For this episode, I hit the trails with The Cleveland Hiking Club to discover what drives this all-volunteer-run organization with over 1,200 members. The answer? Cool people who are passionate about encouraging and promoting outdoor recreation and making it accessible to anyone who wants to join in. In my interview with the club's Community Engagement Coordinator, Kara Girvin, and David Schiraldi of the Pathfinder Committee, we speak about finding adventure and friendship on the trails and how hiking and spending time outdoors benefits us mentally and physically. Club members lead hikes year-round every day for all levels of hikers. You will find them in the Metroparks, in cities, in our national park, and even in other countries. I recently joined a club excursion to the New River Gorge National Park with 50 other hikers. There were ten hikes over a three-day weekend, and towards the end of this episode, you will hear from some of the members I met on the trail. Join us, experience a hike or two, and check out this welcoming, vibrant community. Anyone 18 and older can hike with the Cleveland Hiking Club. To qualify as a member, one must complete six hikes a year and pay a small fee. Once a member, all miles are logged, and milestones are celebrated. Some members have hiked over 50,000 miles with the club, demonstrating the enduring power of walking together in nature.

Resources:
About the Cleveland Hiking Club
Join the Cleveland Hiking Club
Hiking Schedule

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