“Come forth into the light of things, let nature be your teacher.”
– William Wordsworth
Today I bring you a decidedly less urban form of exploration. Over the course of six months, hiker Kevin Gallagher traversed the 2,181 mile Appalachian Trail and captured it in his short, Green Tunnel. Gallagher took 24 sequential snapshots each day during his epic hike along the trail from Georgia to Maine. His collection of over 4,000 slides was converted into a four-and-a-half minute film winding through the seasons and across the country. Gallagher takes us up hills, through valleys, mists, and meadows. We squeeze between craggy stone crevices and pass under lush verdant archways. There is even a cow or two.
On his website Gallagher describes the film as, “…an effort to bridge the divide from a contemporary America’s pace and outlook to the natural world’s slow rhythms, the film stands as an antithetically fitful and bombastic document of a measured and tedious exercise in endurance.” Insert your favorite Wordsworth quote and enjoy the lovely Green Tunnel.
Jessica Mlinaric founded Urban Explorer in 2010 to inspire curious travelers by highlighting history, culture, and hidden gems in Chicago and beyond. She is the author of ‘Secret Chicago’ and ‘Chicago Scavenger.’ Jessica has visited 20+ countries and 30+ U.S. states. She has more than 16 years of experience as a marketing strategist and works as a freelance writer and photographer.
