Take a Hike... In the City

Nothing beats a good hike. The fresh air. The return to nature. The chance to use all that cool-looking gear that's been sitting in the back of your closet for months.

But it's not always easy to get out of town for a day. And with $4-a-gallon gas, it's not exactly cheap to take a drive out to Shenandoah anymore. So what's a frustrated hiker to do?

My solution was to lace up my shoes, grab my backpack and walk out the front door at 8:30 on a Saturday morning.

About nine miles later, my friend and Post cartographer Laris Karklis and I had made our way from one part of the city to another, toured the expansive and picturesque Rock Creek Cemetery, crossed through residential neighborhoods that I didn't know were there, trekked across Rock Creek Park (had to get a little nature in there) and ascended to the highest natural point in the city. All before noon.

There were even a few hills along the way. And we saw a deer.

The air wasn't any fresher, but you don't get the sweet and doughy smell of a Hispanic bakery on the Appalachian Trail. I can't say we got to take in a sweeping view of a verdant valley, but we did see some pretty funky things in people's front yards. It was great exercise, we didn't have to sit in traffic and there was almost always somewhere nearby to get a bite or go to the bathroom. And we knew that if we got lost or tired, we could always grab a cab and head home.