Please allow me to introduce myself. I'm a man of wealth and taste... Well, not really. But, I am a hiker.

I've always loved the outdoors. I used to do a lot of bicycling. I took up hiking seriously about 5 years ago following my divorce. About three years ago I got involved with an "Over 40" hiking group on Meetup.com that hikes just about every weekend in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The Appalachian Mountain Club maintains a list of 48 recognized peaks of 4,000 foot or more elevation. Anyone who climbs them all is eligible to to join their Four Thousand Footer Club. I had several friends in my Over 40 hiking groups who were working on their "48". Pretty soon I got swept up in all this peak bagging excitement and started working on summiting all 48 peaks. It took me about a year and half. Finally on October 23, 2010, I completed the New Hampshire 4,000 footers when I summited Mt. Lincoln on the Franconia Range.



After completing my NH 4,000 footers, I took what I thought was going to be a brief break from hiking to spend more time with my girlfriend. However, that brief break turned into a 17 month hiatus. I was slowly gaining weight while I was hiking. When I quit hiking the weight gain accelerated. Finally, my girlfriend (an R.N) and my doctor got through to me about the need to loose weight and exercise to prevent bad things from happening to my health.

So, here I am. I've reconnected with my hiking group and am starting to hike again. I am also making big changes to my diet to shed this excess weight and lower my BP. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed hiking with my friends. I'm starting slowly doing beginner and intermediate hikes. We're supposed to hike Mt. Roberts on Sunday. But, right now the weather is not looking too promising.

For anyone who is looking for people to hike with in your area, I highly recommend meetup.com. There are lots of groups offering hikes of all different levels.

A hiking moment on the Appalachian Trail in Hamburg, PA.

Hi,

I actually started using MFP to get in shape for hiking. I live in WV near Harpers Ferry so lots of great trails nearby. We vacation in the Adriondacks in NY and I decided last year that I wanted to start taking advantage of all the hiking opportunities up there which lead me to MFP and hiking around here. I love hiking Maryland Heights and the Appalachian Trail. Hoping to do some hikes in Shenandoah National Park this fall. And then one of the high peaks next summer in the Adirondacks. Happy hiking!!

Hello,
I just joined the group. I am from Tennessee also. I have always loved being outdoors. I was introduced to Tremont in the Smoky Mountains last year when I stayed a week with a group of 6th graders. Fell in love with the place and decided to take their Naturalist Certification classes. I have a class in 2 weeks. I was actually there this past weekend for Teacher Escape Weekend. Have lost 13 pounds and it made a difference on the hikes. Looking to lose 45 more before spring when we take the next group of kids.

LaGonda
Future Naturalist

I'm from Germany, but live in KY. I love hiking and nature. Been to Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, Tennessee, upstate NY and many other places for hiking. I love the mountains and would love to live in western Montana, Wyoming or Colorado. Here in KY they only have hills, no mountains!

Hi,

I am new to MFP! I love hiking and snowshoeing, I can't wait to head to the mountains after a long week! I am from the Seattle area.

Hi all,

I am from Sullivan County NY right in the middle of the Catskills and just an hour from the AT. I've been hiking here for the last couple of years but because of my weight have been limited to short day hikes. Well now I've lost some weight and I can't wait till spring to start to check out some new boots and poles that I got for Christmas. I've been hiking alone - not alone exactly, my Jack Russel loves the trails too, but would love to connect from other hikers from the area.

Friend me.

Hi!
I went on my first hike of 2013 today! Came home to check on MFP to see what everybody is up to and thought I'd hunt down some fellow hikers. Nice to meet you all.
Anyway, I'm currently living in NYC. I try to get up into NY state too hike as much as possible.

Hi. My name is Debbie. I live in the Carolinas and hike every chance I get. I love to get a great workout on a day hike doing something that I enjoy so much. Then it doesn't seem like exercise. I also enjoy kayaking. I pretty much enjoy all outdoors activities. Always looking for new places to hike and love to hear about others adventures hiking.

Hi, my name is Mike, I live in New Hampshire, and hike through out the state. Most of my hikes are in the White Mountains. Leaving the end of Feb 2014 to Springer to Hike the App trail

Greetings from the Southwest!

Checking in from the El Paso in the Franklin Mountains.

After realizing I'm far from in shape for my upcoming trip this weekend to Zion National Park, I reconnected with MFP and love the group!. We plan on doing some day canyoneering (Pine Creek and The Subway) trips and possible one night overnight trip.

Just did some canyoneering technique reviewing with my husband, but boy am I nervous. If I figure out how to post pics and survive, I will post some...

Hello, I'm Brian from Northern Idaho. Extreme backpacking trips have been on hold over the past seven years and I'm hoping to be back in full stride next year.

I enjoy exploring the nearby Bitterroot Range but there are so many opportunities nearby it's difficult to choose where to go. My preference is to take the less beaten path but my all time favorite was a week long backpacking trip in the Seven Devils near Riggins, Idaho. Another favorite is the Mallard-Larkins Pioneer Area in Idaho.

Happy hiking to all!

Hey everyone, just found this group! My name is Britt and I live in southern Ontario, Canada. I LOVE hiking and camping and am now sharing that love with my husband. We often spend much of the year (minus the bitter cold that is this winter) our hiking with our two German Shepherd mix pups.

The last hiking/backpacking trip we took was an extreme one and I think it cemented my husband's love of the activity - We climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania for charity and reached the summit as our first anniversary trip

I'm glad to be part of a Hiking group. I used to hike and backpack with my family all the time when I was a teenager but once I graduated High School and moved out on my own I got lazy, fat and told myself I would never enjoy hiking again.

About 6 months ago my wife and I decided to start being healthier and got a year pass to some of the desert the mountains here in Arizona. I've been hiking weekly if not more for about 3 months now and have been loving it. I just went on a hike along the Colorado trail in Durango last week and loved it!

Hello there
Maybe I shall introduce myself too then.
I'm Siv. Living in a small town called Harstad in the North of Norway.
Do love hiking and luckely we do have a lot of great spots for it right outside our home.
Haven't planed any backpacking trips though. Trying to convince my husband that it would be a great thing to do at least one weekend this summer. Time will show.