T e r r i f i c T r a i l s
G o f o r a h i k e t o s u r r o u n d y o u r s e l f w i t h n a t u r e
a n d b o o s t y o u r f i t n e s s l e v e l s .
For more information, look up the
National Trails System at
nps.gov.
For
nearby trails, use Web sites such as
BY DOUG DONALDSON
localhikes.com
, or
americantrails.org.
K
endall Collier takes
a deep breath and
begins her walk at
Stone Mountain Park
in Atlanta, a five-mile
path through the
woods and along the lakeshore.
Kendall, the 55-year-old owner of
a catering company in Atlanta, began
hiking this past January to help build
endurance. She likes the fact that
hiking is a low-impact workout that
can bum about 400 calories per hour,
almost as much as jogging.
Another benefit: Hitting the trails a
few times a week can help reduce the
risk of heart disease, according to the
American Heart Association. And
Kendall says her nature walks are a
huge stress reliever for her fast-paced
work environment
“Hiking draws me out of my normal
day-to-day life,” she says. “I put on my
shoes and go and for the first time in
many years, I feel like I’m stopping
and smelling the roses.”
Her hiking outings started as one-
hour walks in neighborhood parks,
and over the past few months she’s
extended some of her hikes to more
than two hours as she continues to
explore new parks and trails. You, too,
can have such hiking adventures. All it
takes is a willingness to venture off-
road and a desire to remind yourself
of the beauty of this earth.
S u r e - F o o t e d S a f e t y
_____________________________
Hiking isn’t particularly dangerous, but that doesn’t mean you can completely ignore
safety considerations, says Seth Levy, spokesman for the American Hiking Society.
Share your plans.
Tell a family member or a friend where you’ll be hiking and when
you expect to come back. Once you return, call that person.
Bring a phone.
Keep it stowed unless there is an emergency. Texting or talking while
hiking decreases your awareness of your surroundings.
Buddy up.
When possible, walk with a friend or group.
Be friendly, but vague.
Say hello to others but don’t share any detailed information
about where you’re headed or where your car is. Call 911 with any threatening situations.
Toot a whistle.
Always bring along a loud whistle. It will help others find you if you’re
lost or in danger. And it scares animals, both two- and four-legged ones.
1. Continental Divide TVail
From Montana to New Mexico, this
trail follows the Rocky Mountains
through Yellowstone National Park.
2. Pacific Crest TVail
Following
the West Coast, you can walk past
giant Sequoia trees and see Mount
Hood and Mount Rainier.
3. Appalachian TVail
Hop on the
trail in any of the 14 states it passes
through, from Georgia to Maine.
4. North Country TVail
A trail
for those in northern states from
New York to North Dakota with
sections that dip through the Ohio
Valley and along the Great Lakes.
5. Lewis and Clark National
Historic TVail
Follow the same
path as the early 1800s explorers did
from St. Louis to the West Coast.
6. Florida National Scenic
TVail
If you’re anywhere in the
Sunshine State, you’re probably
pretty close to this trail, which has
1,400 miles worth of routes.
7. Natchez Trace
Connecting
Natchez, Mississippi, to Nashville,
Tennessee, it’s flat and lush.
8. Pony Express National
Historic TVail
Missouri to California,
the trail follows the route that riders
took to deliver mail in i860 and 1861.
9. Overmountain Victory
National Historic TVail
The trail
follows the route of Revolutionary
War troops from Virginia to
Tennessee.
10. Potomac Heritage
National Scenic TVail
A 425-mile
corridor between the Chesapeake Bay
and the Allegheny Highlands.
2 4 2 ОСТОВІ Ч2008 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
PHOTO: VEER
