Take a hike, pal

Like many other Midtown dwellers, I pretty much walk everywhere—to work, the grocery store, the library, to get a cup of joe.

Dwarfed by giant trees, surrounded by the aroma of blooming flowers and serenaded by chirping birds and cackling geese, sometimes I forget I’m in an urban area. But no matter how you spin it, walking from one end of the grid to the other is not hiking. Such outdoor excursions require more than a slight incline on the sidewalk or occasional interaction with a hostile feral cat.

Lucky for you (and me), there are two amazing, slightly rigorous hikes this weekend to get the blood flowing.

The Ridge Walker’s Delight hike with the Yuba Historical Society climbs 1,750 feet to the Sutter Butte volcano, past fascinating rock formations looming over the ridge like Easter Island statues, and features a vast perspective of the Great Central Valley. It’s a seven-hour excursion with discussions about Sutter Butte geology, the mountain’s unique biology and stories of the Maidu and Wintun Indians. Bring a slicker, because this hike will take place rain or shine. If for some reason you don’t register for the hike in time, there will be plenty more hikes this spring.

If you want to live up the snowy season while it lasts, then a Snow Shoe Trip is the excursion for you. Manny DeAquino, a volunteer and past board member of the American River Conservancy, will take a group on a 4-mile trek in the snow-covered Sierra Nevada mountains. If you’ve misplaced your snowshoes (weren’t they stored next to that pile of old SN&Rs you were saving?), some will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. And the hike won’t be a walk in the grid; make sure you have the physical ability to make the trip.

Now, if only I could find my mountain-lion repellent.