Welcome to CHS 2014!

I am excited that CHS 2014 has begun, and I hope that you'll enjoy the season! Kelly and I use this blog to talk about varying topics, mostly hiking related. We will have entries from several guest bloggers with knowledge and interests in other areas. The blog will also serve to keep my weekly emails shorter. (As you can already tell, 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 CHS hiker recognized as "Most Improved Hiker" at graduation in 2006? This guy. 

Over the last two years I've become a fitness junkie, primarily so I can do burly dayhikes and still function the next day. Plus I want to be able to stare down the big five-oh next year and treat it like just another birthday. I'm a regular at group fitness classes at the Federal Way Community Center, a Half Fanatic (a dozen road and trail half marathons to date), an aspiring Marathon Maniac (one road marathon to date, registered for seven this year!), and a nationally-ranked amateur stairclimber (19th in my age division). I'm an OK cyclist but a lousy swimmer, so triathlon is probably not in my future. But I try never to say never!  

And I volunteer. A whole lot. In addition to this course, I'm the Secretary for the Mountaineers Seattle Hiking Committee, Board Member and VP of Fundraising for the Washington Trails Association, and an income tax preparer for the United Way of King County Free Tax Campaign. 

I live in Federal Way with my wife of 29 years, Rhea. We have three superstar daughters: Chloe, a receptionist in Portland, Dani, a teacher's aide in San Diego, and Jo, in her junior year at CWU in Ellensburg. Rhea and I have adapted remarkably well to the empty nest -- it's like being married again! 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. I despise gardening and yard work! I prefer beer to wine, coffee to tea. I love Rush, Steely Dan, scifi movies and Food Network. I'm allergic to mangoes and niacin. I'm on Facebook too much, and am guilty of emoticon overuse. ;-)

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

-Steve