Being out in the woods, carrying all we need for the weekend on our backs, reaching the top of a summit, getting a great view off some ledge, knowing we're far from "civilization", knowing we'll have great stories to tell and knowing that our families think we're nuts, enjoying the fact that we CAN get out and hike and backpack and aren't stuck inside because of some illness or issue, breathing in the fresh air, standing on top of West Bond and looking out over all the untouched wilderness (well, with the exception of the ski area and Mt. Washington Observatory that you can see in the distance), feeling the burn as we haul up a steep trail, going to sleep at night contentedly tired from a great day, hiking in bad weather and having the trails to ourselves, getting into great shape, feeling strong and fit, marking a peak off our list....
All of these things come to mind when I think about my motivation for hiking and backpacking. I don't know if I could put my finger on one thing, as to me, all of the above kind of meld together to explain why I am always so happy when we're out on the trails and in the woods, happy we got up and out of the house, happy we're not sitting around on the couch because we couldn't motivate, and on and on.
I just feel lucky that we can get out there as much as we do, and that motivates me to try and take advantage of every free day we have.
Of course, I speak only for myself--maybe Ryan would like to sit on the couch for a day instead