The End is Only a New Beginning

October 17 Ends the 2020 Broads View Hiking Challenge

Sad the challenge it over. Melancholy as the days grow darker. Challenged by the day to day changes COVID 19 has brought to our lives. Excited for the coming of the winter hiking season and looking ahead to next year!

The summer hiking season has come to an abrupt halt. As I write this the outside temperature on October 26 is 14 degrees at 8:00 am in Ogden, Utah. Wow, time to get out the wool hat and gloves. 

For me, the hiking challenge offered an opportunity to set a goal and work to achieve it. I wanted to discover locations ignored by me in the past and at the same time slow my pace, look around and listen. Summer on the trails exceeded my expectations in many ways. I didn't reach huge summits or go extreme distances but that was okay. A sprained ankle in September required revisiting my final month of the challenge and that turned out to be a good thing!

I picked up trash on the trails along with dog poop left behind by un-informed hikers. I wrote thank you notes to public land managers and local trails organizations, and I donated money. My efforts reinforced how important these outdoor spaces are to my day-to-day life and the lives of my family and friends. 

I ended my challenge on October 17 at Winter's Grove Nature Trails in the Ogden Valley on the east side of Pineview Lake. The Greater Wasatch Broadband of Great Old Broads for Wilderness adopted this USFS trail last fall and have since fallen in love with its charm. 

Bright blue sky greeted Jan Larson (my Broadband co-leader) and I as we wandered along the path that bridges Hawkins Creek and then the north fork of the Ogden River. The towering cottonwood trees, willows and ash were showing off their multiple shades of yellow and orange as we wandered along the trail enjoying the spender this outdoor cathedral was offering. Soon they will be stripped of their leaves in preparation for another winter season. And that makes me happy. After all, the end is only a new beginning. Can't wait!  Barbara