A walk in the woods with Jack

Jack and I are committed to getting our 10-12,000 steps of walking per day. As I describe in Tattoo, the evidence is very strong that regular, aerobic exercise reduces the risk of getting Alzheimer’s, and it slows progression if the disease is still in the early stages like mine. Ten thousand of my steps work out to be about four miles.  Five miles is about 12,500 steps. We usually walk three times a day.  The first one is all about morning business and may only take us a few blocks. Our second walk in early afternoon is our long walk, usually between two to three miles. Then in the early evening we finish with another short walk around the neighborhood.  Our favorite long walk is into nearby Forest Park.

Forest Park is one of the largest urban parks in the country.  It includes over 5,000 acres of wooded land spanning eight miles in the hills of Northwest Portland.  There are about 70 miles of trails for hiking and dog walking.  Bikes are not allowed except on a few designated trails.  The trees are magnificent, mostly Douglas-firs, western hemlocks, and western red cedars. 

One of the trailheads is just a short walk from our home. Once we enter the woods, we are transported someplace distant and peaceful. The city noises are suppressed by the lush vegetation; the only sounds come from the wind and birds in the trees.  The rat-a-tat-tat of a woodpecker is a common treat. Once we saw a pair of coyotes that quietly tracked us for a while but never really threatened us, although Jack was not pleased. This last week the trilliums were in full bloom lighting up the slopes of the forest.

Our usual route in the forest takes us on a 2 ½ mile loop with a 350 ft elevation gain, enough to get my heart rate to about 125 ensuring a good aerobic workout. We might stop for a moment to catch our breath and chat with a passing hiker, especially if there is another dog involved. After a few good sniffs, we’re on our way back home where Jack will curl up in a spot of sunlight to snooze for a while before checking in to see what’s next.  Whatever that might be, he’s all in!