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How do you hike?

Shotgun

Shotgun

Joined
Feb 3, 2006
Messages
8,250
I went out with my friend and his girlfriend for a couple of hikes/geocaches this weekend and I realized something(Pics hopefully coming later.) I hate hiking with other people. I haven't hiked with other people in a while so it didn't really hit home to me until this weekend.

I'm the type of guy who could hike a mile the whole day and enjoy myself. My friend, and most people I've seen, hike to get somewhere. Now I'm not knocking the challenge of doing so many miles in a day, it's just not for me. I found in my hike that I was stopping a lot to check things out like cool bugs, snakes, and plants that I didn't expect. They were focused on getting to the end of the trail or finding the cache and were basically just tramping along oblivious to things around them. I even showed my buddy some pitchwood that we passed and although he thought that was cool, it didn't dawn on him that the whole trip is fun and exciting and not just a goal at the end.

Would you consider yourself an "A to B hiker" or are you a bumb and just stroll about like me?
 
I am right there with you, Shotgun. I enjoy hiking with my wife and myright jr. Having my son on my back reminds me that there are millions of things I pass that I should appreciate and not just blow by them just to get where I'm going.

I enjoy taking my time and taking in the sites. I'm not one for walking at 6 mph pace just to get to the end or finish a trail.
 
Both, but to be precise I suppose I must be “A”. The reason being that when hiking I have goals and objectives. I don't want to be eating, pitching camp and so on in a less than desirable spot, and the only way for me to achieve that effectively is to have some sort of plan. That said, I get out a lot and range over terrain and distance that some see as a hike whereas I don't. I'm just roaming. There's no schedule as such for that. The trip just accords with my vacillation. On that, I do type “B” much more often.
 
I'd say, I'm both. I'm an A to B, but I like to stop if I see something interesting, and I like to take a lot of pictures. So, while I like to get in more than just a mile all day, I don't push myself to get more than 10 miles a day, I prefer 5-7.
 
I often get into a groove and hike without seeing things. My wife however stops and picks flowers and wild strawberries, comments on birds and plants and generally likes to enjoy the surroundings. I need to be more like her.
 
I like to look at everything and take pictures of mushrooms and bugs, birds, rocks ect. I know I hate hiking with people who want to do a 20 mile day everyday. it turns into no time for anything and pain the next day from pushing so hard.
 
I set a pretty decent pace when I hike, but I also like to stop and smell the roses. If I see a berry patch, interesting photo op, or good spot to rest and hydrate, I will definitely stop and check it out. I seem to be unable to stroll or walk slowly when I'm on a hike.

All the best,

- Mike
 
I am not a hiker that has to finish a trail. Usually I combine parts of a number of trails and don't have a defined end-point. I just go hiking and when it is time to set up camp or go back home, then I stop hiking.

For me, the purpose of hiking is exploring an area by foot, so I take the time to look around and check things out. Hiking itself is not my goal, it is the means for exploring the beautiful nature around me.
 
When hiking by myself, I'm an extreme rambler and explorer. There are times I will hike for several hours and go no more than a mile or two. With other people, I usually try to do a little better about getting some distance in. Depends on who I'm with, though. Some people just want to hike for the sake of hiking, and others are also interested in the surroundings. I prefer hiking with the latter. Also, I walk slow anyway.
 
I hike at a rushed pace, but am easily distracted. I often stop to check out a cool flower or bug, and will deviate from a trail if I hear water ( I love checking out streams).
 
Shotgun said:
I went out with my friend and his girlfriend for a couple of hikes/geocaches this weekend and I realized something(Pics hopefully coming later.) I hate hiking with other people. I haven't hiked with other people in a while so it didn't really hit home to me until this weekend.

I'm the type of guy who could hike a mile the whole day and enjoy myself. My friend, and most people I've seen, hike to get somewhere. Now I'm not knocking the challenge of doing so many miles in a day, it's just not for me. I found in my hike that I was stopping a lot to check things out like cool bugs, snakes, and plants that I didn't expect. They were focused on getting to the end of the trail or finding the cache and were basically just tramping along oblivious to things around them. I even showed my buddy some pitchwood that we passed and although he thought that was cool, it didn't dawn on him that the whole trip is fun and exciting and not just a goal at the end.

Would you consider yourself an "A to B hiker" or are you a bumb and just stroll about like me?
Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more about enjoying the journey. I do enjoy my normal companions; my son, my girlfriend, and our dogs. I get a little more from each hike since reading Tom Browns Field Guide To Nature Observation And Tracking. The first half of the book talks about being a part of your surroundings and even though I don't go to the extremes he mentions it has helped me focus more on my surroundings.
 
I am both I recon. I like to get where I am going, but along the way I like to stop and chech stuff out some too. My wife however, I have to drag down the trail, left to her own she might make it 300 yards and fill up a 256 meg memory chip in the camera. Then be all amazed that I am 2 miles up the trail.
 
I like to hike with other people:thumbup:

However when I go on a trip I generally have an iteneray and I'm either doing a loop or we're bringing 2 cars and doing a shuttle hike.

Normally when I got backpacking for instance I have researched the terrain, or know it and there are certain things I want to check out.

Normally my wife and I can hike around six miles a day and take plenty of time to stop for checking out the places we want, nature study and even occasionally a nap.

However some people are easier to hike with than others.

I have one pal who is more into setting up camp, so he carries a LOT of gear and when I go with him because of his pack weight I have to plan a lot of extra stops in for him to rest, and those spots are not always really great spots. Also he has lots of gear and is very meticulous about re packing it so I have to add extra time in for him to get going in the morning. The last trip we went on I had to cut off 1/3 of the intended route because we ran off time. But another thing with him is I try to plan our route where we can shortcut out to the car if we run short on time.

I have another pal who is new to backpacking. He smokes so he gets up before everyone else, but he's the last person to be ready to go. He always says he feels like I'm pushing him to get going (I am) but he's doing some solo hiking now and wants to cover ground so he's starting to get the hang of getting going.

I have 4 other pals who pretty much have a pace that closely matches ours. They do the stuff I do like get up and start packing some stuff right away. Getting on the trail early, working together to do stuff like filter water or gather firewood.

I like to get going early (like 9am not 12) so I can hike before it gets really hot, and if you see something cool you can take a long break and check it out. When I wake up and start coffee I like to go ahead and put my trail pad and sleeping bag up. For me for a rest break it is easier for me to leave my pack on because it's not heavy. When I take a real break I like to take a long break. I like to get to camp early so you have light to cook, set up and eat by.

Also if you get started earlier if you get lost you still have daylight. :thumbup:
 
It depends who I'm with and what the goal of the outingis. If I'm with my camping buddy, we will usually maintain a decent pace, as we are heading to a destination. We often leave after work on a Friday, so we have to pick up the pace so we can get to our location and make camp before dark. Other times, we are just eager to get to the site, and try to cover the ditance as efficiently as possible. Once we make camp, we then take more leisurely excursions.

If I'm out for a day hike with the wifey, it is always a more leisurely pace in order to take in the surroundings. Sometimes we pick up the pace on the way back to the car or on the home stretch of the loop just to get the blood pumping a little more, but for the most part it is time to relax, breathe deep, and enjoy being out.
 
We have a simple rule of thumb ...even if we arrive together ...we don't have to hike together. The only party that never splits up is me and the wife. The others can sleep late, hike fast or do whatever, as long as we all reach the designated overnight spot at a set time. If any miss it, we have to start searching after an hour ;-)

I tend to be driven by logic and my wife is the clever one ....so we do it for both to enjoy!!
 
Shotgun said:
I went out with my friend and his girlfriend for a couple of hikes/geocaches this weekend and I realized something(Pics hopefully coming later.) I hate hiking with other people. I haven't hiked with other people in a while so it didn't really hit home to me until this weekend.

I'm the type of guy who could hike a mile the whole day and enjoy myself. My friend, and most people I've seen, hike to get somewhere. Now I'm not knocking the challenge of doing so many miles in a day, it's just not for me. I found in my hike that I was stopping a lot to check things out like cool bugs, snakes, and plants that I didn't expect. They were focused on getting to the end of the trail or finding the cache and were basically just tramping along oblivious to things around them. I even showed my buddy some pitchwood that we passed and although he thought that was cool, it didn't dawn on him that the whole trip is fun and exciting and not just a goal at the end.

Would you consider yourself an "A to B hiker" or are you a bumb and just stroll about like me?
Click to expand...

I hike just like you, Shotgun, in most cases.
I'm not very much interested in getting from some point to another
when I'm in the field.
I'm very much interested in finding wildlife, various stones, tracks and so on.
Taking photos and do some closer inspections.
Also I must enjoy meal.
There's no time for me just walking and moving from point A to B.
 
I like getting to my destination so I can have a place to drop most of my stuff and walk around at my leisure. My wife likes to talk while we walk, and I want to just look around get to my destination and remember anything of interest to check out while walking back or walking around.
 
The only time I hike is when I am hunting, scouting before hunting season, or training for said activities. I hike to get somewhere. Either to a camp site (that I haven't preselected usually), to a favorite (or new) hunting spot, or back to the truck. However, I try to tell myself that all of this walking around with a heavy pack over rough, broken, dusty, and hilly terrain is supposed to be fun. The battan death march style of hiking (staring at the heels of the person in front of you, or at the trail and never looking up) is not fun. I stop and take pictures, talk and joke with who I am with, take a break and eat a clif bar, and generally try to enjoy myself. However, the goal is to get some where, as often as not before or after light.
 
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