Monday, March 12, 2007

READER QUESTION

A reader has asked whether there are groups for beginning hikers.

Although we're not aware of groups specifically for beginners, many organizations have easy street rambles and hikes as part of their general program. For starters, two clubs in Portland which offer multi-level activities are: Mazamas (mazamas.org) and Trailsclub (trailsclub.org). At their respective websites, you will find street rambles for most ability levels and "A" hikes for the least elevation gain and mileage. Be sure to check the descriptions of each hike or ramble for degree of difficulty to ensure your comfort. It goes without saying, of course, that your personal physician should always be consulted prior to beginning a new exercise.

We just discovered a website, portlandhikers.com, that lists numerous clubs in the Portland/Salem/Vancouver areas which have scheduled hikes for the current week. For a monthly schedule, you still need to consult the individual websites.

A beautiful feature about most of these hikes is that you can simply "show up" at the designated meeting place. Clubs normally charge a small fee (usually $3 to $5). Car-pooling and shared mileage costs are encouraged, but don't automatically assume a ride will be available. Also, note that the time shown on the schedule is typically the departure time, not arrival.

A "Getting Started" blog is forthcoming with basic tips on clothing and equipment that works for us.

Happy trails to you!

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