A few months ago, while attending a Board of Directors Meeting for the organization where I work, I had the pleasure of discussing Towns and Trails – and outdoor adventure in general – with several of the other attendees. At the time, it really drove home for me how prevalent the desire to enjoy the outdoors is – put any 12 people in a room and start talking about hiking or mountains or road trips, and the vast majority of them will have a story to share.
In the weeks following our meeting, I exchanged emails with one board member, Jack Noble, about a Community Association hiking group he is active in: the Sun City Hiking Club.
The Sun City Texas Hiking Club attracts people who take a humorous view of life and things in general. Indeed, the club logo boasts in fractured Latin the opportunities to sustain a “triple fall” and “one bunion among many.” During a typical hike one can hear playful banter about the life style and foibles of Sun City Texas residents. Minor falls, involving hurt pride more than any real injury, are rated on the Marvin scale of one to ten, based on the spectacular fall taken last year by one hiker.
The club heads out on hikes once a week (sometimes twice) and emphasizes a safe and fun social atmosphere for all levels of ability. Not long ago, six of their hikers outdid a 23-year-old reporter by completing a 26.9 hike around Lake Georgetown in 13 hours!
As Jack, who at 73 is only the third oldest member of the club, later told me:
Build adventuring into your daily life. It pays off in the end.

To all the Sun City Hiking Club members – Thanks for the inspiration!
[…] us, and reminds and inspires us to do more and get out more… to try to, as one friend wrote, “build adventuring into our daily lives”. We hope it does the same for […]