Hiking

You wake up in the morning just as a pink and purple 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 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.

Without the distractions of a computer or a phone or a tablet, you let your mind wander. You notice how green and alive the grass around you is, swaying gently in the wind. You notice each and every breath that comes into your body, propelling you forward and keeping you going. You notice how sweet it feels to have the warm summer wind caress your face and bare arms. As you delight in the feeling of just being outside, the trail begins to climb. Your breath comes harder now and you’re aware of the strain in your thighs and calves and shins. The trees begin to thin out and the rocks become more prominent. You lift your boots over crisscrossing and tangled tree roots, jutting stones and packed soil, all while delighting in the feeling of going up, up, up. Suddenly, you break free of the tree line and you pause for a drink of water and a short break. As you pull your eyes away from the trail in front of you, you inhale sharply. You can finally see the summit, your destination. It seems impossibly far away but you have confidence in your body to get you there. You shoulder your pack and start climbing again, feeling alive and motivated and at peace with nature. As you get closer and closer to the summit, you start hiking harder, eager to get to the top. Before you know it, you’re there. On top of the world. And that’s when the real magic happens. You know the feeling. The deep sense of inner peace, accomplishment and downright exhaustion that accompanies a mountain summit. The moment when you look around you and it’s nothing but grassy hills and rocky peaks and dense forests falling away below your feet. The feeling when you look above you and there’s nothing but wide open skies and gently rolling clouds. Your lungs heave for air, your calves burn with fatigue and your heart flutters with joy.

That’s why we hike, isn’t it? For those feelings when we get to the top. To source out new trails use local author and avid hiker Terry Nelson’s Fernie Area Hiking Trails and Natural Plant Compendium available at the Guides Hut and Polar Peek bookstore.

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