Most of us have heard about how lazy Americans have become. As a news reporter, I’m finding a trend in the opposite direction. Now, it could be because I live in a poorer region, and we have no choice but get back to work or lose your health, your future.

Membership in the local gym steadily increases. And, we have the Catskill Mountain Club blazing trails for hiking.

Last week, the Shavertown Trail opened. I covered the opening ceremony and told myself to hike at least part of the trail. My destination was one mile, to Snake Pond.

The weather was humid and chokingly hot. Thankfully, the trail started in the woods, so shade covered the first quarter mile. But it was steep. I turned onto a Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) road and kept walking up following the little round red signs nailed to trees every so often.

I had to sit on a rotten stump to rest. After getting back up and walking some more, I saw a clearing and hoped with all my might the pond would be there. Wrong.

The clearing allowed for the sunshine to weight down my head and after a while I returned to the shade to rest again. Up the trail came a hiker, Anne. She was one of the volunteers who blazed the trail. She told me, “You can do it. I’ve done it 100 times, and it’s always worth it.”

I got back up and fell in behind Anne. Her pace was much slower and wiser than mine.

Sure enough, over the clearing and around the bend was Snake Pond. It was worth it.