The Great Outdoors
Spring is here and with it comes longer days and warmer temperatures. There is a newness with spring that cannot be explained. Trees are budding, flowers are blooming, grass is greener…even the air smells clean and fresh. Spring is the time of year for us to get back outside and enjoy nature, as well as shed those extra pounds we might have put on over winter!
One of my favorite vacation spots is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). The Smokies, as I call them, offers 900 miles of breathtaking hiking trails. I’ve hiked several of these trails myself. Some are fairly easy and others start off easy, but can get strenuous rather quickly. I received an email recently from the GSMNP, which included a short film about a gentleman named Garan, who was 25 when the film was produced. Garan and his family live near the Smokies. Garan was diagnosed with Autism when he was 12 months old. Garan’s mom, Theresa, loved him through food, and as a result of that he became very overweight at a young age.
One day he and his family visited Dollywood. Garan wanted to ride a coaster, but when they couldn’t get the seatbelt buckled around him, he had to get off the ride. Feeling defeated, Garan said, “Let’s go home.” As his mother explains in the film, this was her “a-ha” moment. She called his pediatrician and asked what she could do to help him. The pediatrician said to get him moving every day, so that is what she did. Garan and his mom started walking the trails of the Smokies every day. They started off hiking the easy trails, but quickly moved on to more difficult ones. With Theresa being Garan’s biggest cheerleader, he was able lose 80 pounds pretty quickly. Garan and his mom continued to hike the Smokies, and as a result they hiked all 900 miles of trails within the GSMNP, making him the first person with Autism to accomplish this. He was awarded the “900 Mile Club” medal, which is quite an achievement. By the end of 2018, Garan and Theresa hiked 1800 plus miles within the Smokies. They both continue to hike regularly. Garan and his mom did return to Dollywood, where he was able to ride any rollercoaster he wanted to. If you’d like to watch this inspiring film, “Love, Trails & Dinosaurs”, please visit https://draftagency.com/garan/.
We might not be able to hike the trails of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but we can hike the trails that are within our state parks and state forest lands. Pennsylvania has many state parks that are local or within driving distance to us. These trails consist of short loop hikes, long, multi-day options, and family-friendly adventures. These hiking trails will lead you to stunning landscapes and waterfalls, by wetlands bursting with life, through dark, old growth forests, and will offer countless opportunities to see wildlife. Some trails are scenic or relaxing, while others are self-guiding and educational, or challenging exercise. No matter what your disability may be or that of the person you are supporting, let’s pack a healthy snack and get outside and enjoy the great outdoors!
Pennsylvania State Parks also offer other recreational and conservation activities. If you would like to learn more about Pennsylvania state parks and what they have to offer, find a state park near you, or find a trail listing for a particular park, you can visit the Department of Conversation and Natural Resources website at https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/pages/default.aspx.
