Just go take a hike!

Weekday mornings, the usual cast of characters take up their positions at my gym.

There are four or five guys who must come in around 3:30 or thereabouts. This allows them to quickly dispense with their workout, shower, grab a cup of coffee and punctually assume their post by the front door – where they watch the girls come and go.

There’s the fellow more concerned with proximity to the ESPN broadcast than much else. (That one is my husband.)

There’s the woman on the third treadmill from the end, the one who uses the big rubber band; the rope jumper; Air Drummer Dude.

It’s a finely tuned operation and we all understand our place in the dance.

And then, inevitably, January arrives.

The New Year resolvers descend upon us, full of determination, throwing the whole system into chaos.

So to all of you I say: Why not go outside and take a walk?

I even have a few suggestions where you can go.

First stop: Victoria, B.C.

More than 10 percent of the city’s population travels by foot, making it Canada’s most walkable city, according to the Capital Bike and Walk Society.

To spread the word and encourage others to take to the streets, the organization developed the Walk Downtown Victoria map. Its six one-hour routes loop from the visitor center at the Inner Harbour around the city’s scenic areas.

You can wander through downtown, check out neighborhood “villages” on Cook Street and in James Bay, visit the Selkirk Trestle and wind through lanes and alleys to Victoria’s many courtyards.

The map also includes a list of the top 10 spots for taking photos.

Find out more at www.capitalbikeandwalk.org or (250) 886-4166.

Next stop: Snohomish County.

The new Hiking Snohomish County guide offers 20 trails for your consideration. Most of the hikes are accessible all year, and you can choose whatever scenery suits your fancy: beaches, alpine lakes, old-growth forests, wildflower meadows, waterfalls, historic sites and wildlife habitat.

The trails range from easy to very difficult, from 2.2 to 32 miles round-trip.

Let’s look at a few options.

Lund’s Gulch takes you through a ravine in Meadowdale County Park to Puget Sound Beach, where you can have a look out at Whidbey Island and the Olympic Mountains. The 2.5-mile hike gains 425 feet in elevation.

The seven-mile Lime Kiln Trail, developed mostly by volunteers, goes into a remote section of Robe Canyon Historic Park, site of an old town site and a lime kiln used a century ago.

For a longer trek, try Image Lake – alpine waters supervised by Glacier Peak, a 10,541-foot volcano. Over 32 miles and 4,400 feet, you’ll follow the Suiattle River, pass through old-growth forest and make your way across meadows of wildflowers.

And the list goes on.

In addition to trail descriptions, the guide provides hiking tips and an index of all kinds of accommodations, including hotels, cabins, campgrounds and RV parks.

Request one for your very own self at www.snohomish.org or (888) 338-0976.

The Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, which covers part of Snohomish County, also has a menu of hiking adventures for you including a number in the Darrington Ranger District, one of the forest’s largest.

For a look at the 328 miles’ worth of trails in the district, visit www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs or call (206) 470-4060.

Snowshoe fondue

You thought I was finished, didn’t you?

Not so fast.

Pacific Palisades Hotel has teamed up with Vancouver All Terrain Adventures to create the “Romancing the Snow” package, complete with – you guessed it – a hike!

For $365 Canadian, you get two pairs of mittens; biscotti, fruit and fondue delivered to your room; and an evening wine reception in the Art + Soul Gallery.

Exercise comes into play with the “Snowshoe and Fondue Under the Stars” excursion for two. You’ll take a moderate hike, exploring the backcountry atop Mount Seymour on your way to yet another Belgian chocolate fondue treat served on a hand-carved snow table overlooking the city lights.

You’ll retire to the South Beach Suite, your citrus-colored quarters, where you can forget the cold and bask in whatever got Pacific Palisades Hotel on the Conde Nast Traveler 2004 Gold List of World’s Best Places to Stay.

They’ll take your reservations at www.pacificpalisadeshotel.com or (800) 663-1815.

Regional events

•Whitefish Winter Carnival, Feb. 3-5, Whitefish, Mont. They’re doing it Mardi Gras-style at the 47th annual celebration of the season, complete with torchlight parade, fireworks, music, ski racing and activities for the children. (www.visitmt.com; 406-862-3501)

•Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour, Feb. 5-8, Boise. For the 10th year, the festival makes a stop in Boise. In addition to environmental and mountain adventure films and winners of the Banff Mountain Photography contest, they’re commemorating the decade with several special features and a fourth night of films. (www.visitidaho.org; 208-331-9266)