Editor’s Notebook: The walks of winter … relish them whenever we can
Published 10:55 am Friday, December 12, 2025
At first glance, this might not be an ideal time to evangelize on behalf of walking. As North Pacific rain arrows down like pennies thrown off the Empire State Building, I sometimes drive the half a block between the post office and our local pharmacy.
However, the initial shock of chilly water running down your nose is far outweighed by the rich pleasures of being soaked in the sights, smells, sounds and silences of our uniquely bountiful surroundings.
Here lately it’s life-affirming to hear a rugged few emerald-like Pacific tree frogs caroling — if not for love so late in the year, then maybe simply singing odes to joy.
Aside from the well-used Astoria Riverwalk and the Long Beach segment of Discovery Trail, you won’t feel the least bit crowded. For instance, Warrenton’s fantastic trail system — the one running along the top of the Skipanon River dike is a personal favorite — gets nowhere near the attention and affection it deserves. (See www.traillink.com/city/warrenton-or-trails, which also provides information on other nearby paths.)
Often as not, I walk from home to North Head Lighthouse or down to the beach, my big curly-haired Irish wheaten terrier savoring every pungent odor along the way. The beach — with its frisson of danger, perpetual change and renewal — recharges my batteries better than anything else. Every few feet there is something interesting to notice, from tiny iridescent fish to 40-pound whale vertebrae, limpets and razor clamshells to children’s lost plastic seashore toys.
Recently revised, “The New Beachcomber’s Guide to the Pacific Northwest” is a valuable resource for all we beach walkers. Having an idea about what we’re looking at is like learning bits of a new language, opening the door to a better understanding of how this complex world fits together.
One of the best things
If you pay any attention to health news, there’s been one headline after another about the tangible benefits of walking. It is one of the most fundamental acts of humanity, something we neglect to our detriment.
With the ability to drive wherever we want and entertain ourselves with TVs, computers and phones, the sedentary existence — it may not deserve to be called “life” — is so easy to slip into. It takes a conscious effort to break out. Our health and sanity depend on it.
Consider these 2025 summaries of stories in the invaluable ScienceDaily.com:
• Walking every day could be the simplest and most effective way to prevent chronic lower back pain. A large study involving over 11,000 people found that walking more — not faster — reduces the risk of developing long-term back issues. The findings show that even low-intensity walking provides protection, with participants walking over 100 minutes daily experiencing significantly lower risks than those walking less.
• Walking a few thousand steps daily may help hold off Alzheimer’s for years…. Even moderate physical activity slowed both cognitive decline and the buildup of harmful tau proteins in the brain. The researchers say these results show lifestyle changes can meaningfully delay Alzheimer’s symptoms, especially in early stages.
• New research reveals that walking in longer, uninterrupted bouts of 10-15 minutes significantly lowers cardiovascular disease risk — by up to two-thirds compared to shorter strolls. Scientists … found that even people who walk less than 8,000 steps daily can see major heart health benefits simply by changing how they walk. Those who took their steps in one or two continuous sessions had lower rates of heart attacks, strokes, and death.
• Walking just a bit faster could be the key to aging well. Researchers found that older adults who upped their walking pace by just 14 steps per minute significantly improved their physical abilities — even those who were already frail. … By shifting from a casual stroll to a brisker walk, older adults can stay active, independent, and energized in daily life.
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We are infinitely blessed to be alive and aware of everything — observing the tiniest bugs to the mysteries of the universe. Walking is still a way to get where we’re going — bright points of light in the midst of infinity, for however long we have.
