There is something so incredibly beautiful about human powered adventure. You could head out your door right this instant and walk, run, paddle, climb, or bike for as long as your endurance holds up.

Human powered adventure can be defined as any adventure not requiring the use of an “engine,” be it a vehicle, a horse, or any other non-human mode of transportation. In other words, the human body is the driving force behind the adventure.

Engines are tools used to make our adventure lives easier. Chairlifts drop snowboarders off at the top of the mountain. Two trucks connect a river shuttle. Support vehicles make long-distance bike rides more manageable. Planes and helicopters drastically cut travel time.

We should be eternally grateful for the engine. Without it, adventure might be painstakingly impossible at times.

But a journey becomes especially epic when engines are removed from the scenario. It is now entirely up to you and your willpower. How far you go is determined not by a certain amount of gasoline or properly functioning components, but by your own energy and determination.

The human powered adventure possibilities are endless. You could paddle down the Mississippi River. You could walk the entire length of the Pacific Crest Trail. You could spend five days backpacking Yosemite. You could even take a short ramble through a petrified wilderness.

Remember, engines are tools. They get us places faster. Human powered adventure, on the other hand, is something so basic, yet so intrinsic to our adventurous souls.