Where to hike, close to home by Celia Klassen Time for Tea

A friend of mine is coming to visit from Canada soon. She is a fan of hiking and asked me for some suggestions for hikes near here. I have to admit, I am not an avid hiker. I do enjoy the outdoors and I enjoy walks, but when we start talking about how many miles something is…
Anyway. My first suggestion was the path at Sportsman’s Park in Aberdeen. I know it isn’t a hike, but she has young children and it’s a nice easy, pleasant walk around part of the reservoir at that end. I then remembered getting family photos taken up Scout Mountain and that there were several small hikes on the way up there that I remember doing a few years ago. Beyond that I had to resort to Google. I was surprised at how many hiking trails there are near Pocatello. I can’t say I’ve personally done any of these, but looking at photographs might make a hiker of me yet!
I began writing a brief description of all the hikes Google identifies near us but they were all so beautiful so I’ll simply list a few and leave you to research them yourself. City creek has two, plus bike trails, Cusick creek, Gibson Jack, Edson Fichter nature area. That only names a few and I’m sure there are some Google doesn’t know about. Hiking is free. You don’t need fancy equipment or lots of money. It’s also healthy, and a family friendly activity. If your kids whine that their legs hurt, well you’d better just go more often so they get used to it! If your legs hurt, the same thing. Take it as your sign to exercise more, and I’ll take it as a sign for myself as well.
Although Covid cured some of us from the habit of staying indoors, and seems to have put renewed energy into the camping world, we are in danger of slipping back into the couch potato mentality. You work hard all week, and Saturday comes and you just want to ‘chill’.
I say this as much for myself as anyone else, but spending time in the great outdoors is a wonderful reset. We are spoiled with fresh air any time we walk outside, but to get out and really take in the beauty of the place we live has its values. I say we are spoiled with fresh air – how many of my readers were born and raised here, or in a rural area at least?
London might not have its ‘pea-soup-fog’ or ‘smog’ anymore, the river Thames (which you pronounce “Tems” by the way!) has been cleaned up and is no longer a sewage dumping ground, but ‘fresh air’ is not really a thing. Sometimes I wonder if we were all slightly addicted to smoking. Not that I was ever a smoker, but I probably smoked a few packs second-hand just from walking in the streets.
When it is hot it is simply miserable. The concrete and the buildings hold the heat in, most homes don’t have air-conditioning either. It’s also humid. Believe me, air can weigh a lot!
Here, even if you don’t have air conditioning you can open the windows at night and cool your house somewhat. But it’s the beauty that’s just everywhere. You get used to it, and then on the first sunny day for a while, or a particularly still morning, or those stunning sunsets, take the time to stop and drink it all in.
Appreciate your surroundings, don’t take them for granted. Stop and smell the roses – literally if you want!
Is there anywhere you’ve been locally you’d like to share? Reach out to press2@press-times.com.