Anything Can Be

Casually checking out NJhiking.com to research where to go trekking this weekend turned into a 4 hour, deep-into-the-night project (I'm sure the coffee with lunch did not help). I learned of the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference (now a member!) and of the many various NJ hiking clubs available. While not entirely sure if hiking in a pack of people will interfere with the joyful solitude of the trek, there is strength in numbers and I am quite afraid of bears.

Except if their last name is Berenstain.

I'll assuredly be curled up with my laptop in between hikes reading up on how to best handle a bear sighting and what to do in case of emergency. 2 years ago when we first became really interested in hiking, I brought along pesto pasta in my pack... possibly the worst, smelliest thing one can bring into the woods! I obviously need more Bear Ed.

The Club I'm most interested in is the Union County Hiking Club. They have hikes 6 days a week (some weather/ice permitting), locations are not too far away (need to stay close while on call) and hikes vary in difficulty and length. From their website I see that it's $10 per year to join, and you can tag along on 3 hikes for free until you'd need to join. They also have canoeing events which is really exciting because I have big plans for my kayak this Spring and Summer. I've had it for over 10 years and can count on two hands how many times its been used. No more!

I've also come across a fascinating group called the New Jersey 1K Club, which is made of a bunch of individuals dedicated to climbing all of NJ's mountains. There are way more peaks here than I originally realized. Challenge accepted, New Jersey.

Hiking, like most hobbies, can be expensive. There is a lot of gear involved, even for the more casual day-hiker. Good shoes are, of course, top priority. I've been using Merrell Moab Ventilators (hiking sneakers), which were fantastic this past Spring and Summer. They're my every day sneaker and are not only incredibly comfortable (and didn't break the bank), but offer great ankle and arch support. I chose to not get the waterproof version as I want my feet to be able to breathe. Now that the weather is colder and it's been very wet outside, I'm looking into a more appropriate winter-weather shoe as well as a traction attachment (such as crampons) for safety.

After reading NJHiking's Tips and Tricks, I know I have to make an "On Call" bag for quick trips to the outdoors. Much like my birth bag, it will be filled with essentials and set right by the door. Especially in the cooler weather it's easier to let laziness take over and stay inside in the warmth of the home then seek adventure in the cold- I'm hoping a ready-made hiking bag will diminish this. Now of course I'll need to make some purchases to keep the bag filled, but it will contain a lot of the same things we were going to get anyway... Hurricane Sandy's wrath has made us realize that it's just irresponsible for us to not have an emergency bag ready at all times, as well as an emergency tote with a generator and larger emergency items. 

Of course, after all this, I still haven't decided where to hike this weekend... the possibilities are endless!

Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be. (Shel Silverstein)