5/15/2011 Posting

Hopefully you were able to enjoy the spectacular weather we had on Saturday to do something you enjoy!

While Saturday was certainly the better day to go hiking this weekend, I led my CHS1 hike today. It was somewhat soggy today, to say the least. Nevertheless, me and nine other hikers decided to brave the less-than-ideal weather and do our planned ten-mile hike. While it rained off and on throughout the day, we really didn’t get any significant rain until our last mile or so. We also had a bit of adventure when our trail was diverted by a recent clear cut. A new trail had been hastily built, but it was pretty soggy and mostly went straight up hill. I was pretty sure we were on the right trail, but since I’d never been on it before, it made me a little nervous to encounter this secondary trail. Well everything turned out okay, and we made it back to where we were supposed to be. I was very impressed with all of the folks I went hiking with today. They had very positive attitudes throughout the whole trip and took good care of themselves in poor weather. Fellow navigation buffs helped me with map reading and using nifty technology to determine we were where we thought we were on the trail. My favorite saying from today was “I have sunshine in my heart.”

So this week’s topic of discussion is knowing “when to say when” on a hike. If the hike is not necessarily dangerous, but you’re not having a good time, at one point do you decide that the fun factor has hit the ground and starting digging? I usually find that if I look at the reasons why I hike—good company, nice destinations, enjoyable walking, and so on—and if the hike is giving me none of the pleasure of these factors, then I turn around and go home. If at least one of them is present—for example, my companions and I are in good spirits and having a good conversation despite conditions—then I continue on even if the weather is foul and there are no views. But if we’re all getting grumpy, or cold, and we’re not seeing anything farther away than our hands in front of our eyes due to bad weather, or the trail has become perplexing, then a warm place with some nice food and a hot drink starts looking really appealing. Don’t feel like you have to complete every hike you start. Sometimes it’s better to bag the hike and come back another day when conditions are better. The only trip you have to complete is the one back to your car.

Have a great week and I hope to hike with you soon!