My Guide To Hiking

Over the last week I've been hiking a few times up rock canyon, and I've learned some things.

Note: the pictures below aren't in order and were taken over Friday and Saturday hiking trips.

Starting your Saturday hike with about a teaspoon of grit and gravel in your shoes is not ok.  You will feel it. Also your socks will get holes.  

Stop and rock hop in the stream whenever you want (just don't get too far from the path because then your mom might get mad). 

Do everything you can to make it to the natural water fountains.  It is the best water on the earth.  To get here, though, you have to man up and stop getting passed by the old man taking an early Saturday morning hike.  That's just embarrassing. (I would pass him, then have to take a break then he would pass me while I was breaking.  Finally I decided to man up, push through the pain, and get far enough past him that it wouldn't happen). 

Hiking on Saturday is just better.  Because on other days you still have life to get back to and things to do, but if you're hiking at 7:30 am on Saturday you can go for three hours and that's fine. 

Make friends with as many dogs as you can. 

Take pictures at the bottom on your shorter hike so you can tell your mom that you got into the grey rocks.  Proceed to at least triple your distance the following day. 

Even though people say not to, realize the benefits of hiking alone: no one will try to talk to you while you're barely able to breathe, you can take a break or go as slow as you want, and you get to pick the playlist. 

Get to the part where the path narrows and there's not as many people. 

Don't pick leaves just because you want to smell them.  They might be poison ivy or poison oak (anybody know if these are poison ivy or oak?).

Catch the sun. 

When you decide to go off the path on Friday so you can get a good picture for your mom, don't tell her.  If the giant rock you're standing on suddenly starts sliding down the mountain just as you were about to go further off the path for a good view, it's time to head back down. 

Don't hike in the shoes you melted the soles off last time you went camping.  You can feel all the rocks. 

Hike at least until you want to keep going and can't bear the idea of turning around.  Only turn around when the path starts splitting too many times and you're afraid you'll get lost.  Also when you get to campsites that got accessed some other way and there are toilets and everything, just give up and turn around because you might feel weird. 

When you see the view of the valley that shows how far you've really come, stop and take a picture because your view will disappear in the trees quite soon. 

If you hike in the morning wear a sweatshirt because it's freaking cold.  Don't take it off when you turn around to go down because there's still not enough sun to give you a tan. 

Spend some time trying to decide if you prefer the burn of hiking in the hot or the freeze of the morning.  Decide you love both. 

Hope that it'll get warm enough in the summer that you can walk in the creek up the mountain because the water looks so inviting. 

Go here.  Refuse to talk about it later, but insist on keeping the picture. 

Post a long blog post so your mom can see all your pictures and realize that you're not dead. 

Try turning your music off on the way back down the mountain.  It's a nice change. And let's be real, there's no way you're getting up there without your music.  You need the motivation. 

Post another picture of the place you're not talking about.  Realize you're obsessed with water pictures.  

Stop near the bottom for a photo of a nice cloud and a view you think your dad will like. Also wish that you could press save on your hike like you do on video games so you don't have to start again at the boring part next time.  

Just generally have a wonderful time and hope you have time and motivation to keep going next week.