those Burning Man rookies enjoy Lego in all his glory).  Think of bushwhacking as gladed, tree skiing.  Or Daniel Day-Lewis as Hawkeye as he's running through those Carolina mountains at the beginning of Last of the Mohicans. 

I'm in! How do I get started?

We'll take whomever is interested on an introductory bushwhacking tour where you will learn how to follow dear paths (sort of), avoid branches, suck up some brier cuts and analyze a few old still sites.  We'll go an hour max, think 18 min/mi pace, and finish at the big bridge near the bottom of jungleland.  Email KramerReeves@gmail.com for more information.