Get Outdoors!

Any time is a good time to get outdoors. In El Paso, the fall months are particularly good for longer hikes.

Plan to attend the Chihuahuan Desert Fiesta tomorrow at the Tom Mays Unit of the Franklin Mountains State Park. Entrance to the park will be free. There will be informative booths about the desert, the mountains and the flora and fauna. You can hear educational presentations and learn more about native plants. The mountain bike association will be giving free 20-minute introductory mountain bike rides. There's going to be a chili cook-off. Fuddruckers will be on hand. You can buy some good used camping and hiking equipment and know that the proceeds will go to benefit the park.

The fiesta is the official kick-off of Celebration of Our Mountains, a 2 month long program of scheduled guided hikes throughout our region. Email me to get on my list of hikes and to get information about a number of hikes. Also, get on the El Paso Ridgewalkers email list. They hike every weekend throughout the year.

Remember that Scenic Drive is closed every Sunday morning to motorists. You and your family and friends can walk or jog or bicycle the drive.

The big thing is to beat Nature Deficit Disorder, a condition of losing connection to the natural world that leads to added stress, lack of creativity and obesity. Richard Louv discussed this disorder in his book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder.