Hiking

I didn’t realize how long it had been since I went for a hike…until I went for a hike. The White Mountains of NH offer a plethora of trails from easier ones like Artist’s Bluff to more challenging ones like High Canon and hundreds of others.  The joy of conversing with your friends/family while climbing, experiencing a communal goal and being phone-free is beyond special.  Add to that the striking colors of the green foliage, orange mushrooms and azure blue sky (plus the sound effects of the stream running by you) and you really appreciate the purity of nature.  Oh yes, and if you want a really challenging hike, try the Pemi Loop that my sons did along with their friend John a month ago:  Arrive at trail head at 4:15 a.m., hike 30 miles with 10K feet elevation (and pretty bad trail conditions) and return at 8 pm that night.  You get your 75K steps in and you’ve earned your Big Mac.