An autumn forest hike

“After a day's walk everything has twice its usual value.”  

~ George Macauley Trevelyan

The best thing I've ever done this past year is join a hiking group. There are upwards of 20 women who walk or hike weekly together, an amazing assortment of ages and abilities to be sure. Actually, the bulk of these women are in fabulous condition, never "walk" per se, rather "power walk" at a great clip to keep anyone else moving hard just to keep up with them. 

I myself like to be in the lead, either right at the helm with our group's organizer, or just behind. I find this keeps me accountable, and really moving to keep up. It's a healthy feeling to become so naturally adrenalized, even if the ridiculous sweating that happens is rather unbecoming. 

The scenery during each of our walk/hikes has been utterly breathtaking at times, most of the geographical hike explorations have been new to me. So far, we've been along beach shores, lush and thick forest paths, along the Nine Mile Portage, through historical Fort road beds, and along snowy walkways on snowshoe. It's always a little bonus when spotting those secret geocatching locations along our journeys.

I love this group of friendly and motivating gals, and find it so encouraging myself, to be in a position of cheering on new members, who are at times very out of shape but very darned and determined to perk up again. The ladies keep up their paces well, so everyone knows if they can't keep up, linger behind with a buddy and see you at the end.

These photos were snapped last week, during a sunny autumn morning deep within the Copeland Forest. 

Surprisingly while we were houghing up steeper hills, a few joggers came along and ran by us so quickly, we literally felt the silent wind beneath their leafy feet in stunned surprise. 

Also surprising was finding out the pedometer clicked us in at 9,879 steps during this particular hike. Yay! Great workout!   

"If adventure has a final and all-embracing motive, it is surely this: we go out because it is our nature to go out, to climb mountains, and to paddle rivers, to fly to the planets and plunge into the depths of the oceans... When man ceases to do these things, he is no longer man."  

- - Wilfrid Noyce

 

  “If you are seeking creative ideas, go out walking.  

Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk.”     

-- Raymond Inmon


  

 “A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world.” 
 

-- Paul Dudley White


  

“Thoughts come clearly while one walks.”  
 

-- Thomas Mann


  

 Some of the 20 ladies in my hiking club.

 “The longest journey begins with a single step, not with a turn of the ignition key.  That's the best thing about a walking, the journey itself.  It doesn't much matter whether you get where your going or not.  You'll get there anyway.  Every good hike brings you eventually back home.  Right were you started.”

 

-- Edward Abbey 

"We don't stop hiking because we grow old - 

we grow old because we stop hiking". 

 

-Finis Mitchell

 

 

“We live in a fast-paced society.  

Walking slows us down.”  
 

-- Robert Sweetgall