Hiking for Me!

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Hiking is such a privilege and so much can be gained from it. I am so grateful for where I live in Arizona, especially with regards to hiking. Actually, just about anywhere you live in the valley of the sun you will have trails to hike within minutes.

I see it as a privilege because I am physically able to hike. There was a period of time when I was not and that was very hard to deal with. So, I focused on healing and here I am nearly ten years later hiking as often as I can. In past years I kind of took hiking for granted. It had been something we did when we wanted to get out and couldn’t think of anything else to do. Never really seeing it for all it really was. I have come to realize that hiking is multidimensional.

The act of hiking, in itself, is exercise whether it is climbing or not. Yet, there is so much more to it if you are totally present and in the moment. Being present is so important if you want to discover the other levels hiking has to offer. The various dimensions of hiking is centered around nature. It oxygenates by design. The plants, bushes, trees all turning the carbon dioxide we expel to oxygen. How about the aromatherapy nature provides? Plants offer so many great smells, which are so much more intense after a good rain. Taking in the smell of nature can instantaneously calm any anxiety and bring

you to a place of harmony. Then there is the positive energy we can draw from the plants, which they willingly share. It is almost as if they enjoy the company within their energy field. It is hard to describe but being present and melding with florae will bring you to tranquility, if you allow it.

Other dimensions of nature has to do with the animals, birds, reptiles and insects. I find them absolutely fascinating and an honor to interact with each one. Heck I am thrilled when one crosses my path. I am so mesmerized by all kinds of birds big and small. I am so envious of their ability to fly and float through the air. Their flying patterns, as in sync as they are, is so mesmerizing and can put you in a meditative state. Hummingbirds are my favorite. They are so fast and small that they can maneuver out of most situations to avoid the predators. We also have hawks that roam the mountains and our neighborhood, because we are just a couple of miles from North Mountain. From the clicking sound of hummingbirds to the screeching of hawks the sounds are captivating as you hike up the trail.

How about the animals that have taken up residence on the mountain? I see many holes burrowed along the trail and wonder what must reside in them. I especially like the little prairie dogs. They are so cute and I’ve even had one greet me when I arrived at the top of North Mountain. Someone had put out apple pieces for them and he was munching away. We’ve also seen a doe and wild boar when we hiked the nature path in Patagonia. That was really special.

Now for the reptiles, arachnids and insects. I am okay with lizards, tortoises, butterflies and bees, but when it comes to snakes and arachnids, I keep my distance. I see lizards and geckos sometimes, I have yet to see a tortoise on a trail hike, but I would not be surprised if we came across one someday. I did come across a rattler once a few years back as the weather was getting very warm. So, I took that as a sign that it was time to go a bit more north or east for hiking during the summer. It is only a ninety-minute drive to Sedona or Cottonwood. Recently, after visiting my father in Queen Valley, I saw there were some trails on the Superstition mountains which are only an hour to ninety minutes east of us. So, during the summer hiking will be a day trip, but totally worth it.

So far this year I have hiked at least once a week. I would love to do it more often so I have been posting on Nextdoor.com about it. The response from my neighborhood has been very positive. So much so, that I was encouraged to create a group and I did. Our hiking group is called “Get Your Hike On.” It is open to twenty neighborhoods and within hours people joined. How cool is that!

I have put hiking as a priority this year and will continue to hike until I no longer can, because it is more than just about the hike. Until next time, have a wonderful week and remember to Keep it Simple (KiS).