Hike Locally No Matter Where You Live

Show Summary - June 8, 2009

Monologue.

Sharon welcomed the listeners and talked about the importance of water in life and life in water. She said that it is imperative for everyone to realize the importance of water, to drink plenty of water and to carry water with them if they are unsure of a water source. Dehydration, or lack of water, is out of control in our world and causes or contributes to ailments from allergies to obesity.

Guest: Art Bernstein, MS

Art Bernstein, MS (Gold Hill, OR), writer and naturalist, "Save Money, Hike Locally"

Art Bernstein is a writer and naturalist and also a frequent guest. Today, he talked about hiking close to home as a rewarding, beneficial and very inexpensive activity during the economic down turn.

In southern Oregon, hiking opportunities are virtually endless. However, even if you live in New York City, there are excellent wilderness trails less than 30 miles away (Harriman State Park and Bear Mountain), which is not as far as Art usually drives to find a good trail. San Francisco and Los Angeles have fantastic hiking opportunities within a few miles of the city.

Southern Oregon has eight national forests nearby, and three national parks and 19 wilderness areas. In 40 years, Art hasn't come close to running out of trails.

The best place to hike in southern Oregon is Crater Lake National Park. The best trail in the park is the hike to the top of the Wizard Island cone, which involves a boat trip. Also recommended are Mt. Scott, Union Peak, Annie Creek, Garfield Peak and Boundary Springs (the source of the Rogue River).

There was some talk about loggers and Art commented that contrary to popular belief, he never met a logger who didn't care about the environment. They all love the trees and the outdoors, and they all hunt and hike and fish. Also, lumber companies usually own thousands of acres of timberland and it is to their advantage to replace the trees they cut as quickly as possible.

Art's website: www.secrethiker/artbernstein.html.

Categories: Outdoor recreation; US national parks, monuments, etc.; Art Bernstein; 2009