For The Love Of Hiking

My husband and I are always on the lookout for activities that we can do together that don't require a whole lot of money, ie it's cheap. Particularly in these economic times when our budget dollar is being squeezed from all directions it's even more important to us than ever that we spend our money wisely.

We both have hobbies and activities that we pursue independently, but we were looking for something that we could do together as a couple. Neither one of us is interested in ballroom dancing, I'm into yoga and swimming, he's into the treadmill and the elliptical, I'm into cross stitching and reading, he's into online poker, and neither of us have an interest in the other's hobbies.

We wanted to do something that we could pursue as a couple, that would get us out of the house and into the fresh air, and that didn't cost an arm and a leg. Given that we live in a part of the country that has abundant forests and lakes we thought we'd try hiking.

It's as if a whole new world has opened up to us! We started slowly, hiking for a couple of hours by visiting provincial parks within a two hour drive of our home and bought a seasonal pass to save on entrance fees. We discovered one park within an hour of home that offers five different trails over varying terrain with spectacular paths that meandered through forests, around small lakes, and through marshes.

We undertook our first few hikes wearing just our running shoes and comfortable clothing. It soon became clear though that we needed to upgrade our footwear to something other than regular shoes, so we waited for a clearance sale at a local sporting goods store and scored big time with half price purchases on sturdy three season hiking boots.

Over the summer our hikes increased in length until we were comfortable hiking for about four hours. We discovered trails we never even knew existed by going online and searching out trails within a two hour drive from home. One particular trails stands out as there were caves and caverns to explore along with both old growth and new growth forests in an area previously inhabited by a First Nation's tribe, signs of which could still be found hundreds of years later provided you knew what to look for.

If you're planning to do some hiking, do invest in proper footwear; your ankles will thank you. Buy a couple of stainless steel water bottles, lots of sunscreen and insect repellant as well as a first aid kit that includes a whistle, compass, bandages, and antiseptic. Buy a couple of backpacks that are big enough to carry a jacket, the items above and food such as sandwiches, granola bars and nuts, but make sure it's not so big as to invite you to pack more than you can carry because after a few hours the weight will become very noticeable.

I highly recommend this as an activity that you can do together as a couple. We loved spending time together, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, in beautiful surroundings with only the sound of the birds, the insects, and the wind in the trees.

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