4/18/10 Post

I’m writing this blog from sunny Central Oregon. I came down here on Friday to celebrate my Dad’s retirement from 50 years of basketball coaching. Didn’t get any hiking in but did do some nice walks out in the sagebrush and sun with my stepmom. The sun felt great and it was nice being back in the area I grew up in.

I wanted to emphasize in this email the importance of taking care of your feet and body while you hike—no matter what the distance. Many times I find that folks are reluctant to talk about problems they may be having either with boots or with body aches and pains. Please don’t be shy about talking to the hike leader or First Aid person about any issues that you are having as you hike. Blisters don’t go away if you ignore them, they just get worse. Body aches/pains may be fleeting or long-lasting, but please say something if you have a problem that seems to be persisting. Your hiking partners can help you out and provide advice.

Kelly Gone Backpacking:
On Friday, April 23rd, I will be leaving for my Zion/Grand Canyon hiking and backpacking trip. I will be away from email until Wednesday, May 4th. If you have any issues or questions while I am gone, please contact Steve Payne, stevepayne@mindspring.com. I will post my blog for next weekend before I leave on Friday.

CHS Pictures:
If you took any pictures on your hike this weekend, please be sure to forward them to chshiker2008@gmail.com to post them on the picture site for everyone to view. Be sure to include the name and date of the hike in the subject line. You can access the picture site through the CHS Web Site or directly by going to http://picasaweb.google.com/hiker.chs.

April & May Hike Signup:
All April hikes are available for signup for more than two hikes now. There is still space available in the following hikes:

CHS1:
4/25 (Sun)—Anna May Brennan/Steve Payne, Point Defiance (9 miles, 100’ gain)
CHS2:
4/25 (Sun)—Ellen Purington & Cynthia Stevens, Tiger Mountain Leader’s Choice (7 miles, 2200’ gain)

May hike descriptions will be emailed tomorrow (4/19) evening—Sign up will begin on Wednesday, April 21st at 9:00 AM. At that time, you will need to restrict yourself to only signing up for two CHS 1 or 2 hikes based on the hikes you’ve done so far and how you would compare yourself to other hikers you’ve hiked with. If you need to talk to me about it, please contact me. Please limit your initial May hike signup to two hikes in the CHS group you’ve chosen (CHS 1 or 2); do not sign up for hikes in both sections.

Some notes on May hikes:

• We will be offering a few "Grads Only" hikes in May at both the CHS 1 and CHS 2 levels. This means that only graduates who are not participating in the course this year will be able to register for these hikes when they open for registration on April 21st. If they do not fill up by the Thursday before the hike, then current year participants (some of whom may also be past-year graduates) will be able to sign up.
• Steve Payne and Heidi Walker are offering a photography hike on May 2nd. This hike is not group specific and is open to participants in either CHS 1 or 2. It does not qualify as one of your required May hikes however. It’s strictly for fun.