Many people who live or go to school in Rathdrum find that there isn’t very much to do around town. With only a few parks, shops and restaurants. Left with so little, what could teenagers possibly do?
They could go to the parks that are not teen friendly or shops and restaurants that might not be very friendly to a highschoolers wallet. However, the people who still want to go out around town and do something fun without spending any money, can do that.
Hiking is an incredible way to get extrusive while being out in the world and have fun with friends or even alone. It’s a great way for teens to get away from the stress that school assignments and school itself brings. The closest hiking spot to Lakland high school would be Rathdrum mountain.
This hiking spot is great for anyone who wants to go out on a peaceful trail around in the woods without having to travel far. Although it is a popular spot, it’s on enough land for everyone to have the space they need. This spot is dog friendly and is a good starter hiking trail, it also offers a disc golf course for anyone in the sport or wanting to try.
Going out on hikes allows teens to combine physical exercise with nature to explore. Many teens struggle with mental health while going through high school and might not have a good way to handle that. Taking hikes or just walking around in nature is proven to quiet the part of the brain responsible for negative thought, the amygdala. Taking the time to walk in nature allows teens to have a period of time for themselves without constant strain on their health.
“It takes my mind off the materialistics of social standers,” Laina Busicchia said.
Being outside is a big part of Busicchia as she loves being able to be out in nature and just take in the peace that comes with it. Being out and about, as she would say, makes her life feel simple and way less overwhelming.
Hiking is a great way to improve physical fitness such as building Musculoskeletal strength by walking on the uneven terrain allowing improvement in the stabilizer muscles and improving Cardiovascular health which elevates people’s heart rates and lowers blood pressure, that will help reduce the chances of heart strain and disease. Hiking comes with a lot more physical benefits than just those two. The only way to find out is to go out and experience the benefits of the trail.
Rathdrum mountain has beautiful trails that go by streams or even to an overlook of rathdrum
Maddy Valli has lived in Rathdrum nearly her whole life and that mountain was a big part of her life. Ever since she was little her mom would take her up to go on hikes or hunt for herbs. The mountain holds a lot of great memories for many people, especially Valli. Now as a high school student at lakeland she still goes up whenever she has free time. She’ll go up with her dogs, Jasper and Charlie, or now and then her friends will tag along with her.
“It’s a place where I don’t have to worry about anything except the beauty around me,” Valli said.
Without a lot to do in the town of Rathdrum many teens tend to stay inside playing games when there is a beautiful trail right in front of them. Valli sees the beauty in the world around her and wants to embrace it as much as she can. The world can be too serious to not take some time out of your day to take a walk.