I am often asked about why I hike so much and the answer varies widely as I have many reasons for making hiking one of my top priorities. Nothing fills my soul like a walk in the woods.
This time of year is the hardest for me because I am ruined to all other forms of exercise save hiking and strolling in nature. Well okay, there is always a little dancing. But who wants to do the treadmill when we have such beautiful PNW scenery to walk through? Why lift weights or plank when you can maneuver downed trees and venture over precarious stream crossings? When the current avalanche conditions or shortened days keep me from heading to the hills, I am hard pressed to find the motivation to knock off some push ups or jumping jacks. Bleh.
Luckily, I have two options that can hold me over until I can gain some mountain elevation. I have a hospital parking garage in my neighborhood and the top story has a beautiful panorama of the North Cascades. As I run the stairs up and down, most days I am presented with the familiar blue and white tones for a background.
I also work close to a nature park with about 4 miles of trails that meander through the woods and alongside the Skykomish River. That is where you will usually find me during my lunch breaks, enjoying the mossy trees and eagles swooping down to catch fish.
How do you beat the winter blues when you can’t go hiking?
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