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Hikers Appeal to Legislatures

FRIDAY, 27 FEBRUARY 2009
Submitted By: Sherwin Mapanoo

When state and national legislators begin to look at closing parks as a possible budget-cutting measure, the country's hikers get nervous. Will their favorite parks be affected? Will access to hiking and camping be limited and park gates closed?

As states consider where to cut to balance their overall budgets, the "extras" come under close scrutiny, and parks are seen by some as extras. Several states have already considered cutting funds to support their parks. Among them: Florida, Hawaii, New Jersey, California, and Illinois; and they are not alone.

The nation's parks offer hiking trails for hikers of all levels of experience, ability and desire. Ladies Hiking editor Judith Harlan describes a beginners' hike at Muir Woods National Monument ( located just north of San Francisco) in the latest addition to the ladies-hiking.com Website (www.ladies-hiking.com). The 560-acre Muir Woods park includes six miles of trails, with one of them, the Mail Trail Loop, offering access to virtually everyone.

"That's one of the beauties of this loop: everyone can walk or roll through the redwoods and enjoy the deep greens, magnificent redwoods and lush wet air," says Harlan in "A Walk in the Muir Woods." The path is one of the best illustrations of the value of parks. "You spend an hour amongst these majestic redwoods, and you can't help but become interested in the survival of our forests and environment," Harlan says.

Ladies-Hiking, launched by women hiking enthusiasts, introduces women to the joys and how-to's of hiking. The site covers hiking from a woman's perspective and includes articles on such topics as the recipe for GORP, favorite water bottles, and stories about hiking – all shared by women connecting through their zest for walking in the woods.

Ladies-hiking is new says its editor, and it's reaching out to women, inviting them to add their trail stories, share their favorites and their accompanying hiking photos.

Source: www.prlog.org

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