For me, it's the woods - partly because, as others said, it's where I learned. Also, it's because the woods are close - I can spend a couple of days walking through them once a month or more - anything in the West would be hugely complicated, involving planes, rental cars, etc., and would mean I'd maybe get out once a year.

There is open country in the East - the Roan and Grayson Highlands along the AT come quickly to mind; so does Isle Royale. Those are my big trips, once or maybe twice a year.

There's a stillness in the woods, even when there is noise. Perhaps it's a timelessness, I don't know; but there's something about knowing that the trees were there long before you were born and, with luck, will be there to greet your grandchildren. There's a connectedness there that I find comforting and renewing.

Like Daisy, I got my "I can camp in sub-zero" T-shirt. Since it's still in pretty good shape, I don't feel any compulsion to get a new one, so I rarely go out when it's going to be below freezing at night. I also used to camp in the rain, but now there are some places that are no longer worth spending half a day cleaning mud off my gear.

I spend a lot of time helping lead groups of beginners - I believe the best way to ensure trails survive is to put more people out on them. I also tend to experiment with gear, so I can better advise them on selection.

I'm also older (66), so I'm more interested in quality of the experience than in making miles - 8-12 miles a day is plenty.