“My recovery started because I missed this. I just missed being out here,” New Hampshire author Tom Ryan tells his friend, WINDOWS TO THE WILD host Willem Lange. As he speaks, he marvels at the spectacular fall foliage of the Sawyer Pond Trail, near Lincoln, NH. After a series of health problems that included a stroke, a heart attack, kidney failure and lung disease, Ryan – long an avid hiker known for taking to the trails with his beloved dogs – worried that his best days in the outdoors were behind him. Instead, his struggles have given him a new appreciation for the richness of the wild and the healing power of nature.
Ryan didn’t begin hiking regularly until he was in his forties, but after a trip to the White Mountains with his brothers he says he found the quiet of nature addicting. He tells Lange, “I never feel lonely in nature, just like I’m never lonely in a book.”
For Lange, the outdoors has also provided a salve to loneliness since losing his wife Ida in 2018. He admits that “getting out and seeing people just feels like too much trouble sometimes,” but he always makes time for a walk in the woods with his terrier mix Kiki, averaging about a mile and a half a day.
Appreciating nature, whatever limitations you might be experiencing, has long been a value shared by Lange and Ryan. Over the years, Lange has dealt with knee replacements and Ryan has been gradually improving his health to the point where he can begin hiking New Hampshire’s 4,000 footers again. As Ryan worked on regaining his strength, he kept in mind the example of his dog Will, a schnauzer who accompanied him on his earliest hikes. Though blind and deaf, Will loved going on hikes, experiencing the beauty around him fully, even if he couldn’t see it or hike it himself (Tom either carried or pushed Will up the mountains).
On this sunny fall day, Ryan revels in every detail – the smells, the sights, and the sounds of their journey. “One of the things about my health coming back is the appreciation of this stuff,” he says, gesturing to the surrounding forest. “I find myself looking up at the foliage and it’s like seeing anew.”
You can hear more of Willem and Tom’s thoughts on the therapeutic nature of the wild as they hike Sawyer Pond Trail with their dogs Samwise, Emily and Kiki on the next WINDOWS TO THE WILD episode airing Wednesday, January 15 at 7:30 pm on New Hampshire PBS and online at nhpbs.org/windows.
UPCOMING EVENT - Thursday, October 5, 2023 - Trail Mixer with Willem Lange - More Information
WINDOWS TO THE WILD WITH WILLEM LANGE is generously supported by the Alice J. Reen Charitable Trust and the Bailey Charitable Foundation
Willem Lange’s wardrobe is generously donated by The Kittery Trading Post
A trip along Vermont's Long Trail.
Listen on your favorite podcast platform
Thanks to our podcast partner: The Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communication at Franklin Pierce University
Join host Willem Lange on a tour of a Cambridge oasis -- the Mount Auburn Cemetery.
Willem and a group of people from throughout New England took a trip through Ireland.
What do you do with a section of 170-year-old abandoned railroad track?
Melissa Elam has hiked all of NH's 4,000-foot mountains with her cat, Floki.
A North Conway family shares what they learned about the effects of climate change.
Gabriel Andrus will ski from the northern border of NH to its southern border this winter.
There are gems in the hills. Host Willem Lange learns there's a lot to rock hunting.
Kayaker Betsy Wish set out years ago to meet the people who catch our lobsters.
Arlette Laan is the first woman to hike all eleven of the National Scenic Trails.
The Manchester Cedar Swamp Preserve is considered an ecological gem.
Host Willem Lange is at sea on the American Eagle schooner.
New Hampshire resident Susan Dromey Heeter is competitive.
David Krueger is a Language Specialist / Interpreter, you may have seen him.
Competitive rower Erik Frid takes a break from competition to row 300 miles.
Susie Spikol is a naturalist at the Harris Center for Conservation Education.
Mt. Eustis Ski Hill opened in 1939 and was a community gathering place until it closed.
Redline guide Ken Hodges hikes with Debby "Bear Repellent" Roberts.
Willem hikes with partners and participants of Summits in Solidarity.
The Lifesaving Station at Wood Island was used for sea rescue prior to the Coast Guard.
The Lifesaving Station at Wood Island was used for sea rescue prior to the Coast Guard.
Students attend school aboard a schooner.
Conway photographer Joe Klementovich uses a paddleboard to explore 130 miles of the Saco.
Join us for an all new season of Windows to the Wild with Willem Lange! Wednesdays at 7:30
Host Willem Lange is with friends on the Tucker Mountain trail in Vermont.
Host Willem Lange is off to Cape Cod w/ Kiki for a hike with bestselling author Tom Ryan.
Outdoor Afro volunteer leader Mardi Fuller will take viewers on a winter hike.
Jason Berard is the Stewardship Director at the Upper Valley Land Trust.
Some of New Hampshire's "hidden treasures".
In 1971, Laura Waterman and her husband Guy decided to leave behind a corporate life.
In 1971, Laura Waterman and her husband Guy decided to leave behind a corporate life.
The skill it takes to climb NH's breath-taking cliff faces.
Outdoor educator Scott Ellis is passionate about connecting people with the outdoors.
Outdoor educator Scott Ellis is passionate about connecting people with the outdoors.
Host Willem Lange visits one of NH's spectacular public properties.
Host Willem Lange visits one of NH's spectacular public properties.
Rachael decided not to let their dream die.
Rachael decided not to let their dream die.
When Marianne Borowski retired, she had a dream to create an adventure trail.
When Marianne Borowski retired, she had a dream to create an adventure trail.
Host Willem Lange explores the history, culture and natural beauty of Scotland.
Host Willem Lange explores the history, culture and natural beauty of Scotland.
Host Willem Lange spends the day at Pinkham Notch where he learns about staying safe.
She shows how to have a deep connection with our dogs and nature.
Forest Therapy Guide Nadine Mazzola and their dogs.
Mount Washington is a New England icon that dares people to challenge it.
Mount Washington is a New England icon that dares people to challenge it.
Vermont teacher Scott Ellis believes that real learning happens outdoors.
Vermont teacher Scott Ellis believes that real learning happens outdoors.