To help burn off a few calories from all those Christmas goodies you ate, how about a hike in God's great outdoors??!! You will get to spend time with friends and family, see some beautiful scenery, and do something good for your body! The location of your hike will vary depending on where you find yourself after the holiday, but the important thing is "Just do it!" regardless of your location! In the photos above, our group (Jan, Tricia, Stephen, Isaac, and Maria Lynn) was hiking in northern California, off Highway 89, at a place called McCloud River Falls. near Fowler Campground. Although guide books list the falls as just a short walk from the parking lot, that is not accurate if the roads throughout the park are snow covered and impassable for automobiles. That was the case when my group was there, so we had quite the trek through the snow to reach our destination. However, it was a beautiful, sunny day, and we all survived our adventure. Since Mt. Shasta is visible in so much of this area of northern California, not surprisingly, it was visible during this hike (upper right photo) . The area is famous for its abundant wildlife, and Stephen is shown in lower right photo pointing to some creature high up in the tree he wanted his son to see. The great thing about winter hiking is that the trails are less crowded, and if you live in an area troubled by ticks and chiggers, these pests are not so much a concern at this time of the year. So get those walking shoes on, and let's see some miles of smiles! Tricia
