Friends. What would we do without them? One of my resolutions over the last few years has been to make more time for my friends, both old and new. This can mean having to find a balance between my friends that hike, and well, my friends that don’t.
I was able to get out for a nice long 6 hour hike today on Tiger Mountain after not being able to for almost 2 weeks (apart from walks at lunch). Things have just been so busy between working some extra hours at my second job with the local parks and recreation department, making time for friends, and a long list of chores I had been neglecting. Luckily, the weather has simply been gross lately so choosing to do things like see Star Wars for the second time or catch up on laundry and dishes instead of hiking has been just a tad bit easier.
Today’s hike was with a group of folks that I know through the website Meetup. I have met most of them since I started hiking with a specific group last June that does longer and more challenging hikes, as I had a goal to make more friends that like to do what I do and do it year round. This has been an amazing experience and I am loving every minute of it.
Not only is it great to hike with folks who love to do what you do, these meetups allow you to hike with folks from a wide range of ages, backgrounds and personalities. It’s not uncommon to hike with both PNW natives as well transplants from England, Ireland, Ukraine, France, Australia and states from around our own country.
Another perk to hiking with others (as I am often likely to just head out by myself) is that you get to share a carpool, have someone to help with making decisions on trail, and you might just do something you would not normally do without the encouragement of others!
I tell people all the time how much I love being a part of the hiking community. They are some of the most friendly and helpful folks you can find. And they make the best friends! So, if you are looking for others to hike with, I highly suggest heading on over to Meet Up and find yourself a hiking group of your own. There are so many different kinds to choose from, there is sure to be one your very own flavor. If not, you can even make your a meetup group of your own!
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