People often ask me, “Why do you hike?” You would think that this would be an easy question to answer, but it isn’t. Is it because I love the outdoors? Sure. Is it for the physical benefits that I get to help ease the transition to old(er) age? Of course. But it is much deeper than that. Hiking provides me with a sense of well being that can only be found at the top of hill after hiking for several hours. It doesn’t matter what the weather is like. I have found that each season and each type of weather provides its own type of solace.

John Muir summed it up perfectly when he said, “Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. As age comes on, one source of enjoyment after another is closed, but Nature’s sources never fail.” Who can argue with that? I have been hiking for a good part of my life and with each passing year I find the woods calling me to them more often than not. Feeling the earth under my feet, if only for a few miles, has done more to set my head straight after a bad day than anything that a doctor could prescribe.

  So the next question is, “Why blog?” And my answer to that is, “why not?” The goal of this blog is simple. I want to share my love of the Hudson Valley and the outdoors with everyone who chooses to read this. If even one person who has never had the pleasure of hiking in this area decides to get out and go hike, then  good for them. They will hopefully then experience the same sense of well being that I have come to expect every time that I venture onto a trail.

Peace.