Home

From our president: 2012 RESOLUTION: HIKING MORE FOR GOOD HEALTH In 2004, Austrian researchers performed a study of different influences on the fats and sugars in the blood. For the study, one group hiked up a ski resort mountain in the Alps and descended by cable car, while the other group rode the cable car up and hiked down. As expected, hiking uphill proved to be a great workout and provided measurable health benefits. The study’s surprise finding was that hiking downhill was nearly twice as effective as uphill hiking at removing blood sugars and improving glucose tolerance. Those of us who have followed Dave Tobiasz up mountains can attest to the workout that provides, but given this study I am all in favor of doing only “downhill” hiking. What do you think? Seriously, as we move into 2012, I want to go on record with my three objectives for the CHC as I announced at the December 4 Holiday Party: (1) To complete the parking lot upgrade by March 31. As you know the board has approved up to $11,000 for this project and we are well along with the contracting but need the right weather to complete the job. (2) To develop a computer strategic plan. This would encompass looking at our future needs regarding computer usage by the CHC plus envisioning how our website should look in the future. (3) To compare the CHC with at least 3 other hiking organizations to determine similarities and differences so that our board has a way of assessing our current status versus other similar groups, plus look for ways to consider further enhancements to our organization. I welcome your comments on these objectives. Safety should be on all of our minds during the winter months more than any other time because of weather, lighting, and other hazards not normally encountered. I am encouraging each hike leader to make a point of safety issues relative to their hike and remind all hikers during the circle-up that it is their responsibility to pass along upcoming hazards as they come up during the hike (e.g., ice, sidewalk unevenness, tree roots, etc.). Safety is everyone’s business, especially for hikers! Finally, take out your calendars and mark Saturday, February 4, for our next General Meeting, which will be held at the Garfield Park Nature Center. You don’t want to miss this event as the agenda contains something that will not only be different from past meetings but also offer you a chance to speak up regarding some key activities of the Club. Stay tuned to my column next month for more details. See you on the trails! !

 

Safety and Health Notes from Cleo Current

Updated December 2011 with advice for winter hiking safety.

 

Club News

1/27/12
New photos have been added, showing the winners from the 2011 CHC Photo Contest. Thanks to Matt Collings for sending these in. Take a look on the Photos page.


1/21/12
Bob Shroy has assembled photos and memories of Lee Shainker that were sent in by club members. Take a look here.


1/19/12
The February issue of Newsteps has been posted on the Newsteps page.

Peter Carlsson has put together a wonderful assortment of photos in memory of Lee Shainker on the Photos page.

12/20/11
The January and February formatted schedules have been posted on the Schedules page. 

12/16/11
The January Newsteps has been posted here. It includes details on a newly-approved excursion to the Arctic Circle and other goodies. 

11/18/11
The December Newsteps has been posted here. 

11/8/11
As announced at the November general meeting, the club election results are in. Check them out here. 
Many thanks are due to those who were willing to help our club by running for office.

10/22/11
Barb Siegel reports from the 2011 Chili Cook-Off (including pictures) here. 

10/18/11
Four new excursions have been posted to the excursions page.  Note that the excursions to the Grand Canyon and to Northern California have sign-up dates that are approaching quickly (this month), so don't delay if you are interested in one of them.

10/17/11
The November Newsteps has been posted here.  Also we have posted November and December unformatted schedules.

10/03/11
Denise Tobiasz has provided information on ordering CHC Fall 2011 Merchandise. Details on the new Merchandise page - linked to on the page Committes under About Us - Committees.

9/26/11
Matt Collings has given us information about the upcoming CHC photo contest. The deadline for submissions is Nov 7. Check out the details on the events web page.

8/29/11

Lee Schiemann tells us that there are errors in the published directions to get to his Swine Creek hike on Sept 28.

Correct directions to the hike are:
Take SR 87 east through Middlefield. Two and one half miles east of the junction of SRs 87 and 528, turn RIGHT onto Hayes Rd. Proceed south on Hayes to the first entrance for Swine Creek Reservation which you encounter. Meet at the Lodge Parking area. The hike will include trails which are a part of the Geauga Park District’s 50th Anniversary, 50 mile challenge.

8/21/11
The final schedules for September and October are now on the website.

8/17/11
Unformatted schedules for September and October are now on the website.
The September Newsteps is now on the website in the Members Only section.
Look on Page 11 of Newsteps to see more information on the Chili-Cookoff coming in October.  This includes the entry form.
Check out the Photo section for the latest additions.

8/12/11
It sounds like there was a lively meeting of the Cleveland Metroparks Board last night, when use of mountain bikes in the parks was discussed. Our VP, Matt Collings was there to express views from a hiker perspective. Thanks to Matt for making the effort to attend the meeting. Check out the Plain Dealer article.



8/7/11
The Cleveland MetroParks Board is considering a proposal regarding mountain bike trails in the parks at a meeting this week. Several CHC board members have expressed the idea that it would be good to have hikers, like you, attend this meeting. Our board members are not opposed to mountain biking in the parks, but feel that all users should be represented if decisions are to be made. If you can, please attend this meeting and let your opinions be known. The meeting is at 4101 Fulton Parkway, in the MetroParks offices beside the zoo, at 9:00 AM on Thursday, August 11.

6/23/11
Hike Schedules for July and August are now on the website.

The July 2011 Newsteps is now on the Members Only section of the website.

The Historic Warehouse DIstrict is once again sponsoring historic walking tours of downtown Cleveland.  These are not CHC affiliated hikes and do not count for miles, but many members have gone on these and speak highly of the walks. More details are here.

6/12/11
There is an interesting article in Cleveland Magazine on the new superintendant of the CVNP, Stan Austin.

Fran Jacobs brought to our attention an article in the Cleveland Jewish News that features members of the hiking club. You can see it in the Members only section under Hike Data.

New photos have been posted on the Photos page.
The Members Only Events page has been updated.

5/23/11
Lynn Schreiber, a member of the club for over 29 years, passed away on May 19 in the Hospice of the Western Reserve in Olmsted Township, Ohio. An active hiker, she logged over 26,000 miles with the club. Her obituary is here in the Plain Dealer. Her brother Glenn said that she died very peacefully without pain.

5/23/11
The CHC Pathfinder Committee has writen "The Attributes of a Good Hike Leader." Check them out on the Hike Leader Info page.

5/20/11
The June 2011 issue of Newsteps is now in the Members Only section of the website.

5/16/11
New information on excursions is available. Denise and Dave Tobiasz have more details on their trip to Colorado. Matt Collings has more details on his trip to the Appalachian Trail. And a new excurion to France is listed, with details in the June Newsteps. Check them out at the Excursions page by clicking on one of the images there.

4/27/11
The Directiona and Map for the 40 mile hike is now on the website on the Hike Schedule page.

4/23/11
The formatted hike schedules for May and June 2011 are now on the website.

4/23/11
   Long time member, Marsha Linert passed away on April 22.  Her cousin, Jeff Jaster, will write an article about her for the June Newsteps.  Marsha hiked over 28,000 miles with the club and many of us fondly remember lively conversations with Jan and Marsha on the frequent hikes they did together. The services will be private. The obituary is in today's Plain Dealer.

4/19/11
The May 2011 issue of Newsteps is now in the Members Only section of the website.

When you receive your printed copy of the May Newsteps look on the bottom of page 6 for the new password for the Members Only section of the website. (The password is not given in the Newsteps that is online). The new password will be changed on or around May 15. If you have opted out of receiving the printed version of Newsteps, you can contact Tim Mendelsohn to receive the new password.

4/19/11
Plain Dealer columnist, Regina Brett, has given very good coverage to our club. Last Thursday she had a show on WKSU radio and included on the panel is our own Ken Howard.  Ken did a great job of representing the club.  You can listen to the show by going to the WKSU site and clicking on the audio link..

Regina also wrote an Earth Day column in Sunday's PD in which the Cleveland Hiking Club was prominently mentioned.  Here is the link for the column. 

 

4/14/11
Hike schedules for May and June are now on the website. These are the unformatted schedules.

4/11/11
Ken Howard will be representing the Cleveland Hiking Club on the Regina Brett show on WKSU (89.7) this Wednesday, April 13, from 7 to 8pm to discuss the best places to hike in Northeast Ohio. Please listen in to this program.

4/11/11
Cleveland Metroparks is hosting a series of three openhouses in early May. Their purpose is to encourage suggestions from the public about planning for the centennial of the park system. 
Look at the flyer here.

4/11/11
Jim and Pat Spoth have a new Appalachian Trail excursion scheduled for September. Check in the Members Only section here.

4/11/11
One of the great things about the Cleveland Hiking Club are our fellow hikers who are role models for us.  Here is a photo taken by Suzanne McCarthy on a hike in Hinckley on a late March hike.  These two wonderful ladies are 90 years old and active hikers!  Jytte Hansen still leads leisure hikes and Betty Green is back hiking after recovering from injuries in a fall.

 

3/23/11
The April 2011 issue of Newsteps is now posted on the Members Only section of the website.

New CHC Merchandise can now be ordered.  You can see merchandise descriptions with colors and photos here. Here are descriptions and the order form.

The photo contest rules and entry form are now on the website in the Photos section.

Maps for the 20 and 26 mile hikes are now posted on the site.  The 40 mile map will be forthcoming shortly.

3/9/11
The Events page has been updated.  It is here in the Members Only section.
The Excursions pahe has also been updated.  It is here in the Members Only section.

2/23/11
The final, formatted schedules for March and April 2011 are on the website now.

2/17/11
The March 2011 issue of Newsteps is now online in the Members Only section.

2/17/11
Finalized but unformatted copies of the March and April 2011 schedules are now on the site.

2/17/11
A document is now on the Members Only portion of the website with a link on the Contacts Page.  This goes into some detail about the pros and cons of cenverting the CHC into a 501(c)3 charitable organization.  The committee has done a very thorough analysis of this topic.