That time of the year again....

Jefman, Is there any good hiking in your area? Do you have a favorite place that you like to frequent? (keep in mind I'm ignorant about the topography of France, so I apologize if it is a dumb question)

For me, I like to go to Starved Rock State Park in Oglesby IL. It's not too fancy, the US has much more interesting places to hike, but it is what I like most that is close to me. There isn't a lot of good hiking near Chicago.

I like "Pyrénées", mountains between France and Spain.
Highest point is only 3404 m, less than Alps (4808 m), but very interesting, and without lot of peoples !!!!!
Two sides, very different (green on french side - north, weather not always sunny and very "mineral" on the spanish side).
Last glaciers are disappearing, there are some bears which has been "imported", the last "local" bears" has been hunted. There is a kind of war between those who want to import bears and sheep farmers.
It was not really clever to kill local bears (they was herbivorous), but those which has been imported are carnivorous, you understand the problem with sheep ?
During a hike, I don't know what it is more dangerous, a bear or a alcoholic hunter !

There are also Alps, in the east, the problem is the decreasing of permafrost, which gives a lot of enormous falling rocks, sometimes all the side of a summit, but I like also to go there, even if it's farther than Pyrénées. Glaciers are decreasing a lot (-120 m of thickness during a century at Chamonix).

There is also "Massif central", which are old vulcanic mountains, not to far from here...

But I prefer Pyrénées !!!!!

Jefman, Is there any good hiking in your area? Do you have a favorite place that you like to frequent? (keep in mind I'm ignorant about the topography of France, so I apologize if it is a dumb question)

For me, I like to go to Starved Rock State Park in Oglesby IL. It's not too fancy, the US has much more interesting places to hike, but it is what I like most that is close to me. There isn't a lot of good hiking near Chicago.

I like "Pyrénées", mountains between France and Spain.
Highest point is only 3404 m, less than Alps (4808 m), but very interesting, and without lot of peoples !!!!!
Two sides, very different (green on french side - north, weather not always sunny and very "mineral" on the spanish side).
Last glaciers are disappearing, there are some bears which has been "imported", the last "local" bears" has been hunted. There is a kind of war between those who want to import bears and sheep farmers.
It was not really clever to kill local bears (they was herbivorous), but those which has been imported are carnivorous, you understand the problem with sheep ?
During a hike, I don't know what it is more dangerous, a bear or a alcoholic hunter !

There are also Alps, in the east, the problem is the decreasing of permafrost, which gives a lot of enormous falling rocks, sometimes all the side of a summit, but I like also to go there, even if it's farther than Pyrénées. Glaciers are decreasing a lot (-120 m of thickness during a century at Chamonix).

There is also "Massif central", which are old vulcanic mountains, not to far from here...

But I prefer Pyrénées !!!!!