One of our best friends in DC (who shall remain unnamed) has always wanted to get and stay in shape, and so for several years now he has signed up for 5-6 triathlons per year to motivate himself to train for and then compete in those races. To my knowledge, he's never actually done any training, but he has participated in and completed each of the 15-20 events for which he pre-registered. It's probably not the best fitness strategy, but by paying for and putting the triathlons on his calendar he has knocked out a ton of triathlons. And he's inspired us a bit.
No, we have no interest in competing in triathlons. But we've been thinking a lot about the coming summer and all the things we want and need to get done. We have a lot of home improvements, for example, that we would like (and need) to tackle. That and a million other things could really end up sabotaging our summer so that we never have time for the things we really want to do. Two things we really want to do this summer are: (1) hike new trails and explore the beautiful scenery around our new home; and (2) spend more time with family and friends. So, using our quasi-triathlete friend's example, we've decided to schedule one hike per month. And the only thing that beats a good hike is doing that good hike with family and/or friends. Which is why we've decided to try to initiate a hiking club.
Think of it as a book club, except instead of trying to read a book at the last minute and then pretending that you read the whole thing by deconstructing the last chapter, you just show up at the designated trailhead at the scheduled time and then enjoy an adventure in the great outdoors.
So, for the coming summer, starting in April and ending whenever it's too cold, we're going to pick a hike (probably somewhere between Ogden and Provo), we're going to get it on the calendar several weeks in advance, and we're going to hit the trail at the designated time (even if we haven't fixed the leaky faucet yet). And we would love to have you, our family and friends, join us whenever you want/can. We're happy to do the scheduling and arranging, but we would love to have anyone participate in any way they would like, including taking charge of the arrangements for a month so that you can plan that hike you've always wanted to do. And there are no expectations or pressures whatsoever (i.e., come when you want to/can, don't come when you don't want to/can't).
Many of you already know the origin of the name we've chosen for the club, "Four More Miles," but for those of you who don't, here's the story: Half-way between Yellowstone and the Tetons, there is a magical Boy Scout camp named Camp Loll. Each week on "hike day," the Camp Loll staffers take the scouts on hikes through Yellowstone and the Tetons, and two things are absolutely certain to occur on every one of those hikes: (1) the scouts will incessantly ask "how many more miles?;" and (2) the Camp Loll staffers will consistently answer "four more miles." (Scouts don't really like that, but Scout Masters really don't like it.) The next day, the staffers continue the joke by performing a chant:
Yesterday was hike day! Wasn't it great?
Think of all the dust you ate!
And as you ponder upon your trials,
just remember there are four more miles!
Here's hoping there will always be four more miles, and that those miles can be enjoyed with family and friends.
So, if you're interested in joining us and would like to be added to the email distribution list to receive information on the hikes, dates, times, etc., please send us an email to: fourmoremiles at yahoo dot com (or let us know some other way).
See you at the trailhead!
