HIKING
You wake up in the mor ning just as a pink and pur ple blush bursts across the sky, mixing with the dark hues of the mountainous ridgelines surrounding you in all directions. You brew a pot of coffee or tea as you’re cooking up a hearty breakfast that’ll sustain you for a day of adventuring. As you enjoy your morning meal, you pore over trail maps until you find that one trail that calls your name and makes your feet itch. Now that you’re powered up for the day, you fill some water bottles, make a lunch and throw it in a backpack along with all of your other essentials. You pull on some shorts or leggings, a sweat wicking shirt and a sweater before lacing up your trusty old hiking boots. They’ve seen their fair share of miles trekking through mud and grass and gravel and grime but you love them all the same for all of the beautiful places that they’ve taken you over the years. Maybe you have a four legged or a two legged friend that you invite on your
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impending adventure. With all of your gear and a heart full of excitement, you jump in your car and start driving. You down the last dregs of your coffee as you park at the trailhead, gazing at the blossoming blue sky above you and thinking to yourself, what a wonderful day for a hike. After double checking all of your gear and doing a quick stretch, you let yourself take that very first step. Your hiking boots crunch into the gravel and your breath hitches with anticipation of what’s to come. The trail is mellow as first, climbing slowly and gently through trees and forest. It lets you adjust, get your legs moving and heart pumping before the real climbing begins. You revel in this quiet, one on one time with the natural world. The only sounds around you are the wind rustling the leaves, the birds singing their songs and your boots crunching on the trail.
