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Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit.

I think true wilderness can still be found, but it's hard to reach and dangerous when you get there, which is probably why it still exists.

I realize the answer is not to create wilderness and walk away.

There's been progress toward seeing that nature and culture are not opposing terms, and that wilderness is not the only kind of landscape for environmentalists to concern themselves with.

As one who has often felt this need, and who has found refreshment in wild places, I attest to the recreational value of wilderness.

If you spend time alone in the wilderness, you get very attuned to living things.

We all want Canaan without going through the wilderness.

I love the fact that we are surrounded by this spectacular natural beauty that routinely strikes us dead. Hikers walk off into the woods and are never seen again. And still we tug on our fleece and skip off into the wilderness, not a care in the world.

On the mountains mistakes are fatal. In politics, mistakes are wounding emotionally, but you recover. Personally, wilderness helps me get back in touch with natural rhythms, helps me reflect and, in the process, restore my creativity.

Expeditions are escapism. The stuff that we're normally concerned about just doesn't matter out there. Tax returns, gas bill, none of it. Life becomes very simple, it's about moving in a certain direction - north if you're going north - staying warm and not getting eaten. That's it.