Orientation
Please read the following to get an idea of how Journey can support you in your
outdoor pursuit and adventures. Do contact us with any concerns, questions or
comments.
Going Outdoors With Us
Now is the right time to go outdoors with
Journey.
You don't have to wait for a particular season, weather or event - like an Open
House - to begin enjoying the outdoors with us. If you are new to the outdoors we are happy to advise and guide you on your way. You can enjoy the outdoors all year
long with the right clothing, gear, Trip Leaders and companions. There is clothing
to keep you warm and comfortable whether it is cold, cool, warm, or hot out. There
is gear to support you for every activity we do; and there is the knowledge and
skill to be gained through study, observation and participation.
Seize the opportunity to get beyond your fear, doubt and procrastination by taking
action now. Consider this, our organization is now ten-years old and we are yet to
jump off a mountain, swim with great white sharks, be put upon by bears or a pack
of wolves. We are not an 'extreme sport organization'. We pale in comparison.
However, our biggest fear is inertia, doing nothing. If you think you can't do the
activities you see us doing, remember it's just a thought, and not necessarily what
is real. If you can walk you can hike, if you can hold a rope and pull on it you
can rock-climb, and kayak, if you can lift your legs up and down chances are you
can ride a bike.
If you're debating if outdoor activities with Journey is right for you do a pro and
con list and see what you come up with. On the pro side consider putting new
experiences, companions (having others to join you in your outdoor endeavors),
relatively inexpensive, health and wellness, safety (in numbers and in the way we
do it), variety (of opportunities), frequency (of opportunities), travel, increased
knowledge (skill and awareness)….Surely you can think of others. Then compare that
list to you con-list. Take action on the list that significantly outweighs the
other. I'm tempted to say we're waiting for you, but the truth is we're not. Like
the people you see in the photographs on this site, with each outing we are overcoming
what ever would otherwise stop us in pursuit of all that we've listed in our 'pro'
column. Though if you join we will welcome you with joy and open arms, because the
more, the merrier.
Review the schedule and determine the activity you'd like to do. If you already
know what the gear and physical requirements are contact the Trip Leader to
register. At that time ask any questions or address any concerns. If you are not
sure what is required check the trip rating key to determine the required physical
and skill level, also check the resources page for gear list related to the activity;
if this does not address the concern call the Trip Leader for details.
If you need a face to face, assurances, and other reassurances then be sure to
attend one of our clinics.
Discover Your Capacity
The human body is designed for movement. Within three to five generations of the
millions of years we've been here, those of us today have become more sedentary
than our grandparents or their grandparents could ever dream of. For most of us,
here in North American and in other 'developed' countries, we are barely mobile
(as in self propelled) and hardly physically challenged. For many of us mobility
means walking down stairs in the morning, to and from the car, to the job or store.
For most of us being physically challenged means getting up from one location to
either sit on lay at another. Consequently, we are becoming inactive and obese.
Hence, in this light many of us become terrified at the thought of doing an activity
that requires mobility and physicality. Being mobile and physical is its own
solution you must do it to reap its benefits.
To discover your capacity participate in an activity to determine how well you do,
from there you can gauge your current ability and set a path of direction. If it's
a hike or cycling trip come on an 'out and back' in case you decide to stop short
of completing the full outing. If it's a climbing trip stopping is as simple as
saying no more. Once you know your capability you can determine what is necessary
to achieve the result you want.
Outside Year Round
As an organization we do activities throughout the year in spite of, or consistent
with, the weather, which mitigated by wearing appropriate clothing. Some activities
we do all year long - hiking, camping, climbing, camping; other activities we do
seasonally - for example kayaking, ice-climbing, white-water rafting, and horse-back
riding. Sometimes we travel to other regions of the country to do an activity that
we wouldn't be able to do locally. With the appropriate clothing, gear, knowledge
and skill you also can enjoy the outdoors year round.
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From Novice to Experienced
Everyone starts out a novice. To get experience you must engage in the activity.
Increase your knowledge and skill by both study and application (participation).
Most people fear an activity because they don't know enough about it to know better.
A good way to learn is either through observation (of someone or videos) and through
research (for example reading) about the activity. Both will help you decide if the
activity is for you.
Just because an activity has risk doesn't mean it cannot be done safely. How to do
an activity safely is the first thing you should learn. Every outdoor activity we do
has some element of risk - including simple hikes (you could twist your ankle by
sliding on a pebble), because of this we stress safety (knowledge, preparation,
skill and application) first and foremost.
To help get you up to speed we offer clinics and classes. Through clinics we offer
explanations, demonstrations, overviews, and reviews of past outings. Clinics are
designed to give you a 'quick' introduction of the activity and what's required.
For some activities clinics are the most you need outside of actually doing the
activity.
For more complicated activities we offer classes. Some classes are required before
you can engage in an activity with us and should be taken before you ever try the
activity on your own - rock-climbing is a good example. Also classes are designed
to help you acquire greater knowledge and skill.
Experience is realized through constant application and improvement. Some activities
take little time and effort for you to become experienced others take more.
Trying, however, is the first step. Through exploration you can learn a lot about
various outdoor activities and a lot more about yourself. Very often a novice proclaims
to us they wouldn't be caught dead doing such a thing only later to realize it has
become their favorite outdoor activity. Observation, research, classes and clinics
will help you to know which activities are for you.
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Gearing Up
Hiking is our most popular activity in part because it cost less to start than most
others. With hiking you need appropriate clothing, shoes, daypack, water bottles,
rain clothes (or poncho), hiking poles and a few other 'optional' items. Some of
these items you may already have and if you need to purchase any of these they can
be acquired rather inexpensively. However, some of the other activities can be a
bit more expensive. Therefore, we suggest you start by renting or borrowing items
to use while determining if the activity is one you like and will be doing often
and is worth the expense of acquiring gear for.
Is this an activity you will do once, twice, ten or twelve times or more during the
season or year? Are you planning to do the activity indefinitely? Purchasing a
sleeping bag, tent, backpack, sleeping pad, camp stove and the host of equipment
associated with backpacking and camping may not be the best thing if you are only
going to use it once or twice per year or even less over the years to come. It may
be cost effective to rent or borrow the equipment. If you know that you will
engage in the activity throughout the year and for years to come it may be best
purchased. Consider this, list the cost of all the items you plan to purchase
then divide the cost by how often you plan to use it; for example - Total Cost:
$1000 divided by 40 (4x10 years estimated use) equals $25.00 per outing. The
purchase cost of $25 per outing may be less expensive than renting over the same
period of time.
Before purchasing 'expensive' items do some research using the Internet, visiting
outdoor stores, and ask questions of those engaged in the activity. This approach
often results in better, less expensive and more satisfying purchases. Be sure to
evaluate product warranties before purchasing. Some companies offer excellent
warranties, other don't, and some outdoor stores will stand behind the product for
years of normal use. Used products purchased at a bargain prices may not come with
a warranty, here you must weigh the value of one to the other.
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Journey Health and Fitness Opportunities
Fitness is a lifelong aspiration. Unfortunately most people think
of fitness as 'getting back in shape' as opposed to staying in shape indefinitely. Most of
us set a target goal of losing weight and once achieved soon stop the activity we did to
improve our fitness, consequently many of us are living a 'yo-yo' life as it relates to
health and wellness - we'll do something, if we can get motivated enough, to get 'back
in shape' then let go again only to repeat the cycle. Some of us have let go thinking we
can't do anything. The fact is your health and wellness is a choice - you decide to be healthy
and fit or unhealthy and unfit.
If you've made the decision to be healthy and fit
Journey provides ongoing
outdoor recreation opportunities for you to continue on that path. At least three
of the many activities we offer can be done all year - hiking, cycling, climbing (indoors)
during the cold season. Your choice then is deciding what your objectives are -
losing weight or maintaining your fitness, and which of the activities you are
going to do to achieve the objective.
Journey Hiking
January through March Journey offers a series of Long-Distance Hikes, April through
October we have the Tuesday Evening Hike Series, throughout the year we offer hikes
of varying lengths. One way to improve and maintain good health is to do the hikes.
If you are new to hiking and are unsure of your capability join one of the shorter
hikes - 3 to 4-miles to get an idea of what's involved. Considering that the average
adult walks 3-miles in an hour (on flat terrain) your commitment to a shorter hike is between 1 and
2-hours. However it truly is the longer-distance hikes - 5-plus miles - that make
all the difference in increasing your aerobic capacity, increasing your stamina and
endurance, burning calories and losing weight.
You can always join an 'out-and-back' hike which affords you the opportunity to do
as much of the hike as you can with the opportunity to turn back whenever you desire.
Though, you would be surprised just how far you are able to hike.
With each succeeding hike you should be able to do more than the previous one, ultimately
hiking as far as you would like.
Of course the Sunday hikes are not all you should be doing to improve and maintain
your health, you should exercise during the week whether cross-training or hiking..
If you hike 5-miles at least two days during the week - for example Tuesday and Thursday,
you should be ready to do five and more miles during the weekend.
The long-distance hikes are done at a pace of between 2 to 3 miles per hour, sometimes
slower.
Journey Cycling
Beginning in April our cycling series offers opportunities to improve your conditioning
and performance by joining us on a variety of cycling trips whether it is the ten-plus
mile cycling trips, the cycle and camp trips or the half-century (50-mile) events.
Improvements comes as a result of consistence and endurance - stick with it and go
further each outing and you will realize results
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