Progress 2022: Hiking brings new life for Kelley

Apr. 2—ASHLAND — Right when COVID started shuttering the movie theaters and the school yards, Ashland Police Chief Todd Kelley's wife said something simple.

"Let's go on a hike," the chief recalled. "I said, 'what do you mean by a hike?'"

So the couple hopped in the car and drove to Red River Gorge and a found a little trail, just a mile out and back to an expansive view of the famous gorge below.

They liked it, so they did what anyone does when they like something — they found themselves another little trail and traipsed through the woods. This one was a loop, which the Kelleys really dug, since walking the whole way around meant they didn't have to see the same view twice.

That little extemporaneous trip planted a seed for Kelley — a seed that would blossom into hikes and adventures not only in the Tri-State, but to the Carolinas, Tennessee, Virginia and even Chicago.

Before that day in spring 2020, Kelley said he'd been in a cycle of weight loss and gain through the years. With his wife's encouragement, he got out and started walking around the neighborhood. Through walking — nothing too hard, maybe a lap down to Jack's Market or around Central Park — Kelley said he started seeing some positive health effects.

Medications he'd been prescribed were reduced. He felt better in his day-to-day. But when Kelley stumbled onto hiking, he said he found something else — he found a "pressure valve" from the stresses of police work.

"For today's world in law enforcement, we're trying to promote mental wellness and personal wellness and exercise and taking care of yourself," he said. "We see the worst of everything. We don't show up at somebody's house just for them to call and say, 'I wanted to see you.' You're seeing someone at their worst moment."

That worst moment could be a homicide, it could be a rape, it could be a theft, it could be an assault. And for police officers, they have to deal with the emotion that comes with witnessing the worst aspects of human nature.

For Kelley, hiking has provided that outlet. Just talking to the chief, one can see a twinkle in his eye discussing the latest adventure out into the woods.

Places like the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Devil's Bathtub, Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina and the Roanoke Star of I-81 are challenges Kelley and his wife have taken and gone up. Rain or shine, winter or spring, Kelley said he's always ready to hit the trail.

In fact, snow adds a whole new dimension to the experience, Kelley said.

"It's so quiet, you walk through the woods and the animals don't even hear you," he said. "My wife and I were walking on a trail in North Carolina and she got so close to a deer, I thought she'd be able to reach out and pet it if she wanted to. You just see wildlife you never would see in any other season."

For years, the Kelleys had gone to Bristol to watch car races and though that country is crawling with bears, they'd never seen one — until two years ago, out on the trail.

Although Kelley said he'd been physically prepared by walking around the neighborhood, hitting the woods was a bit of a learning curve.

"You have to watch where you're going, because it's not just some dirt path," he said. "There's roots and rocks you could trip over. You have to plan ahead, too, know where you're going and have things with you just in case you get in trouble."

Water, snacks and survival essentials like a low-powered flashlight are all important to carry in the woods, Kelley said. Hiking poles have also proven to be helpful, too — Kelley said they give him more stability going up hills.

But having a sense of fun with it is key as well. Kelley said the hike is just part of a greater adventure. After getting off the trail, Kelley said he and his wife like to find a "hole-in-the-wall restaurant" with the best grilled chicken salad.

"You have to plan other things to do, because if not you'll lose interest in the hiking," he said. "You're going to see stuff that you've never seen before."

Case in point: Richmond is a town Kelley knows very well. It's where the Kentucky State Police Academy is located.

One day, his wife asked him if he'd ever been to the Pinnacles.

"I thought she was talking about golf balls," he said.

Up a hill on the edge of town, there it was — a beautiful view that the chief said he'd never seen before.

"When you think Richmond, I thought it was all flat land and school," he said. "On the other side of Richmond and Berea is the beginning of our mountainous region. I couldn't believe the view. We went up to it and I was like, 'I didn't even know this was here.'"

One day while the chief was at work, his wife texted him that she bought a few kayaks off Facebook Marketplace in South Point — and thus opened up a new world for the chief.

Once he got out on the lake at Grayson, Kelley said he was hooked on it. While it's a different type of exercise than hiking, it will "take it out of you" nonetheless, Kelley said.

"You go in there and paddle, you'll get thirsty," Kelley said.

This year, Kelley said he has a whole adventure planned out in the Carolina mountains. They're going to take the Jeep up Old Carolina 105, a gravel road that follows a ridge near Linville Gorge. The idea is to car camp in spots along the way, while stopping off and hiking trails accessible only by foot or four-wheel drive.

"I'm so excited, I could go today," he said.

And Mrs. Kelley is pumped to go out to Dolly Sods, a National Forest Land in Eastern West Virginia home to distinctive Alpine flora and fauna.

For anyone thinking of taking up hiking to get into shape, Kelley said marrying passions and a willingness to travel are key.

"Depending on what you're doing, the hike might only take a few hours," he said. "You have to have something else to keep your interest."

Checking trails on apps like All Trails, which includes reviews from people who have been there and done that, is also helpful. Typically, apps like that, or maps acquired at nearby visitor's centers, will mark whether a trail is easy, moderate or hard in difficulty. While it might be up to debate if a trail is moderate or hard, Kelley said working up through different levels is key.

"If you think you can go straight into a hard hike, don't do it," Kelley said. "Then you're going to hurt."

While getting healthier and more active has paid dividends in Kelley's life — both mentally and physically, as well as bringing his family closer together — it also serves an example to the men and women he serves with on the Ashland police force.

Not every officer does what the chief does, but they do work out in the gym, play basketball, pickleball or other recreations.

"If we can promote that, I'm willing to get out of breath and do it," Kelley said.