I have been inspired to get out and hike more by a recent trip to New Zealand. The phrase “Live the movie, don’t watch it.” Is a quote from our Peruvian guide, Elder. He encouraged us to look up, don’t look at your feet all of the time and enjoy your surroundings. Great advice. When he watches a National Geographic movie or movie about the outdoors he would rather be experiencing it in person…hence living the movie.

Some resources that I find helpful when I am planning hikes are:

• wta.org – Washington trails association. They have great descriptions about hikes, directions, stats, and most importantly trip reports.
• pnwflowers.com – Great site for flower identification
• alltrails.com -I have not used this site much, but it may also be useful in finding out information about a particular trail.
• NOAA Weather – for obvious reasons, know what to expect what it is going to be like outside. I have found the National Weather Service Site to be the most accurate.
• Northwest Avalanche Center – If going out where there is snow, it is a must that you check avalanche danger in the area that you plan to be.
• Seattle Meetup – Want to find a group to hike with? There are several here. This summer I plan to hike often with Seattle Meetup groups. While it is nice to have the trail to yourself it is safer to travel with others.