I grew up in a small “company town” that was a logging community in the middle of a large Ponderosa pine forest in eastern Oregon. Growing up we all spent a lot of time hiking, hunting and fishing in the forest - it was our playground.
I first went to work in the woods at age sixteen. It being a company town, I went to the company store to get outfitted for work. My first paycheck said I still had a $50 balance on my bill.
Between going to school, working and getting married, I continued to work as a laborer in the woods until age 24. I then spent about two years in the Army, came home, finished college and began my “professional” career with a large forest products company in a sedentary job for the next 31 years. When I retired, I was the product of those many years behind a desk, doing a lot of traveling, eating a lot of good meals in nice restaurants and failing to get a lot of exercise. I decided I needed to change things about my lifestyle if I wanted to have a long, healthy retirement.
So, I decided to get back to my roots and spend time walking and hiking to get back in shape and back to my “fighting” weight. I am not there yet but am getting closer. In 2006, our first Granddaughter was born, and my wife came down to Indio to help care for her and bought a house in SCSH. I started hiking with an informal group where we got lost a lot of times as well as with the activity center until they stopped leading hikes.
I am one of the founders of the “Over The Hill” hiking club and one of the first four hike leaders. My aim is to lead members on an enjoyable hike and often to find a place to have lunch, socialize, and rehydrate.
My wife gently admonished me to remember she has faithfully followed me on our many moves across the US and taken good care of me for the last 57 years.