Why I Hike

It’s 4:30AM on a Saturday morning. I am awoken from a peaceful slumber by the ear piercing shriek of an alarm clock, which I immediately begin to slap like a misbehaving donkey until it stops. After a few minutes of staring blankly at the ceiling, I somehow manage to drag myself out of bed and peer out the window. Conclusion- outside it is dark, cold, and raining; inside it is warm and dry. I question my sanity. With one last longing look at my bed, I think to myself, “Why the hell am I doing this?”

Several hours later I am standing high upon a peak in the North Georgia mountains. As I overlook a picturesque scene of hills and valleys while the sun shines brilliantly on my face, my bed is nothing more than a distant memory. “Oh yeah,” I remember, “this is why I hike.”

I rediscovered the joy of hiking several years ago and it was a life changer for me. It’s helped me lose some serious weight, get through a divorce, and even raise money for children’s cancer research. I suppose everyone has their own personal reasons for regularly being out on the trail, here are mine.

Hiking is My Exercise

I hate running. The thought of spending hours in the gym makes me want to pour bleach in my eyes. Hiking is a form of exercise that I actually want to do. Not only is it free (save for the occasional parking fee), but it can also be as easy or as challenging as you want to make it. Make no doubt about it, routinely logging some decent hikes will get you into shape.

Hiking is My Therapy

When you’re out on the wilderness for eight plus hours, you get to know yourself pretty well. I can’t count the number of problems I have solved or ideas that I have conjoured up while hiking. I don’t know if it’s the fresh air, the solitude, or the feeling of accomplishment after completing a physical challenge, but I just feel better mentally after a hike- no matter what has been going on in my world before it.

Hiking is My Meditation

While it is easy to get caught up in thought while hiking, I also try to remember to take the time to just be present. When I focus on the sights or sounds that surround me, the natural world becomes alive and I truly appreciate all its beauty. Also when you are looking at the world from on top of a mountain, you really get some perspective about your place in it.

So if you been considering finding out what this hiking thing is all about, or it’s been a while since you’ve strapped on those boots, I say go for it- it’s something I doubt you’ll regret.

See you on the trail.