Top 10 Reasons to Hike

As my last post probably indicated, both my husband and I are very passionate about hiking. I was mulling over how I might communicate to others just why that's the case, and came up with the following Top 10 Reasons:

1. It's good for your soul. There is a spiritual connection within nature that can help you to make sense of this crazy world we live in.
2. It's good for your physical form. You burn roughly 100 calories per mile regardless of how slow or fast you go.
3. It's good for your heart. Even the easiest of hikes generally involves traversing terrain that will raise your heart rate and improve your overall cardiovascular conditioning.
4. It allows you to experience solitude even if the rest of the park is awash in tourists. Most folk, particularly in massively popular parks like Yosemite and Yellowstone, seem to prefer to experience the sights from their car. Hike in even just one mile, and you'll leave most of them in your wake.
5. Hikers are happy people! Hiking tends to make one sweat, resulting in boat loads of endorphins being released into the brain. And an endorphin loaded brain is a happy brain! 
6. You'll see amazing things the rest of the world will never experience. Wildflower filled meadows, pristine lakes, soaring skies, the roar of the wind in the trees, bubbling brooks, cascading waterfalls, and so much more.
7. Hiking is cheap! Other than the occasional fee to access a state or federally owned property, hiking is pretty much free.
8. It's a great way to pass a day. You can spend an hour, a few hours, or an entire day out on the trail. Hit the showers when you return, sit down with a snack and the beverage of your choice, and you're pretty much set for the remainder of the day.
9. It's a photographers dream! Nature produces amazing things, and you never know what you are going to stumble across. 
10. It's a great way to meet fabulous, inspiring people. Like the grandma we chatted with recently, out backpacking with her grandson to show him the ropes and introduce him to the back country. Or the newlyweds through-hiking a segment of the Pacific Crest Trail for their honeymoon, that stopped to take our picture. Or the German couple determined to visit and hike in every California National Park during their brief summer break, including, bless their hearts, searingly hot Death Valley. Or the many seniors we passed loaded down with backpacks, still hitting and enjoying the trails, leaving us inspired to continue to do same in the years ahead.

Convinced? Already there with me even before you read this post? Then please share your favorite hiking experience . . . I'd love to know!

Another reason to hike? You never have to wait for a view table!