[at-l] wife convincing

[spiriteagle99@hotmail.com (Jim and/or Ginny Owen)]

As one wife who never needed to be convinced, I have a somewhat skewed point 
of view.  I have always loved the out of doors, loved to spend time in the 
mountains, hiking etc.  Your wife may be totally different. Some people find 
the idea of sleeping on the ground, getting hot and dirty, cooking in the 
woods utterly disgusting.  I'm not sure how you get around that.  But 
generally, if you want to lead a partner gently into the world of the 
outdoors, you have to take it slowly and plan carefully.  Figure out the 
most beautiful areas near you to take her out - the big waterfalls, the 
quiet lakes, lots of wildlife, gorgeous views.  Start with very short 
mileage on nice weather days.  Play a lot - go swimming, have a barbeque, 
bring friends who enjoy the backcountry, etc.  Teach her that the outdoors 
can be fun.  If you start out with a 10 mile gruelling climb, all she'll 
learn is that hiking hurts.  I've known husbands who carried huge loads so 
their neophyte wives could enjoy backpacking with light and easy loads.  The 
wine probably didn't hurt either ;-)  If you start someone out with hard 
miles, bad food and worse weather, you'll get someone who hates hiking.  If 
you start them out with the joys of the experience, you may not get a hiker, 
but at least they may have some understanding of what you see in the 
activity.  I bought a bicycle once from someone who took his girlfriend on a 
25 mile uphill ride for her very first trip.  She refused to get on the bike 
again.  Go figure!
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