Sunday, March 18, 2012

3/18/12 Posting--Welcome and introduction

I am so very excited for CHS 2012 to begin, and I hope that you'll enjoy the season! As mentioned in the last entry, this blog will be used to talk about varying topics, mostly hiking related. I hope that it will also serve to keep my weekly emails shorter--brevity is not one of my strong points.


I joined the Mountaineers in 2006 specifically to register for CHS. I had just quit smoking and chose hiking as a way to get fit. When the course started, I was overweight, out of shape, and in over my head. I kept thinking, "Man, these guys hike fast!" "Hey, I just caught up to you having a break -- how come you're leaving now?" "Wait, I have to catch my breath!" But I kept at it, even after a potentially season-ending post-holing incident that May and an ankle sprain that August. The reason we recognize the "Most Improved Hiker" each year at CHS graduation? This guy.


Today, I'm still overweight. But my love for this program has inspired me to become a hike leader, to volunteer with the Seattle Hiking Committee, to take up backpacking and photography, to promote CHS and the hiking activity to new and prospective Mountaineers members, and now to serve as the course administrator. I can thank the course's creator, Kelly, for all this. She and her husband, Matt, have become my lifelong friends.


I live in Federal Way with my wife of 27 years, Rhea. We have three superstar daughters: Chloe in Portland, Dani in San Diego, and Jo in her freshman year at CWU in Ellensburg. Rhea and I have adapted remarkably well to the empty nest and the shrinking grocery bill. I've worked as an estate planning and probate paralegal since 1994. It's pretty dry stuff, so I like to get outdoors as much as possible. And I volunteer. A whole lot. Rhea and many of our friends would say too much. I prefer beer to wine, coffee to tea. I'm a pescetarian (vegetarian with occasional fish) and a Food Network junkie. I'm allergic to mangoes and niacin.


We'll have plenty of opportunity to get to know each other as the season progresses. I look forward to hearing your stories!


Steve

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Welcome to the 2012 Season!

It's almost time once again for CHS to begin again! The off-season always seems to pass so quickly!

Once the course begins on March 24th, Steve and other guest commentators will start making entries into this blog. These entries will cover hiking-related issues of interest to folks in the course. Topics are generally educational in purpose, but we may also discuss and state an opinion or two about pertinent outdoor issues. You may respond to this blog if you wish, but please keep all comments polite and on topic. We do have the power to delete entries and are not afraid to use it!

You do not need to be follower of the blog to read these entries, but if you are, then you will be notified when we make updates to it. Generally speaking, we make an entry each week, usually around Sunday or Monday.

We are looking forward to another fun season of CHS!