Forest Trails
One of my favorite recreational activities is hiking along a forest trail on a cool, sunny morning. The peacefulness of the forest, the crisp feel of the air, the beauty of nature all around—it all combines in my mind and spirit to form a sense of connectedness to God and His creation. Just wonderful!
Here I am hiking up 4-Mile Trail at Yosemite National Park in June 2017. What a great morning—cool mountain air, lots of sunshine, and a magnificent view of Half Dome greeting me at every other switchback!
A solo hike is fun, but even better is hiking with a friend or loved one. Makes sense that it's safer, too. If you have to hike a forest trail by yourself, make sure you tell someone where you're going and when you'll be back. (Don't count on having multiple bars of 4G LTE signal on your cell phone in the middle of the deep woods, friend!)
Also, take extra drinking water, even if you're just planning to hike a short trail for a couple of hours. By always having more water than you think you will need, you automatically build in extra time for your rescuers to come save you, if you get turned around (i.e., LOST) or injured and can't stay on schedule. And even if you don't end up needing the extra water, you may come upon another thirsty hiker who didn't plan as well you did. Gosh, it's a great feeling to be able to offer help to a fellow forest-lover in need!