c/hiking-trails

So over my hips giving out on every downhill, ruins the whole vibe lmao

Hot take: I switched to carrying a paper map over my phone on trails

Always relied on my cell for navigation. Getting lost with no signal in the canyon changed that for good.

My neighbor parks his truck at the trailhead overnight. It's taking up space for hikers. How can I talk to him about it?

My surprise trail buddy was a student's dad

I was hiking the Pine Creek Loop yesterday when a sudden storm hit. I ducked under a rocky ledge and bumped into another hiker trying to stay dry. We got to chatting, and he mentioned seeing me at the school's open house last month. It clicked that he's the father of a kid in my seventh grade class. We spent the next half hour talking about local wildflowers his daughter loves. It felt strange at first, but it made the wait for the rain to stop way better.

Bonding with a hiker made me wander off the marked path

Stay alert to your surroundings even during nice chats.

Sticking to the path isn't just about not getting lost.

I used to take shortcuts on steep trails to save energy. It dawned on me that this causes erosion and kills off fragile plants. Do you have any tricks to resist the urge to wander off the marked trail?