WASHINGTON — When Sid Holland is not crunching numbers for CUNA he hits the hiking trails.
Holland serves as a hike leader more than a dozen times a year for the 300-member Center Hiking Club and just recently gave up his presidency of the club after two years. "A lot of hikes I lead are moderate to strenuous," the 66-year-old proudly proclaims. Keeping ahead of the less mature members of the club requires training.
"As leaders, we don't just give people instructions. We lead from the front and stop at all intersections to make sure no one gets lost," Holland explained. So, to prepare for the next hike he is leading–up Little Devil Stairs in the Shenandoah National Park–he climbed 60 flights of stairs a day in CUNA's office building since he had not been out in a few weeks. The trek is 11 miles with a 2,500-foot elevation gain.
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Hiking is not just a matter of showing up and enjoying the scenery when you are the leader. You have to sign up two months in advance, scout the trail, screen the hikers, know all the junctions, provide driving directions to the location, plan a meeting spot, devise a carpool plan, etc. Holland leads 12 to 20 hikes a year, he said, all over Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
Holland said he really enjoys the stops along the way. "When you're on the trails, you come to nice overlooks and views. You can do the same hike four seasons…and it's entirely different."
Holland has also hiked overseas and around the U.S. adding that he enjoyed Iceland the most, but he is also looking forward to Machu Picchu in Peru next year.
He has been with the group about five years. "Believe it or not, I was hiking in the Shenandoah by myself and ran into them on a trail," Holland recalled. "I showed up for the next hike and have been hiking ever since.
"It's great exercise–more people should do it. It really lengthens your lifespan," he said enthusiastically. Holland added, "I'm in better shape than most people half my age." However, he admitted he might have to "scale down" at some point not too far in the future. –[email protected]
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