SPIRITUAL HIKES TO SOOTHE THE SOUL...

• Conditioning & Fitness - When you prepare and get out for spring hikes, your conditioning and endurance will have you in tip-top form for the long, beautiful summer hikes ahead! Increasing lung capacity with strengthened muscles will have you strutting down the path in no time and enjoying those summer hikes with a deeper connection to nature because you took the time to prepare your mind, lungs, and muscles, and do not have to focus on all the huffing and puffing. Planning and preparation are always worth the effort, especially when it comes to hiking in the great outdoors.
   
• Preparing Your Mindset - A lot of people do not like hiking in the spring because of the changing weather patterns and constant rain, It is tough to have a good time or enjoy your spring hike if you are feeling uncomfortable, so planning and gearing up properly for a "singing in the rain" type hike is paramount. "If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change." -Dr. Wayne Dyer. Enjoying yourself and your spring hike can be less-than-ideal weather requires more than preparing, the right gear, proper outerwear, it also requires a change in your mindset and how you approach a hike during the spring months. If you are well-prepared for the weather and willing to be a little creative and receptive to rainy spring hikes, you may find them to be very enjoyable and usually can have the trail all to yourself!
   
• Accept The Wet Weather and Stay Positive - When you look past the weather and rain or snow coming down, you can be a part of a beautiful, coming-alive environment with the growth of many plants, a jungle of lush green moss, the budding of some flowers or mushrooms, to even a few small animal sightings depending on the location of your hike. The sky may be dark and dreary on your spring hike, but your outlook can be as bright as the sun and as dry as the desert, because during a spring hike with even the best rain gear,  you will get wet and that is part of the experience of learning, connecting and interacting directly Mother Nature herself. You can keep dry clothes in the car to change into after your spring hike and always make sure to carry along  'The 10 Essentials of Hiking' on all of your upcoming hikes!
   
• Most Importantly - Enjoy the peace and quiet of your spring hike as it soothes and heals the soul. Trails can typically be less crowded with people, their animals (on or off a leash), on trial conversations from others that can echo up the trail and just be with the sounds of nature, your thoughts, and maybe even the sounds of labored breathing as you lay the foundations for better conditioning, fitness, endurance for those nice, warm, and enjoyably summer hikes ahead of you!

"Take the time to disconnect so that you may have the time to reconnect."

~The Intuitive Prospector