Eliminating childhood obesity with the help of a mountain...

Sunday, July 3, 2011

‘Off’ was having little impact on the mosquitoes in the north country. I had doused myself before laying on my sleeping bag in my Uncle’s back yard, but I could actually hear them laughing as they buzzed my ears and lighted on my face. I gave up and pitched the tent. I prefer to view the stars without the interference of the bug screen, but what could I do?

I had been moving slowly towards the end of the previous day…stiff with the effort of an all-day hike, but it paled in comparison to how I was moving as I got up Sunday morning. Though I could not detect any visible swelling, my knee was quite sore. My calves and hamstrings felt like I’d done the Iron Man triathlon, so it was hard to distinguish the source of the pain. It was pretty much everywhere…and would have killed a normal human being (Holly loves it when I say that).

The most lasting impression I had from the hike the previous day was not about the beauty of the views or the difficulty of the hike…though both were off the chart. Instead, it was an experience I’d had on the summit of Nippletop with two father/son teams that arrived there shortly after me. I was seated; eating an apple with my back to them as they approached, but I could hear the bubbling excitement as they approached the opening to the panoramic views of the range beyond. “Oh…my…gosh” one of the boys exclaimed as he climbed the rock next to me. His father, with a stern reprimand, admonished him to “stay 5 feet from the edge. I don’t want to have to explain to your mom about any accidents.” Good idea. The drop was over 200 feet to the rocks below and survival rates for such plunges were low. We introduced ourselves and talked hiking for some time. This was the first trip to a peak for these two youngsters – ages 9 and 10 – and they were awed by the sights, but not by the effort to get there. “Dad…why do you guys walk so slow climbing up here?” I told him to ask that question again in forty years…it would have more meaning then.

I’m constantly reading about childhood obesity in America, but I’m guessing these young boys will never experience that phenomenon…nor will their dads…or their kids when it gets to that. They’re in love with the mountains and will likely stay that way throughout their lives as people tend to do. I applaud their parents for introducing them to an activity they can do their entire lives that will keep them in shape and always be fun…the key to adherence. Not that it needed confirmation…but I know getting people out and doing things that are good for them in the woods…things that resemble exercise but are really just fun…will continue to be my mission. It works.