I’ve got this itch. An itch to get outside.
But I’m stuck indoors.
I posted last week about being in a funk. That funk is still here in the shape of me getting over the flu. Ohhhh lord almighty was it a baadddd two weeks. The flu really had me down. Hard.
I’m recovering and will be back at the gym tomorrow.
But I don’t want to be stuck inside. Take right now for instance, I’m stuck at the desk. 8 1/2 hours of desk, desk, desk. It’s gorgeous outside. I can see right out those doors. What do I want to do?
The Great Allegheny Passage. It’s 150 miles of outdoor wonder connecting Pittsburgh to Cumberland, Maryland. You can hike it, run it, or bike it. The terrain is flat for the most part and takes you along some beautiful scenic trails, including through historic railroad tunnels. It’s also the first in the National Rail-Trail Hall of Fame. (I didn’t even know that was a thing.)
Check out Gap Trail for more info.
I’m a huge fan of one of the little cities listed. Ohiopyle. It’s a gorgeous mountain area not far from Pittsburgh. The camping is amazing. The rafting is a blast. And the food is phenomenal. As a kid I spent a majority of every summer there. Then I grew up. I ended up with responsibilities and lost the adventurousness. Until now. I want to do it. I want to hike those 150 miles and get outside. Rain. Shine. No snow. I hate being outside when it’s snowing.
But imagine it; packing up your pack, pulling on those hiking boots, and hitting that trail for a few weeks of no worries and lots of nature. Seeing all the sights, meeting all the other hikers, and being able to cross that off the bucket list.
Not to mention ALL THE EXERCISE! How many calories could you burn in that time? A 150 lbs person WITHOUT their pack hiking for 60 minutes at a 2.5 mile per hour pace will burn 351 calories. If I hiked 150 miles I would burn 38,233 calories. It would also take approximately 48.23 hours. (If my maths is right. Which it probably isn’t.)
But that’s a lot of walking and a lot of calories.
When I go camping I love roasting food. Hot dogs, mountain pies, corn, potatoes, steak, and marshmallows. YUM! How do you healthify that sort of stuff? Do you have any favorite camping foods? What’s the longest trail you’ve ever hiked?
