ROGERS — Bikers, hikers and horseback riders at Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area never know which Chris Cantwell they’ll see on the trail.
Here comes Cantwell in running shorts, sprinting down the dirt path. Now look. He’s zipping along on his mountain bike.
Next day it’s Cantwell in blue jeans and riding his horse.
Cantwell literally puts the “multi” in multiuse at the park’s Hidden Diversity Multiuse Trail that is open for foot travel, mountain biking and horseback riding.
There are 24 miles of multiuse tread and Cantwell uses every inch for his trio of activities.
“He milks that trail for all it’s worth,” said Eddy Silcott with the Hobbs maintenance staff . He and Cantwell have been friends for years.
“I personally don’t know anyone else who does all three out here,” said Silcott, a runner and cyclist himself.
Ask Cantwell what brings him to the trail and he has a quick answer. He likes being out in nature on his bike, his feet or on one of the horses he and his wife, Janet, own.
The multiuse trail is ideal for all three, Cantwell said.
“The trail is good and it’s so well kept,” noted Cantwell, 49.
“The people are good out here.
Everybody gets along. We see friends from other states and they’re surprised that all three groups can use the same trail.”
When Cantwell’s pedaling his bike, he runs into horseback riders he knows. Vice-versa when he’s on a horse.
MULTI DISTANCE
When Cantwell heads to Hobbs for trail running, he covers some ground - sometimes 20 miles or more.
“I’ve gotten to where I just like to run in the woods,” Cantwell saidone afternoon at the Piney Road trailhead.
Trail trekkers can hike or run to their heart’s content, up to 24 miles on the multiuse trail, and then bite off more.
“You can run from here down the highway and then run the Pigeon Roost Trail,” Cantwell said.
Pigeon Roost has loops of four or eight miles.
Janet is an accomplished runner who’s competed in two 25-kilometer (15.5-mile) trail races at Hobbs. She and Chris both signed up for a 50k this summer.
Striding over dirt paths has two hazards that running on pavement lacks - roots and rocks that can topple a runner.
“If you’re going to run trails, you’re going to fall down. It’s a given,” Chris said.
Spills are unlikely on a surefooted horse. Chris and Janet heap high praise on the Hidden Diversity Multiuse Trail for horseback riding.
“It’s a great place to start a young horse,” Janet said one chilly Saturday afternoon at the park.
She and Chris had trailered two horses, Dude and Eli, to Hobbs and saddled them up at the Piney Road trailhead. They keep horses on 23 acres where they live in Little Flock.
“It’s a nice trail that’s not too technical,” Janet said. “It’s a good place to get your horse used to mountain bikers and hikers.”
Chris said no matter which of the three activities he chooses, the scenery seems different with each one. Views change depending on which direction he travels on the trail.
TEACHER BY EXAMPLE
Cantwell has been into fitness most of his life. He attended the University of Arkansas on a swimming scholarship.
Now, fitness is his vocation as a physical education teacher at Eastside Elementary School in Rogers.
Some mornings he arrives at school with his mountain bike in the back of his Jeep.
Students notice.
“I tell them they’ll want to stay in shape because when you get old like me you’ll still want to play with your bike.”
Cantwell doesn’t just talk fitness. He leads by example, said Robin Wilkerson, principal at Eastside.
“He’s an excellent role model for our students and also our staff,” Wilkerson said.
Cantwell has acquired pedometers for teachers so they can track how far they walk, the principal noted.
“We have a couple of teachers who’ve run half marathons as a result of Chris’s guidance,” she said.
Cantwell gets to Eastside Elementary early to lead a run-walk program for students before school starts so they’ll be alert and ready to learn.
“He goes on hikes and brings back pictures. He’s brought his horse to school so the kids can see a real horse,” Wilkerson said.
After class, it’s the same Chris Cantwell people see at Hobbs whether he’s on his feet, two wheels or four hoofs.
Outdoor, Pages 7 on 02/28/2013