Hiking

Let’s Go Hiking!

Hiking is a great outdoor sport that requires little or no equipment. It’s one of the least expensive sports you can enjoy. It’s basically walking, while you’re in a natural setting. Some hiking is goal-oriented, with a specific distance or destination in mind, while other hikes take the form of exploring, with no particular goal other than exercise and enjoyment.

Hiking can turn into a social experience. You can join hiking groups and clubs to meet people with similar interests or you can chat with people on the trail. Many singles organizations, in fact, run hikes as a form of getting to know each other. Other people consider hiking to be a peaceful and solitary activity. Keep in mind these different approaches to hiking when you’re on the trail.

One of the draws of hiking for many people is the peace and quiet of the wilderness. Respect for other hikers is important when you’re on the trail – keep your voice down and don’t hike with loud music blasting out of a boombox. Fortunately, with the popularity of iPods and other portable music players, it’s now much easier to enjoy music while hiking without disturbing other people.

Hiking etiquette requires that a group stick to the pace of the slowest hiker so that no one is left behind. The easiest way to do this is to put slow hikers up front. If you find the pace of your group too slow, just choose a different group to hike with the next time.

If you pack it in, pack it out. This is common sense, but unfortunately you often see signs of people who don’t follow this rule when you’re on the trail. Water bottles, trash and other “disposable” items should always be packed back out when you’re done.

Right-of-way on hikes is different than the rules of the road for walking and driving. People heading uphill have the right of way on a narrow trail over people going downhill. Smaller groups of hikers have the right of way over larger groups.

Be sure to check local regulations about fires and camping before setting out, if this is part of your plan. Most areas ban open campfires in the wilderness due to the risk of forest fires, and overnight camping is not allowed in many areas.

Peace & quiet and great scenery are two of the big draws that get you out there hiking.  The added benefits are the exercise you get and the wildlife you encounter while on the trail.