Posts Tagged With: Outdoors

Change Your Routine in 2013!

Posted on March 31, 2013 by Carolyn Hartfield

Wow! This year is off to an exhilarating fast start!  My intentions were get to my blog out before January ends, then before  before February ended…and now before March ends!

Life is soooo very good, I am living my dreams, and definitely, living my life to the fullest!!!  Henceforth, I will make time to keep my posts updated on a regular basis.  And, as a bonus, I now have a Guest Blogger…Thomas Thompson.  He recently relocated to Belize.  We have created a partnership for our Wonderful Outings in the Wilderness (WOW!).  He is focusing on the Sailing and Jungle Adventures in Belize.  Yep, that’s right…I have expanded my horizons, literally!   So, between the two of us, posts will be more frequent!  As a matter of fact, I invite you to visit our new web site, Sundance Tours to see what we are up to, and I encourage you to join us, as many others have, from around the country.

Now, for the unfinished business, this blog post I stated in January…so here it is, finally:

Recently I reviewed my January 2012 Blog Post…it was right on!  The year 2012 proved to be one of my best, and this year is already on its way to be even better!!  If it was not  happening to me, I might be skeptical…but hey…it’s all real!  When you change your mindset and expect the best, it comes to you.  It is what each of us is promised.  We just have to believe it and move forward.  With that said, my new original mantra for 2013 (which will last through 2019, with a little modification, maybe) is:

“In 2013 I shall change my routine,

I will make a conscious effort to live more green, and

I will strengthen my faith and belief in the unseen.”

This year my January hike was awesome!  We had more than 50 men and women join us at Red Top Mountain for our Resolution Fun & Fitness Hike.  It was a beautiful day, excellent for being in the great outdoors. At least half of the hikers were first-timers.  People have become more health conscious and looking for the benefits that being in the outdoors and hiking brings.

ThomasThompson-Sailing

I did my annual Cumberland Island Service Project for the Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday, with the Georgia Conservancy, already ushered several great shows, including Alvin Ailey and Fela, at the Fox Theater, one of the featured Fox Ushers in Lifestyle Magazine, recorded by first Lifestyle CD, sold out my Grand Canyon Birthday Celebration Adventure Tour, and finalized the Belize Sailing Adventure, on catamaran yachts, for which I held the first information meeting at the Atlanta REI store.  Thomas was able to join us through Facetime…we beamed him in, and he was able to speak directly with those in attendance, and answer their questions.  It was awesome!!!

I am more than happy to announce that out of 31 invitations to the Grand Canyon meeting, 3 notified me that they could not make it, 24 showed up, and by the following Monday, 3 spots were taken.  The trip was sold out within 2 weeks!  I am sooo very happy, I can’t contain myself.  We are going to have the best time ever.  You can check out the trip information here…it is a very adventurous, full schedule!

Now we are getting such great response to the exciting Belize Sailing Adventure in July 2013.  Check out the new web site for our upcoming adventures.  FYI… Thomas, is a Certified Sailing Captain and a very adventurous person.  Check him out at the Sundance Tours web site. Thomas relocated to Belize in January…he is awesome to work with!

Also, want to express my heartfelt gratitude to those who have emailed me to express their support for what I do. When I hear how my words and actions inspire people, their response inspires me.  It is those words of encouragement that keep me going and confirms for me that I have found my purpose in life…as some have told me, my ministry, my passion to help others attain/maintain optimum health and wellness, and live their life to the fullest!!! Be well and live long and strong…

Categories: Lifestyle Management, Other Outdoor Adventures, Water Adventures | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Enjoying the American Great Outdoors on the Chicopee Woods Trail

Posted on January 8, 2012 by Carolyn Hartfield

Click Here for the slideshow!

Wow!  Did we have a great January hike!  We hiked the West Lake and East Lake Chicopee Woods Trails at the Elachee Nature Science Center in Gainesville, GA.  The weather was perfect, in the high to low 60’s with some sun.

We had 25 hikers, including men and women first-timers to regulars.  As a matter of fact, I have implemented a registration process so we can better manage the number of people on the hikes with us.  As always, during introductions before our volunteer carpool and caravan to the trail head, during the introductions, hikers were given background info on the Chicopee Woods trails, expected weather conditions, the Leave No Trace principles and were encouraged to talk with someone they did not know. And, after everyone was introduced to Paulette our sweep, the person at the back of the hike to ensure no line is left behind, everyone was reminded that ‘We are as fast as the slowest person’ because we strive to make hiking a pleasurable experience for all participants as each person takes in and enjoys Mother Nature up close and personal, at her best!  As I am, Paulette is a certified Outings Leader and also certified in Wilderness First Aid.

After arriving at the trail head, we took our traditional group photo, with the brand new Hartfield’s Hikers banner!  After some of us made a pit stop at the Nature Center, we gathered and off we went onto the trail, starting the loop on the West Lake trail.  Well, everyone had a great time!  There were many conversations going on, new friendships flourishing, laughter, camaraderie, all mixed with food and fun…a good time was being had by all.

A few of things I want to highlight include, the runners we had.  Three of the hikers, one a first-time, had run half marathons, 5k & 10k races, they coalesced.  We had a writer connect with an editor.  And, to my pleasant surprise, two people, Julie and Jonathan, who had met on a previous hike, are now a couple!  Several hikers who made New Year resolutions to improve their health were on the trail.

One of the newcomers, Joanne had previously told me she was shy.  During the  lunch break, as I checked on various hikers to ensure things were going good, I stood in the area where she was sitting and talking, she was so engaged that there was no need to ask if she was having a good time!  I learned that Kristina, one of our young teachers was taking three of her students with us to the Martin Luther King Jr., Service weekend on Cumberland Island.  (This is an annual weekend of service where we join with the Georgia Conservancy to help clean up the island.) Others had wandered over by the lake and as everyone else was enjoying their lunch and conversations with each other.  Ian and Camear were taking candid photos.

We continued the hike on the East Lake side of the loop trail back to the trail head.  Some of us, including me, hiked over to the Nature Center for a final pit stop since the restroom facilities at the lunch stop were closed.  After we all reconvened in the parking lot, there were scattered chats among hikers describing their great adventure before our departure.

A few of us met up at Jaemor Farms for fresh fruits, vegetables and, pies and ice cream…oops!  Yeah, we had some, including me.  Umm they were delicious! 

As we gathered in front of the cozy old fashioned heater inside the Jaemor Farms Market laughing, enjoying our trail stories and eating the delicious treats. We reminisced about some our childhood and young adult experiences and how we all felt so connected, comfortable with each other and supportive of healthy lifestyles. I talked about the great line of all natural supplements I, and others of us hikers use to sustain our health, weight and flexibility. We all vowed this was the beginning and/or continuation of a mindset that we all will strive to Live Our Life to the Fullest!!!

Categories: Hiking, Lifestyle Management, Outdoor Adventures | Tags: , , , , , | 3 Comments

Living Life to the Fullest!!!

Posted on December 26, 2011 by Carolyn Hartfield

We are Living Our Lives to the Fullest!!! We are a group of people that get together to have fun, meet new friends, explore new and exciting adventures,  participate in various outdoor activities that give us an opportunity to enjoy life while getting and/or staying healthy, fit and being the best person we be!

This is my first blog.  I hope you will find it interesting and inspiring.  I became so inclined to start this blog as I reflected upon 2011 and all the great things that are happening in my life!  I conducted a ‘Living Life to the Fullest!!! seminar in October and it was awesome.  However, there were those  who contacted me with great regret that they were unable to make it for various reasons and were inquiring when I would hold the next one.  I got such good response from it and continue to get great response from those who join me on my hikes, I vowed that I wanted to find some way to share all the great experiences they were and are having…not so much in my words, but in their words…thus this blog.

I actually started Hartfield’s Hikers in 2010 for selfish reasons…I wanted to hike and did not want to do it alone.  I was introduced to hiking by the Black Newcomers Network when I went on my first hike, ever in life to celebrate by 56th birthday in 2004.  It was so exhilarating!  I was hooked!! At the end of the hike, hike leader Clarence Wilson told me it was the hardest hike that the group does.  He was  smart enough to tell me that at the end of the hike and not before.  I did not know it was supposed to be hard and even lead the group at various points.  It was a great way to celebrate my birthday…on top of the mountain.  The hiking trail was to Blood Mountain, the highest point on the Appalachian Trail in the state of Georgia.  Clarence’s work schedule changed and he was not longer available to lead the hikes and asked me if I was interested…this was several years later in 2009.  I saw it as a great opportunity, as he had taught me a lot about the trails.  However, with him gone, I was not as confident as I thought I would be, so I signed up for the training class and became an Outings Leader with the Sierra Club.  Later, after establishing a partnership with REI, I became certified in Wilderness First Aid.  I must say that my good friend Paulette Scott who was as green as I was about hiking agreed to ‘have my back.’  Although she used to complain most of the time, she has continued to hang in there with me.  I appreciate her support very much!

We also join with other groups and as a result have gone horseback riding, zip lining, caving, bicycle riding, skiing and more!

Then, being a true Baby Boomer, once again for selfish reasons, I started OPALs, which stands for Older People with Active Lifestyles.  This group brings together other Baby Boomers who want to enjoy fun activities with people in their own age range.  I was actually introduced to this concept when I reached the age of 50 and lived in Detroit.  I joined the Masters Sports program, lead by Cal ‘Captain D’ Dilworth and started paying organized basketball for the first time since middle school and loved it!  This was also a great time in my life.  I met a lot of great people, got my exercise in while having fun and I really believe it saved my sanity seeing that I was going through menopause at the time.  I traveled around the country with the team and we won gold and silver medals in various state, national and world senior competitions and Olympics.  I earned MVP during one of our games!

I must add here that I am having the best time of my life right now, I am truly Living my Life to the Fullest!!!  Others have joined me and I want to share the things we are doing that are really sensational, yet simple!  It never fails, every time we are out, someone shares with me how the experience has changed not only their perspective on trekking trails in the mountains, but how the experience has actually changed their life.  It is their stories that invigorate me and keep me doing this month after month.  As long as I know what I do is helping others and in the process enjoying every moment of it myself, I am fulfilling my purpose.  There are other things I do also that I will discuss later that include my online health and wellness store, my Adventurers Meetup group and my online newsletters.

What are you doing to Live Your Life to the Fullest?  Tell us about it.

Categories: Hiking, Outdoor Adventures | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

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