Look for Getting Started - Part II - Gear, Equipment & Clothing
Like many people, we began hiking with groups and only later gained sufficient confidence and trail knowledge to venture out by ourselves. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to group hiking and, in our case, specifically to the Mazamas hike leaders whose competence, dedication, encouragement and camaraderie made possible the active lifestyle we maintain to this day.
Venturing into solo (couple) hiking was and continues to be very rewarding, even though we continue to opt for the group experiences every now and then. Without the group distractions, it is possible to focus on the environment and the total immersion into nature with all its sights and sounds. Here is where we find our grounding tranquility in becoming part of the landscape. After a day on the trails, we often return home with a soft afterglow of the day's beauty still reverberating in our senses.
At times we feel a definite need for the social experience of a group hike, and indeed these outings can be extremely enjoyable. There are a number of people we've hiked with in the groups for many years in the past and it's always fun to visit with them again and extend that continuity of time.
Many group organizations offer not only day hikes, but longer excursions in numerous prime wilderness areas in the United States and throughout the world. Some involve camping and others offer lodging, but costs are usually a great deal less than with professional tour operators as there is so much volunteer involvement.
Frequently, clubs maintain local mountain lodges available to members and some offer a tremendous variety of social events, including kayaking, canoeing, snowshoeing, rock climbing, cross-country skiing, dinners & dancing, etc. For those so inclined, a group association can be a veritable feast of fun.
Selecting compatible groups is, of course, important. Although hiking organizations are typically composed of mixed ages and genders, some appear to be predominantly younger people while others are older. Occasionally, a group will define itself as a senior club. One such group which recently published in a Gresham, Oregon, newspaper indicates the following contact information: Gene and Ruthie Newcomer - email: eugeneis@comcast.net. The obvious concern in choosing a group or specific hike is pace and degree of difficulty.
Unless your hiking interests are limited to socializing, it's well to inquire about the level of interaction that is typical for a particular organization. Are they pretty serious hikers who enjoy a quiet wilderness experience that allows for reflection or is the group generally very social and pretty noisy? Once having said that, however, every hike comes down to who participates on a given day. In our minds, though, there are definite trends and it's well to make an inquiry, for whatever it's worth. That's the best you can do.
Organized groups names and their contact information is now listed individually on the web (as previously mentioned in an earlier blgo) and with some consolidation at: www.portlandhikers.com, the latter being a good starting point for the local organizations in and around Portland.
In addition, many individual communities and cities have organized recreation programs that include hiking, such as Portland Parks & Recreation. Check with your local municipalities. Conservation groups such as Nature Conservancy, the Native Plant Society and "Friends" associations such as Friends of the Gorge and Friends of Tryon Creek Park also offer hikes and guided tours. As you can readily see, there is no difficulty in locating group opportunities.
Next time: Getting Started - Part II - Gear, equipment & clothing
Like many people, we began hiking with groups and only later gained sufficient confidence and trail knowledge to venture out by ourselves. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to group hiking and, in our case, specifically to the Mazamas hike leaders whose competence, dedication, encouragement and camaraderie made possible the active lifestyle we maintain to this day.
Venturing into solo (couple) hiking was and continues to be very rewarding, even though we continue to opt for the group experiences every now and then. Without the group distractions, it is possible to focus on the environment and the total immersion into nature with all its sights and sounds. Here is where we find our grounding tranquility in becoming part of the landscape. After a day on the trails, we often return home with a soft afterglow of the day's beauty still reverberating in our senses.
At times we feel a definite need for the social experience of a group hike, and indeed these outings can be extremely enjoyable. There are a number of people we've hiked with in the groups for many years in the past and it's always fun to visit with them again and extend that continuity of time.
Many group organizations offer not only day hikes, but longer excursions in numerous prime wilderness areas in the United States and throughout the world. Some involve camping and others offer lodging, but costs are usually a great deal less than with professional tour operators as there is so much volunteer involvement.
Frequently, clubs maintain local mountain lodges available to members and some offer a tremendous variety of social events, including kayaking, canoeing, snowshoeing, rock climbing, cross-country skiing, dinners & dancing, etc. For those so inclined, a group association can be a veritable feast of fun.
Selecting compatible groups is, of course, important. Although hiking organizations are typically composed of mixed ages and genders, some appear to be predominantly younger people while others are older. Occasionally, a group will define itself as a senior club. One such group which recently published in a Gresham, Oregon, newspaper indicates the following contact information: Gene and Ruthie Newcomer - email: eugeneis@comcast.net. The obvious concern in choosing a group or specific hike is pace and degree of difficulty.
Unless your hiking interests are limited to socializing, it's well to inquire about the level of interaction that is typical for a particular organization. Are they pretty serious hikers who enjoy a quiet wilderness experience that allows for reflection or is the group generally very social and pretty noisy? Once having said that, however, every hike comes down to who participates on a given day. In our minds, though, there are definite trends and it's well to make an inquiry, for whatever it's worth. That's the best you can do.
Organized groups names and their contact information is now listed individually on the web (as previously mentioned in an earlier blgo) and with some consolidation at: www.portlandhikers.com, the latter being a good starting point for the local organizations in and around Portland.
In addition, many individual communities and cities have organized recreation programs that include hiking, such as Portland Parks & Recreation. Check with your local municipalities. Conservation groups such as Nature Conservancy, the Native Plant Society and "Friends" associations such as Friends of the Gorge and Friends of Tryon Creek Park also offer hikes and guided tours. As you can readily see, there is no difficulty in locating group opportunities.
Next time: Getting Started - Part II - Gear, equipment & clothing
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