Hiking Dude Blog

The sumac is changing colors. The last few chilly mornings have convinced them it's time to start the show. The maples and oaks take a little more convincing, but they'll come around soon. It's been below freezing up North, but just 50 here. Is that snow I smell? :-)

A lot changes this time of year. School just started back up, the air is cooling off, the mosquitos have vanished, and it's the perfect time to hike and camp. It's also the perfect time to remind your scouts to look around their classroom and see who might want to join their Pack or Troop.

It's 11 miles to the end of the trail and back from my house. I'm doing that route each morning this week so I can see how my legs feel after 5 days in a row. So far, no problem.

Hike On

Click this picture to see the whole thing. It is a sign describing what happens when someone drops litter - how long it takes to decompose. Someone designed and made that sign and it effects the decisions made by the people that visit the park where it is located.

How much impact does a single person really have on the world?
A few people become famous through athletic ability, acting, politics, or terrible acts of violence. But, the vast, vast majority of us are unknowns in a global sense. We exist, live, and die being known by a miniscule number of people. If there are 7 billion people on the planet and you interact with 7,000 of them, you've reached 1 out of a million. Even if you count all your Facebook friends, you probably don't really know or care about 7,000 people.

Since we have such small spheres of relationships, it can be difficult to think our actions have a global impact. But, every decision you make does ripple out to some extent, effecting people you don't even know and that have never heard of you. We DO need to think on a global scale when we live our lives.

Here's an example. I'm deciding if I should take an alcohol stove or a isobutane stove on the Arizona Trail next spring. The alcohol stove is just a couple pop cans, uses easy-to-find alcohol, but doesn't put out as much fast heat as the other. The isobutane uses canisters, took a lot of resources to manufacture, and does an excellent job.
Whichever I choose will consume resources and fuel and provide heat for my cooking. By choosing the alcohol stove, my environmental impact is much less because I'm recycling and creating less waste. By choosing the isobutane stove, I'm spreading my wealth to the companies that make the stove and the canisters and the stores that sell them in towns along the trail.

If we choose to walk or drive, leave the laptop on or turn it off, mow the yard every day or every week, keep the air conditioning at 72 or 78, we change our impact on the world. If we think globally, we try to minimize our negative impacts and maximize our positives. It's easy to convince ourselves that the decisions don't matter, but they do.

Ants are a good demonstration. In my yard, there is a little ant hill. If you look closely, an ant brings up one grain of sand at a time. One grain of sand is trivial, it doesn't make a difference. But over the course of a day or two, with everyone doing a small amount, there's a big pile of grains and a new community underground.

Thinking on a global scale helps me make better choices. A large group thinking globally and making their individual decisions with the good of others in mind, even people they don't know or possibly aren't even born yet, are bound to increase the overall good. I think that's what we should be about - trusting that others will do good and doing our best to do good and show others how it's done.

Hike On

A couple years ago, I built the North Country National Scenic Trail. Oh, it wasn't all me - I had some help. Actually, I helped build about 600 feet of the 4600 mile trail. Many sections of the trail still don't exist - but they will some day.

I acted. I did something. I put in some effort in my local community. And, I did it with the thought that it is a very small part of a much greater whole. Someone in New York and someone else in North Dakota also built a bit of trail. Their bits and pieces combine with mine to create something amazing. Now, one of my goals is to hike the entire trail in a couple years.

When we 'Do a Good Turn Daily', we are making the world a bit more connected and a bit better. We are acting locally while we think globally. Good Turns are not heroic deeds. They are small things that, over time and repeated by many, can make a huge difference.

It's easy to think about what's wrong in the world and not do anything about the problems. The problems are so big, a single person can't change them. That is why each person needs to change his local world in whatever small way he can, while keeping in mind the good of the whole.

Walking or biking to work or the store, participating in a charity hike or run, volunteering for a CERT position, picking up trash along a trail - it doesn't matter so much what you do, as long as you do something.

Check this out about Making a Difference around you.

Hike On

I had a goal for last week of hiking 11 miles each morning so I could see how my legs held up. I did it and actually jogged about 12 of them. The hard part was setting aside the time it took.

I've got a pretty good pace when just hiking along flat ground - about 14 minute miles. So, it took 2:35 to walk 11 miles. That really cuts into your day, even starting when it gets light at 6:45am.

With only so many hours in each day, it's hard to spend so many of them exercising, or preparing for something bigger. Other important matters are always present and ready to consume all the hours in a day. If you exercise for 1 hour each day, that's about 4%. But, it's actually more like 8% of the daylight hours. That's quite a chunk to spend not being measurably productive.

So, to help me justify my time spent hiking, I view it as measurable preparation. If I'm going to hike many miles next spring in the wild, I have to prepare my body beforehand. If I plan to hike 20 miles/day I need to work up to that in practice and test myself before the hike. I'm spending some of my hours now so my hours in the wild then are more enjoyable, safe, and comfortable.

Hike On

This week, I did 8 miles each day except Wednesday. I walked half of each day and jogged the other half. I can jog 6 miles without stopping now. Starting small and easy, and gradually working up, is really the way to go.

One day, I spent 45 minutes hiking up and down trails in the only nature area around with steep parts. It's a 3-mile flat walk to the nature area, so I get 6 miles walking and 2 or 3 miles of hills in one trip. I plan to do this route each day next week. I'll probably jog there, hill hike, then walk home.

It will be very important to have uphill strength and downhill stability for the Arizona Trail hike next spring. You use muscles differently when flat walking compared to mountain walking and no matter how many flat miles you put in, they won't prepare your legs for the mountains.

Hike On

The last few mornings hiking have been pretty empty. There's normally quite a few people out getting some exercise, but with drizzle and wind, it seems everyone finds something better to do. Today I got a nice surprise.

As I was almost done with my 8-mile walk, I heard a bicycle coming up behind me on the gravel path so I inched over to the right edge giving all the room I could. Instead of flying by, the cyclist slowed and said, 'Excuse me.' Well, that's a first.

Beside me was a young lady with panniers full of gear and more strapped on her bike, not just the normal commuter. It turns out she wanted to know what town she was in because she was supposed to meet someone on the trail by Edgefield or Edgeland or something like that. I told her this was Eden Prairie and she said, 'Yeah, that's it!'

Being of quick mind and sharp reasoning skills, I figured she wasn't from around here. I asked. She told me that today she came from the town just south of us but had started in Montana and needed to meet her friend along this trail. I explained where the trail went and where the most probable spots were to meet someone. I really wanted to hear more of her trek but she was off again, being in a bit of a hurry. At least I got to do my Good Deed for the day.

I hope she finds her friend and has a great trek, wherever it's taking her.

Hike On

Yesterday was almost the last day for a German vistor hiking the White Mountains in New Hampshire. He apparently suffered a heart attack on the trail and went down. Fortunately, he is in a hospital in stable condition instead of a morgue today.

Another German tourist, not with the first, came by just moments later and began CPR. While CPR was being given, other hikers raced to the trailhead where they found a person with a cellphone. She called for help.
When an ambulance crew arrived, they revived him with their portable defibrillator and rushed him to the hospital.

Similar scenarios unfold every day. In just the past two weeks, hikers died in AR, CA, CO, ME, NH, NY, OR, and WA according to a google search. 20 people have died in Yosemite Natl Park alone this year.

If you come upon an injured hiker, would you know what to do? First Aid and CPR skills are overlooked by many that venture into the wilds. Be able to care for yourself, others in your group, and victims you may encounter - get some training.

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OK, I just couldn't pass commenting on this totally fun way to tie Halloween into hiking.
In Louisville, KY their Metro Park is having a Zombie Hike on Oct. 22 where folks can dress up to participate in a costume contest, hike through their 'undead forest', stay for a campfire and s'mores, and even watch 'Night of the Living Dead'.
I expect the movie crowd will be older, but what a fun and scary evening combining some exercise with spooks.

Woodstock IL, Fond du Lac WI, Garden City NY, Glen Rose TX, Westland MI are just some of many communities holding similar Halloween Hikes around the country.

I bet there's probably an opportunity in your community to get out and hike, besides just walking house to house asking for candy. Check your local Park & Rec, community center, or town hall.

Hike On

On the trail this morning, there was a big dark blob far ahead. In the early morning gloom, I couldn't make it out but it was certainly not there yesterday.
It moved.
Oh, just a rodent, another raccoon scrounging around getting into mischief. But, as I walked closer, it didn't scurry off. As a matter of fact, it looked my way and started coming towards me.

Now, wait a minute. I'm 6-1, 175 pounds and he's 1-2, 20 pounds. Why's he coming at me?
'Hey, go away! Hyah, move it!' Nothing, he just keeps waddling towards me so I start backstepping to keep 20 feet or so between us.

He stopped. I stopped and watched. He kind of teetered and swayed like a drunk trying to stay upright.

Now there's no food that he's protecting. No young ones. I can't see or think of anything that makes his behvior make sense. So, I figure there's something wrong with this guy and I'm not about to get bit or scratched by some zombie raccoon.

Since I was in no hurry, I just watched him. He swayed. He turned. He took a few awkward, uncoordinated steps. I waited.

When he finally got over to the side of this wide trail with his back to me, I quickstepped past him on the other side of the trail. He didn't twitch, budge, or react.


So, how should we interact with animals we meet? We should minimize our impact and respect wildlife according to Leave No Trace principles. If our presence is affecting the animal's behavior then we are too close and should remove ourselves from the area.

Normally, an animal will scurry away from humans, recognizing us as threats. You've probably seen squirrels, chipmunks, birds, snakes, rabbits, maybe even turkey, deer, and fox while out hiking. They will run, fly, or slither away as fast as they can until they feel safe. Sometimes just a few feet to stop and look at you. At that point, our reaction should be to continue down the trail, leaving them alone.

But, if their behavior is inconsistent with what is normally expected then the situation might be dangerous. They may feel threatened and cornered, they may have young to protect, or they may be sick. In those cases, any animal may hold its ground or even attack.

When outdoors, keep your eyes and ears open for animals. If you notice any strange behavior, give ground and move away, probably back the way you came. Keep your eye on the animal. When the aggressive behavior stops or you feel you are a safe distance, watch the animal and make a plan. If you wait long enough, most likely the animal will move off the trail and you can continue.

I just joined the Outdoor Bloggers Network - a bunch of interesting blogs about fishing, camping, hunting, hiking and other outdoors stuff.

If you'd like to read thoughts and stories from other outdoors folks, check them out at OBN site. Just be prepared to get lost in dozens of very interesting websites about the things you love to do!

Happy Birthday, OBN!