He read about a hike called the incline in the guidebook. It said it was a strenuous hike and to bring plenty of water. “A beautiful hike to the clouds” described one review. “Not for the faint-hearted,” said another. “Not too bad of a workout”, bragged a third review. I thought I’d hike it when I fly in from Maryland on my day off from the senior citizen's wellness conference. I hiked 2 miles a day around the neighborhood so I could handle a 1.1-mile hike. What a foolish mistake that was for a 70-year-old low-lander.

Always important to research and prepare for hikes, especially when they're known to be strenuous. Safety first!