Group Hiking

For this hike, I hiked with 3 other people. My friend, Jaden, my mom, and another hiker we found along the way who was hiking by himself. In the book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Backpacking and Hiking, author, Jason Stevenson says, “Let’s say you’ve tried solo hiking and now you want to share the experience with someone else. Good news: going for a walk in the woods is a great way to meet other people,” (Stevenson 18). Hiking gives the opportunity for long conversation, story sharing, and exercise; all perfect ways to get to know someone (Stevenson 19). Though we weren’t planning on meeting and getting to know another hiker on the trail, we did, and it was a lot more fun. It was interesting to hear about someone else’s experiences on trails and compare them to my own, and to just have someone new to talk to in general.

A tip that Stevenson suggests when hiking in a group is “because slower and faster hikers tend to separate, stop and wait for the entire group to catch up at trail junctions, turns, or confusing sections,” (Stevenson 22). This was helpful and an important reminder to make sure that the group stays together. Although our group was small, it’s easy for a couple people to get farther ahead than the rest of the group, making it important to ensure that no one gets lost. Personally, I’ve never hiked alone and definitely prefer going on trails in a group. What do you prefer? Single or group hiking?  

Thanks for reading! 

Stevenson, Jason. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Backpacking and Hiking. Alpha Books, 2010.

Flat Terrain vs. Elevation Gain

This past weekend, I did a 3.7 mile hike up to Poo Poo point, shorter than I’m used to. There’s 2 trails leading up to the same mountain summit at Poo Poo Point, one with a total of about 8 miles and a much shorter one of 3.7 miles. I had previously done the 8 mile hike, and expected the shorter one to be much easier; it was not. Due to the steepness and less gradual elevation of the trail, it was actually a bit more challenging to hike. Something that Jason Stevenson, author of The Idiot’s Complete Guide to Backpacking and Hiking notes, is that despite the number of miles in a hike, it can still be very challenging, depending on the elevation. “Besides the number of miles, a trails difficulty is determined by how much it goes up and down in elevation. Some trails can be fairly flat, while others can climb and descend hundreds of vertical feet over the course of several miles,” (Stevenson 11). 

This did prove to be true, as the shorter trail was just as hard, if not harder, as the long one. The author even notes that for extremely steep trails, hikers may need to use their hands to pull themselves up to the next step, which wasn’t necessary for this trail, but still a useful tip. 

The constant steepness causes your body to work a lot harder to walk at a higher incline uphill, for a longer period of time. This puts more pressure on your lower back and legs of course, which is why it’s important to stay in shape when pursuing hiking more often. Stevenson suggests that the simplest way to achieve this is through a balanced diet and regular exercise, outside of the trails. This can be started with simply just walking your dog around the neighborhood, then taking runs, and moving onto strength training a few times a week, once you get a bit more comfortable. (Stevenson 63). This was something that I was already used to, since I am physically active 5 days out of the week for swim practice, but was still an important reminder. Going back to elevation vs. flat terrain, Stevenson explains, “And while going downhill is less tiring than going up, it can be just as time- consuming for many hikers because of uncertain footing,” (Stevenson 11). This was also something that I found to be true and was a good warning to hear beforehand, which helped me plan my time efficiently so I knew around what time I would be finished and heading back home. Overall, I’d say the most important thing is remembering that the shorter trail isn’t always the easier one, and take necessary steps to prepare yourself for that! What do you prefer: shorter, steeper trails? Or longer, flatter trails?