Never took a hike in my life; would do it again

That is what my father used to tell me when hed had enough of my smart talk as a kid. Unfortunately, I never took that hike. In fact, I dont think Ive ever hiked in my life, either formally or informally.
During my ride to Chenango Valley, I tried to conjure up the demographics of the group I was to address. Young? Yes. Trim and the picture of health? For sure. Clear of eye, ruddy of complexion, adventurous of spirit? Absolutely. Well, I nailed the adventurous of spirit part of the equation.
The group consisted of mostly 60-year-olds and up. They were hale and hearty and experts on everything outdoors. There were rail-thin, wiry athletic types. And there was plenty of, how shall I say, Big Chuck and Tom Bryden types. There were even white-haired, rimless-glasses-wearing grandmotherly types who looked like they would be more comfortable doing cross-stitch in a rocking chair than being here swathed in hooded parkas and heavy duty hiking boots.
The Bullthistle Hikers Group loves this old saying: There is a way that nature speaks, that land speaks. But most of the time we are simply not patient enough, quiet enough, to pay attention to the story.