Take a hike! Walking is the best way to see nature

Most weeks you can find my two best buddies and I out on the trail for a Sunday morning stroll.

We usually walk two or three miles through scenic Chester County.

I love to walk along the creeks, another buddy enjoys the wildlife (especially the deer) and a third, maybe he’s a masochist, seems to enjoy climbing hills most.

Those nasty hills! We almost always announce “Hill” when one is coming up. By noting a rise, we mentally prepare ourselves for racing hearts and straining legs.

My goal is to make it to the top without stopping, but some hills, like Mount Misery at Valley Forge National Park, sometimes require two rest stops.

We recognize the history of Valley Forge but we’re there primarily to get out and see the countryside.

We know that some of Washington’s troops were lost at night and couldn’t find the camp. They decided to walk uphill to scope out a better viewpoint.

The camp was not visible from Mount Misery, hence the name, but when those soldiers in the Continental Army crested Mount Joy, the camp came into sight.

We walk year round and in all weather. On rainy days we hike the paved trails.

The changes of season are always spectacular. Buds in the spring and ice on creeks, ponds and lakes in the winter are lovely.

Change is good. Sometimes it takes months for those leaves to fall and other times a big wind will knock off a half a tree’s worth in a moment.

The changing colors of early spring are subtle. The trees seem to light up. One week there are bare branches and the next, we have tiny light green buds.

Andy Wyeth’s winter earth tones can be as spectacular as the fall foliage; sometimes subtle, sometimes a kaleidoscope of subtle colors, when you look closely.

Changes happen from week to week. The sun casts differing shadows depending on the time of day, the season and nature’s will.

Cloudless blue sky is highly welcoming, but an overcast day when it “looks like snow” sometimes sets a mood of melancholy, broken only when reentering the warm house.

On crowded summer Sundays, it seems like everybody had the same good idea. We often nod to the passersby headed in the other direction, delivering a quick “Hello,” but usually ignore the other walker.

Rarely do we enter into a full conversation. Most prefer solitude, though that’s tough to find on a perfect spring day. We really don’t want to see anybody else.

Maps are way cool. It’s good to know where you exist in the uni-

verse. When there are no printed copies we use our cells to snap a photo available of the posted map.

Oh, the choices—the red, green or blue trail? Do we go long, or climb? That creek looks like it might be pretty, but the view from up above might allow us a glimpse for several miles in every direction.

There is nothing so fine as a bench placed in the right spot. Find a seat after a long climb or at a scenic spot and you might be doing a bit more than resting. And don’t forget about those benches placed in the shade!

We often encounter dogs, whether it’s Stroud Preserve, Ridley Creek or East Goshen Park.

For many, dogs are often an excuse to get out. I ask dog owners if their little pooch is ferocious and they usually smile. Many dog walkers get pulled along. I ask, “Who is walking who?”

We keep our distance from our four legged friends.

Last week, at Audubon Park, we had to detour since the trail was flooded by the Pickering Creek. Often we walk around or climb over downed trees. Never doubt it; nature can be ferocious.

We love the animals. Even a wandering squirrel is cool. Deer seem to be everywhere and they seem so tame.

With hunting season upon us, I wonder about the safety of the whitetails. Foxes, groundhogs, fish and toads are out there if we are willing to leave the passing lane and look around.

Whether it’s for the exercise or the view—or both— walking is fundamental. See you on Sunday.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Out for a Sunday stroll.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Which way to go?

SUBMITTED PHOTO The bounty of Chester County from a trail.