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'Hiker Chicks' blaze trails for fitness
 Left to right, Jane Arterbury, (obscured), Barb Hackett, Judy Whitley, Barbara Huning, Mary Beth Huffman, Dee Dee Cooke and Linda Wizeman return from the 30/30 hiking trail in Clayton’s Shaw Park. (Christian Gooden/P-D) ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
The women had worked out together for half a decade at Curves, a fitness center for women in Ellisville. Then last year, the studio's owner and manager did something that made them envious. Manager Judy Whitley, 58, and owner Dee Dee Cooke, 48, hiked all 30 of the trails in St. Louis County's 30/30 Hikes program, "... just a way to get outdoors," Whitley said. About a dozen women decided they wanted to do it, too. They came up with the name, "Hiker Chicks" and last April went a-walking. The walks weren't so tough for this group. "We exercised together," said Linda Wizeman, 63, of Chesterfield. "But on the trail, we encourage each other; we develop friendships." They walked two trails every Monday, through August. They walked when it was cold or raining. "We had to carry umbrellas once because it was so sunny, said Clementine Reid, 76, of Ballwin. Mary Kay Orf, 75, is a retired nurse. In the 1970s, she adopted a healthy lifestyle because of what she saw and learned on her jobs. "This isn't about getting into a swimsuit or new clothes," she said. "We did like the shorts," joked a member of the group. "We exercise to keep our figures after having children," laughed Reid, a widowed mother of six. Still said Orf, "This is about having a healthy life." "I started exercising a year ago after a test said I had a low bone density," Wizeman said. "I just had another test and it had gotten better." St. Louis County awarded them patches that recognized their finishing 30 trails. They also had a pot luck party where they received T-shirts that say, "Hiker Chicks." "I wear it everywhere," said Huffman, who rides a motorcycle. "I'm a biker chick and a Hiker Chick." Do you Know a "How I Did It" ? Send submissions to: Jackie Hutcherson STL Health editor St. Louis Post-Dispatch 900 North Tucker Boulevard St. Louis, Mo. 63101-1099 jhutcherson@post-dispatch.com
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The Hiker Chicks
Ages • The 12 women range in age from 48 to 76.
The Hiker Chicks rate the 30/30 trails
Easiest • Memorial Park Trail in Clayton. "It was flat and urban, so we got to see the city," said Mary Beth Huffman, 49. Most difficult • A tie. Greensfelder and Faust parks. "They're not 30 minutes; more like an hour," said Barbara Huning, 70, of Clarkson Valley, a veteran hiker who recently returned from hiking the Colorado Rockies. Most refreshing • Spanish Lake Trail. "Everyone was fishing," said Linda Wizeman. That just spelled relaxation, they agreed. Most inspiring • Jefferson Barracks Trail. "When we finished, we toured the cemetery," said Clementine Reid. Most confusing • On West Tyson Trail, also called the Chubb Trail, they got lost. They used a GPS and maps to get back to the trail head. Most scenic • Lone Elk Park, where they saw elk, bison and deer — and their only snake. Most friendly • All of them. "Everyone you meet on a trail is friendly," said Mary Kay Orf, second oldest member of the group. yesterday's most emailed
 
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