How to Plan for Your Next Hiking Adventure
/I learned several lessons on our Grand Teton / Yellowstone hiking trip. While I did a few things “right” I also had some embarrassing lessons.
To help you prepare for you next fitness travel trip - especially if it involves hiking - here are the 12 tips I learned.
(Since Christmas is not far away, it’s set to “12 Days of Hiking”) Enjoy!
“On the first day of hiking my health coach said to me” … Be sure to plan your gear, your directions to and from each trailhead, and your groceries
“On the second day of hiking my health coach said to me” … That detailed plan of which hikes you’ll do which day? Be ready to be flexible. Snow or closed roads or anything may change your plans.
“On the third day of hiking my health coach said to me” … Have your phone or a laptop for researching those last minute plan changes
“On the fourth day of hiking my health coach said to me” … Whatever you have planned to do in your free time -- cut it in half. That huge stack of books you think you’ll read on the plane and at night after hiking? Pick one.
“On the fifth day of hiking my health coach said to me” … Bear Spray. When the locals say something is essential, don’t wait to find it. Prioritize it. Order it ahead of time. Don’t waste the first morning of hiking trying to find a resource for it.
“On the sixth day of hiking my health coach said to me” … Hire a local guide. What you will learn about the history, area safety, the plants and animals, restaurants, everything … is richer than what you will simply read. And you will learn it faster.
“On the seventh day of hiking my health coach said to me”... Sleep is a top priority. How to get better sleep when you are traveling? Rent a top floor condo. Take earplugs. Use headphones and relaxing recordings. Take supplements that you know help you sleep. (Don’t do I like I did, thinking, “oh, I’ll only need them a couple of nights so I won’t pack many.” You may need them every night. Pack them.”)
“On the eighth day of hiking my health coach said to me” … Pick your top priority and make everything else simple-simple-simple. If hiking is your top priority, skip making gourmet meals. If sight-seeing is your aim, don’t try to get to the gym 2 hours a day. If spa-like relaxation is your goal, be ok that you miss a museum.
“On the ninth day of hiking my health coach said to me” … Don’t skimp on the gear. There is a reason camelbaks and trekking poles were invented. Rent them. Borrow them. Buy them.
“On the tenth day of hiking my health coach said to me” … Have two sources of trail directions - one descriptive and one as a map. When multiple trails intersect it is extremely easy to take a wrong turn and get lost if you only have one source of directions.
“On the eleventh day of hiking my health coach said to me” … Turn around at every junction. Take a picture of which way is your path on the return trip. Don’t get stuck saying “Is this the way we came? I don’t remember seeing this.”
“On the twelfth day of hiking my health coach said to me” … Have conversation topics ready. You’ll be talking a lot with your hiking partners. On every reputable website and in every park ranger conversation, we were told talking - not music - alerts bear to your presence. Some people on the trails had talk radio on. While a few hikers might have been annoyed, I thought “What a great idea, if it works. Because Doug and I talking non-stop for 8 hours a day over a week? Well, we had nothing left to talk about on the plane ride home. Except how I looked forward to catching up on sleep.”
