On May 4th, 2009 – a day as random as any – I decided I needed to get into better shape.  Over the years, I had gotten into the habit of putting on some pounds and somehow forgetting to take them off.  I’ve always been active – I still am – but apparently not active enough.  On May 4th, I said to myself, “Kolby!  You need to get into shape!“  (I didn’t really say my name, but you get the point.) So in response to this command,  I promised myself that I would hike more.

But a light promise such as that wouldn’t be enough.  I had to set some sort of goal.  More importantly, I had to really make sure I’d go through with it.   So I concluded that I had to post it on the Internet for everyone to know.  I’m not one to quit things, especially if I’ve put it on the Internet saying I’d do it.  To me, that’s almost like chiseling it in stone.

So here it goes:

I, Kolby Kirk, promise to hike one hundred times by January 1st, 2010.

Just so I’m clear with you and myself, here is my own version of the legal fine print:

  1. A “hike” is defined as a trek of two miles or longer over mostly unpaved paths.  There will not be any “hikes” to the store.
  2. Each hike must have a definitive end before the next one starts.  In other words, I can’t say that I’ve gone on two hikes because I stopped for water at the half way point of a four-mile hike.  However, I might go on more than one hike in a day, such as on a camping trip or before and after work.
  3. Proof of a hike must be posted on this site to count.  “Proof” is defined as a photo, video, or GPS tracking.  This will keep myself from cheating (not that I would) and saying I hiked on said date when I really just sat on my ass and watched reruns of Futurama on TV or something.

Hopefully those of you who are reading this will help in my quest to complete one-hundred hikes by suggesting hikes I could take in the Southern California area or, better yet, going on hikes with me. Either way, wish me luck!