So You Want to Start Hiking - Picking Out a Trail

It's been a couple weeks since my last post, and what a crazy couple week's it has been! I always forget how busy the fall season is with events, deadlines, classes, and get-togethers, not to mention prepping the house for the upcoming holiday season! Whew!

Unfortunately in the midst of this super busy time, only a small portion of that has been spent on the trail. I've been so looking forward to hiking this fall season, to see all the beautiful leaves and colors of nature. Which brings me to announcing my 3 part series..

So You Want to Start Hiking?

First of all, let me be the first to say "AWESOME"! Hiking has provided me with so many hours of enjoyment and time for reflection. There's nothing better than sitting on top of a beautiful vista and thinking about life (or escaping from it). It's a great thing to do with your special someone, family, and friends. It builds community, and it gives you a sense of yourself and what you can handle.

But where do you start? If you're not an outdoorsy kind of person, how do you find out where to go, which trails are best for beginners, or even what to take and how to dress (which was obviously a big one for me =P)?? These questions plagued me when I first thought about hiking. Maybe that seems silly, but it's true. If you're like me, a thorough plan is imperative. That's what I hope this series will help you do.

As a beginning hiker, the first thing is to select your trail. Selecting your trail will give you an idea of what else you'll need to have with you. In the Maryland/Virginia/Pennsylvania area, we have a plethora of parks and trails. I am truly grateful for that. If you happened to read my first post, you know that my dad took me on my first trail (and that I wasn't prepared for hiking!). So when Hubs and I set out on our first hike, we went right back to that same trail, and since it's my favorite we tend to go back to it all the time.

When picking out a trail for your first hike, it's easy to be super excited and think "I'm going to scale this mountain and hike 10 miles in 4 hours!".. Ok, so that's a lot of an exaggeration, but you get my point. Take it easy. It's better to spend an hour or two on a short trail and learn what your body can handle, than to kill yourself the first time and never want to hike again.

How does one find a trail to hike? If you aren't familiar with parks in your area, or you don't know of any trails, don't worry! There are resources available to help you find trails. Below are some of my favorite.

1. Everytrail - This is a great resource where users upload trails that they've hiked, including maps and photos. Some even post complete trail guides. Most are free. If you've never hiked before, use a trail guide - it will have the best information about blazes and what to look out for.
2. Mid-Atlantic Hikes - If you're in the MD/VA/PA/WV area, this is a great resource. Not only are the guides fantastic, but you will find maps, GPS files, and even restaurant suggestions for after the trails. I highly recommend this website.
3. Gorp - Another great website to find hikes in your area. It uses an interactive map to help point you to great trails.

There are many other great sites out there that can point you to local trails. This weekend is a great time to get outside, as the trees will be hitting their peak colors in many areas! There's something magical about being outside when the weather is turning towards fall, and the leaves are brilliant shades of reds, golds, and oranges! 

For those of you who are hikers, how do you find your trails? What websites do you use/recommend?

Where are you headed this weekend?

Next up: What to bring with you on a day hike.

Thank you so much for visiting My Journey from High Heels to Hiking Boots! Like me on Facebook and share with a friend - You know you want to ;]  Now get out there and hike! Happy Trails!

Dreaming of Changing Leaves and a New Wardrobe

WE INTERRUPT THIS REGULARLY SCHEDULED BLOG POST 

FOR AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:

I discovered Polyvore today. Be afraid..!

Fall is here! And of course, since its a change of season I must have a new wardrobe. That's the way it works, right?

Right????

Ok, so not so much. A girl can dream though!

These are my fall must haves for an overnight hike. I love the sweater particularly!

Fall Hiking Must Haves by kerry-hiett featuring flower jewelry

Ok, carry on!

Thank you so much for visiting My Journey from High Heels to Hiking Boots! Like me on Facebook and share with a friend - You know you want to ;] Happy Trails! 

Cascade Falls - A Family Hike

Photo Credit: Sarah Maier

As I said in my last post, we had family visiting last week. Momma Cloudy and Fort Cloudy were both in from out of state. We all had a fantastic week visiting together, and ended it off with a 6 mile family hike. After many late nights and lots of extended family get-togethers, it was nice to have a day out enjoying nature with just us. We loaded up the dogs and headed off to hit the trail.

We hit up our favorite haunt, Cascade Falls and Buzzards Rock trails, and enjoyed the first signs of fall heading our way. The weather was perfect - sunny, with just a touch of cool in the air. Momma Cloudy had hiked Cascade Falls with us before, but Fort Cloudy had not. So we all enjoyed leisurely hiking in the cool weather with the dogs. We stopped often to take pictures or to enjoy a particularly nice view. We laughed, we chatted, we spent time together. That's what made this hike so special to me. I was able to spend time with my favorite people doing my favorite thing - hiking.

Too often, family gets caught up in the hectic pace of every day life and we think "Oh, I can just catch up with her later". But when does "later" really come? If your life is like mine, it never seems to. I find myself continually playing catch up with important things, or making phone calls I've been meaning to make forever. Email overflows your inbox, text messages sit unanswered, and feeling overwhelmed is normal. The reality of life is that we don't know if we'll have a later. Stop putting things off for the future. Have you been meaning to call your brother, but just never seem to have time? Stop reading this. Right now. Seriously! Go call him! Let the people in your life who are important to you know that they're important.

I say all this because I think that hiking is a great way to connect with your family. Not only are you away from the distractions of life (TV, phones, email.. yeah you get the picture), but you're working towards a common goal, which builds camaraderie. You don't even have to be a great hiker to enjoy it. There are a plethora of trails available to us in our local parks. It could be 1 mile, it could be 50 miles. The distance doesn't matter. What matters is that you step out with your family and say to them "The most important thing to me right now is to spend time with you". Well meaning words can't take the place of deliberate actions.

So, are you ready to hit the trail with your favorite people yet?

 

Photo credit: Sarah Maier

My next post is going to be about finding local trails, and what you need to take with you for a day hike. There's so many great resources available, and local parks to explore! Join me, and get outdoors!

Thank you so much for visiting My Journey from High Heels to Hiking Boots! Like me on Facebook and share with a friend - You know you want to ;] Happy Trails!