COLORADO SPRINGS – A little cold weather couldn’t deter around 80 die-hard hikers Tuesday morning at Cheyenne Mountain State Park.
On New Year’s Day, state parks in all 50 states offer free, guided First Day Hike Programs, which encourages people to start their year off enjoying America’s great outdoors. Despite starting out with the thermometer reading 5 degrees, people came out with warm spirits. It’s an annual event local park rangers look forward to.
“I love doing them,” says Senior Ranger Darcy Mount. “I have fourteen volunteers that came out today to help even in this cold weather, they take people out on hikes so that everybody is nice and safe. It’s just a great way to start the year.”
Everyone came prepared for the conditions and there were no health issues in the frigid temps. For some, the most popular part of the hike was the hot chocolate waiting for them at the visitors center.
55,000 people participated in First Day Hikes nationwide in 2017.
