Trails get crowded on Labor Day. This year, it was a particularly beautiful day after 2 days of rain. All the spots in the parking lot were full, and the lots further down the road were both also full. It is great to see all those people out on the trail.
Here you see a brief moment in time where the trail is empty before us. (And you get to see my wonderful companion and dog, Pretzel!). We are just starting the descent. At this part of the trail, many people are hot, sweaty and pretty tired.
As you all know, I’ve been working on losing some weight. And, as you also know, I’m not particularly motivated by any exercise “to lose weight.” However, 1 pound off the waist is 4 pounds off the knees. And 20 pounds of weight loss may be equal pain control to a knee replacement surgery. And both of my knees have been annoyingly painful, and I LOVE TO HIKE. Therefore, I am walking up and down Spencer’s Butte a lot in order that I may continue hiking until the day I die.
As much as I love seeing people enjoy nature, I enjoy the trails in solitude. The trails will be very quiet as soon as it is no longer a holiday. Also rain and cool temps tend to keep people away. Why is that?
Well, in the language of change talk, it is because it takes about 6-8 weeks to make a new thing a habit. And we, as humans, find it difficult to make changes and make habits stick. So, as you embark on changing some things up, go find a friend or support person and go after it. That way you can do the hard things so you can do the fun things. Let’s keep these trails crowded!
Or, as Justin Langer said, “The pain of discipline is nothing like the pain of disappointment.”
Cheers!
-Dr. Joe
first published 8 Sep 2026
