1. Find a straight piece of dead wood that is a few inches thick and four to five feet in length. Some of the best woods to use are Aspen or Maple which are both native to Colorado.
2. Trim the wood to size with a saw if it is not the right length already. Then, use a knife or machete to whittle the bark away. Take long strokes all the way around until you get to the hardwood under the bark (the cream colored wood for aspen). The bark is very hard on older wood and will take a sharper blade to get through.
3. Carve a tip into one end of the stick. This will dig down in the dirt and help propel you forward while hiking. Keep it thick on the other end so it fits well in the hand.
4. For the handle you can keep it natural and leave it plain, wrap cord around it or make a lanyard hole with and attach a cord. For wrapping the handle, you can use paracord or leather cord and wrap it around until the length of the width of your hand is thoroughly covered. Then, tie each end of the cord together tightly. For a lanyard, drill a hole at least half an inch down from the top of the handle. Make sure the drill bit you use makes a hole big enough for the cord of your choice. Then, thread about a foot of cord through the hole and tie the ends together.
5. If you want the stick to last a very long time and have a smooth and shiny look, you can coat it with mineral oil or varnish. If you want to personalize your stick even more, you can carve your initials or a special marking into the wood with a pocket knife or carving tool.
6. Go hiking!
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