Hiking Poles
WRITER JEFFREY CODY
TREKKING THE GO JOHN TRAIL WITH WALKING POLES It was a morning of firsts for me. My wife had purchased a pair of walking poles awhile back; and I kept looking at them, still in the package, every time I pulled my hiking gear from the closet. I had read a couple of reviews and felt the pros of using them were sufficient to warrant a test run, or hike. After asking and receiving permission, I threw the poles into my van and headed out for a new trail and a new hiking experience. The trail I picked for my trial was the Go John Trail at Cave Creek Regional Park, located on 32nd Street, eight miles east of I-17, just north of Carefree Highway. I got a late start, arriving just before 8:00AM at the trailhead. The morning air was invigorating at a brisk 61 degrees. I unpackaged the poles, finding an instructional Nordic Walking DVD attached! Oh well, I would just use the trial-and-error method the first time. After removing the street-walking tips and learning how to adjust the length, I was ready for the trail.
60
NOVEMBER
2010