Going from winter quarter to spring quarter is a breath of fresh air. If you are anything like me, the constant dark days and cold weather can take a toll, especially while juggling the stress of online classes. 

The days of being cooped up inside are coming to end. The sun is shining, flowers are blooming and it’s time to get outside.

Nothing makes me happier than a good hike. Lucky for us, we live in a town that is surrounded by beautiful nature trails.

You don’t have to be able to scale mountains in order to go hiking. Very little gear is needed, and it is something that will give you a great break, improve your health and most likely give you some banging Instagram photos. 

A study published on the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health has found that walking in nature can help us recover from what they refer to as “attention overload.”

In other words, nature can help us heal from the mental stress that comes from being on devices all day. Students are experiencing more “attention overload” than ever due to online classes.

Hiking can do more than just improve mental health, it improves your physical health as well.

According to the University of Cumberlands, hiking can also help reduce body fat and obesity, increase muscle strength, improve concentration, improve sleep and help manage things like blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. 

In other words, hiking is a productive way to escape technology. It is hard to feel guilty about spending your time hiking while procrastinating on your homework. 

Justifications as important as mental and physical health cannot be ignored and for most, it can be a fun morning or afternoon hobby.

Call your friends, find a trailhead and get hiking. Your body will thank you.

Hikes near CWU:    

EASY:

• Umtanum Creek Falls Trail – 1.9mi, Est. 45 min
• Rotary Park and Irene Reinhart Waterfront Trail – 3.7mi, Est. 1hr 30min.

MODERATE:

• Baldy Mountain – 4.2mi, Est. 3hr
• Robinson Canyon Loop – 4.3 mi, Est. 2hr 15 min.
• Umtanum Creek Canyon Trail – Est. 8.2mi, 3hr, 41min.

HARD:

• Manastash Ridge Trail – 3.6mi, Est. 2hr 31min.
• Rattlesnake Dance Ridge Trail – Est. 1.8mi, 1hr 33min.