ohOver the years, I have met hundreds, if not thousands, of hikers on National Scenic Trails across the United States. Embarking on a trek is a life-changing experience and like any other experience in life, there are positive and negative moments. That’s all part of the journey.
However, I find that when some hikers talk about their hiking experience, they tend to leave out those negative aspects or moments they are not proud of. I think there are some thoughts and feelings about hiking that a lot of people are thinking but don’t necessarily want to draw attention to.
But I also think it’s important to talk about those things, even though it may be uncomfortable. Today I’d like to share my top five things no one wants to admit about hiking.
1. When you hike, you almost always think about the next city.
Of course, when you’re on the road you’re doing more than fair «Thinking about the next city.» You are enjoying incredible views, listening to the wind rustle through the trees, the birds singing and enjoying all the nature around you.
But you’re also pushing your body and doing something hard. He carries all his food on his back and probably burns more calories a day than he carries. This can be exhausting both physically and mentally.
On a long dry stretch of trail, I find myself thinking about a nice cold drink. Your body may begin to crave food voraciously as it reminds you that you are deficient in calories and protein. Personally, I spend a lot of time fantasizing about the next meal, the next drink, and the next wonderful city that can provide me with all the other comforts I’m looking for.
Those thoughts don’t necessarily have to take away from the enjoyment of the hiking experience. There’s no shame in admitting that thoughts about the next city may already be occurring within hours of leaving the last one. Those thoughts motivate me to continue moving towards my goal.
Somewhere along the Pacific Crest Trail. My backpack is loaded with extra food and drinks from the city.
2. Sometimes you feel guilty about your decisions.
One of the best aspects of hiking is how simple the day-to-day routine can be. You wake up, pack up camp, get moving, and just worry about where to get the next water, when to eat, where you’re going to camp, and where the next resupply point is.
Still, obstacles large and small may arise along the way. You need to make decisions constantly. Beyond everyday problem solving, you’ll occasionally have to decide whether to take some time off in the city, take on side quests in cool locations near the trail, or take alternate routes to navigate around a fire or damaged trail.
Even if you make all the best decisions possible, there is still a good chance that you will sometimes feel guilty and regret those decisions. Hindsight is 20/20.
I’ve spent wonderful days in trail towns where I took a needed rest, did chores, refueled, and then still felt guilty for taking the day off. On the same note, I stayed on the road and avoided days off and regretted not spending more time in the city. It’s hard to win.
But at the end of the day, all you can do is make decisions that you are proud of and that allow you to sleep at night knowing that you did what felt right.
I’ve had times on hikes where I really wanted to be around other hikers and enjoy being in a trail family, but I struggled to find a group of hikers whose pace matched mine. It can be difficult to move forward and leave those people behind or allow them to get ahead of you, when you know you really want to walk in a group. But I assure you that the right people will find you if that is what you are looking for.
You can’t force things along the way. Pace, time, and daily mileage should align naturally. Each hiker should do what suits and serves him, even if that doesn’t seem the same for everyone.
Trying to be true to yourself and making decisions that align with your goals and needs will help reduce the guilt and regret you may feel from time to time. But I don’t think there is a way to remove it completely. You have to learn to accept that and not let it affect your overall hiking experience.
Incredible views hiking through Oregon on the PCT. The snow conditions were a little difficult to navigate, but I’m glad I decided to keep going.
3. It can be difficult to maintain relationships with friends and family at home.
When you are on the road, the day to do routine becomes your entire life. You spend all the physical and emotional energy you have to achieve your goals on a daily basis. Friends and family back home may not be able to fully understand the toll that hiking day after day takes on your body.
I find that when I get into town, the last thing I want to do is spend hours on the phone catching up with everyone at home. In the city I want to do housework as quickly as possible so I can maximize my time relaxing my body and mind. This often means not wanting to expend the emotional energy of a long phone call or several long calls.
One thing I try to do to keep in touch with family and friends while also giving myself the grace to relax in the city is to make phone calls along the way whenever there is service and a good opportunity to do so.
When the terrain is nice and easy and I know I can fully relax, I can check for bars. That way I can make a long call with someone at home while I’m hiking, instead of wasting time doing it later in the city.
This helps me stay connected and is also a good trick to occupy your brain when you’re having a tough day. Sometimes it is difficult to “switch off” and allow a great day of hiking to just “fly by.” Chatting with a family member or friend can really take your mind off the miles and it also makes you feel incredibly good knowing you’re in touch with your loved ones back home.
Not calling home enough is something that often makes me feel guilty too. But at the end of the day, it’s okay to be tired and exhausted and not have the emotional energy for a phone call. There is nothing wrong with that. But by being a little more strategic with your calls, you can make it easier for yourself to stay in touch when possible.
Amazing mountain laurel flowers on the Appalachian Trail.
4. The hike and experience may not be what you thought.
Before going on a hike, most hikers will probably imagine their trip and imagine what it would be like. You may have specific goals for how you want to strive, the type of human connections you could make, and what you want to get out of your experience.
It’s great to have goals and set expectations, but it’s also important to keep those expectations reasonable so you can truly enjoy your adventure once it begins. Once you start a hike, you may realize that things aren’t necessarily going exactly as you had imagined. But that’s okay!
At those times, you have a couple different options on how to proceed. You can accept reality and change your expectations, or make a change to your hiking routine and strategy that allows you to start experiencing more things you hoped to do along the way.
This may mean slowing down your pace or even taking a few days off to allow other hikers to catch up. If you imagine your hike will be social with lots of other hikers around, then it may be difficult to be alone most of the time. This isn’t always something that can be remedied, but many times it can be as easy as taking a day off to allow other hikers to get into town.
On the other hand, if you’ve been hiking with a lot of other people but feel like your pace doesn’t align with the goals you’ve set for yourself, then it’s completely okay to go out alone so you can have the hiking experience you’ve really envisioned for yourself.
The only wrong decision is to do nothing and allow your walk to take on a life that does not align with your goals and that you do not feel good about.
Flowers begin to bloom on the AT.
5. When the walk is ending, you may really want it to end. Or you may not be ready to return home yet.
It’s easy to say that when an adventure is going well, you never want it to end. But just because an adventure went exactly as you expected doesn’t mean you’re not tired and ready for it to come to an end.
Towards the end of a hike, it is very common to encounter many hikers who openly express their desire to finish and return home. Walking thousands of miles across the country takes its toll on the body and mind. Getting up every day and covering any number of miles is hard work.
There is nothing wrong with being tired and ready for the next chapter. That doesn’t mean you didn’t have a great time and enjoy it, and it certainly doesn’t take anything away from the experience you had along the way.
The same goes for the opposite end of the same spectrum: some hikers arrive to end their trip and really don’t want it to end. It’s okay to be sad that your hike is coming to an end, or even feel like you’re not ready for it to end. That doesn’t mean you haven’t lived every day and every moment to the fullest. It certainly doesn’t mean you didn’t have a perfect and complete experience either.
Whatever you feel is fine and doesn’t have to make sense to anyone except you.
A lake surrounded by snow on the Pacific Crest Trail.
During the course of your hike, you will have to make many decisions and prioritize. That could focus on daily mileage, slowing down and enjoying the day with other hikers, and everything in between. Hiking is an amazing journey, but really exhausting both physically and mentally.
You may not always feel like you’re making the right decisions along the way or managing your time exactly how you’d like. There is no right or wrong way to experience a hike. All you can do is listen to your gut, do what feels right, and enjoy the ride.
Cover image: Photo via Peg Leg. Graphic design by Zack Goldman.
