Should we start closing National Parks?

And some lite soul-searching on what makes a hike "big"

Last weekend I was hanging out with a few friends I don’t see very often, and on the long walk back from a Park Slope bar, one of them asked if I had done any big hikes this year. I’m still not quite sure what his definition of “big hike” was, but I can’t help but feel that no, I haven’t.

There were other accomplishments, and very exciting ones, too! Com…