Absurdly busy weeks at work means choices about priorities, and yo, if I am going to pick between writing here and hiking out there, you know what I am choosing.
This past week was the last week of JK being gone; my MIL's surgery; robotics; and the piano recital rehearsal, not to mention a ton of work. So much work stuff.
There's a new-ish trail by our house--we thought it was all done in mulch or other recycled materials, but it turned out, they had decided to pave it. We checked it out, hiked it, had a good time.
What makes a hike a hike? Is it no a longer a hike if the trail is paved? I don't think that's a good qualifier for a lot of reasons, but my biggest one is accessibility. If you're going to say that a hike can only be on dirt, or rigged terrain, you are ruling people out of being hikers (at least in your estimate, which is the wrong estimation). Having trails that are accessible--paved with different materials, boardwalks, even very packed dirt--opens up trails and hiking and experiencing the outdoors to so many more.
Obviously, it's not possible for all trails to be like this. Terrain and nature have their own dictates about how a trail can be, and we also have to be careful with the land we live in--making trails can have huge impacts on the ecosystem. It's also critical that all can enjoy it, and I was glad to take a spin around these trails, cutting through the woods behind baseballs fields and firehouses. It had been raining and had been muddy, so you could see tracks from animals, footprints from people, and lines from wheels from strollers or chairs.
If your definition of a hike has always involved dirt, tree roots, and rocks, I challenge you to open your perspective more. I know I always need to--it's a process of constant learning and evolution. I love the outdoors and hiking so much, why wouldn't I want that for all?
Varying lengths; we walked the entire trail, doubling back on ourselves repeatedly, for a total of 2 miles.
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