It's such an absolute delight to have my sweet friend Twiggy here today. This lady's thoughts, ideas, encouragement, and honesty inspires me daily. And she's done a lot of walking in the woods, so obviously I think she is way cool. Thank you so much for being here, Twiggy! You're rad.
Lena’s readers: What’s up? I know you are all just as bummed as I am that Lena and her man are moving so far away from us…but still wish them safe travels and happy settling over there in Switzerland! While she is making her way, she asked me to spread my knowledge on successful hiking tips. That, I can do. I’m Twiggy and I blog at The Dirt Life, a little place called home where I can use the word ‘poop’ as often as I want. This is me:
For those that don’t know, I hike-A LOT. I’m what you call a long-distance hiker. Some sort of wilderness fanatic that leaves modern life for months on end, to live in the woods and hike trails that tally miles in the thousands. It’s one of my great loves in life. Lena knows this about me and asked if I would share 5 tips of a successful day hike. I suppose it makes sense that most would hike only a day. I’ll tell you exactly what I would do, if I were to hike for a day. Because that interests me more than telling you to educate yourself on trail etiquette and learn what poison ivy looks like.
One / I’d bring my heavy, nice camera. That’s right. Pack weight isn’t much of an issue when your going out for only a few hours. Bring that nice camera and take all the shots you want. Enjoy it. Taking in the beauty of the woods to the full extent was never feasible while trying to hike 20+ miles a day. A day hike? That sounds like a recipe for true admiration of the views. Pull up a small pile of rocks to sit on, take photos, and fall in love with mother nature.
Two / I’d pack a fancy lunch. In other words, I’d bring the good stuff. The stuff that would spoil after a day in the woods, the stuff I never got to bring. Fruit, Lunchmeat sandwiches, hummus with fresh carrots, pecan pie. And you better believe I’d fill my pack with as much soda as humanly possible. Make a picnic out of it. Climb to the top of some gorgeous mountain and take in a feast instead of freeze dried snacks and trail mix. You will have earned each and every calorie.
Three / I’d bring my iPod. This is one convenience I can not live without in the woods. I know that venturing into the wilderness often paints murals on our mind of us getting in touch with nature and listening to faint sounds of bird calls. I hiked the entire Appalachian Trail (2,000+ miles) with no iPod. I refused to bring it. I then hiked over 1,000 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail before I begged my sister to mail it to me. I learned that music in the lonely woods is one of the most beautiful experiences of life. Have you ever hiked in the rain, with your earphones tucked under your waterproof hood, while listening to The Cinematic Orchestra? It could bring you to tears. This song, just listen to it.
Four / I’d still hitch-hike. A lot of people hike a loop back to their car, or they drive 2 cars and leave one at the start and finish locations. I hate loops….I like seeing something new, taking in as much as possible before I have to leave the thicket. And the 2 car idea is really quite genius. I just find that one of my favorite parts of hiking is actually hitch-hiking. Yes, people still do this. In fact, when you hike a long distance you don’t have a car. And you have to get into town some way or another, to buy more food and bathe. So, you stick that thumb out, and meet the most incredible people you will ever meet in your whole life, as they offer you a ride.
Five / I’d bring someone along to share the experience. Sometimes we all crave that alone time, and I’d definitely recommend a day-hike for that. Talk about a great destressor. But man, I tell you what, nothing makes hiking better than someone that you love, or someone(s) that you love. My hiking experiences have always, always been a riot when fun, interesting people were around me and with me. I just don’t think that at this point in my life I could fully enjoy any mountain journey without my husband, who has hiked along side me for nearly 5000 miles. He is my partner in dirty crime.
Lena’s readers: What’s up? I know you are all just as bummed as I am that Lena and her man are moving so far away from us…but still wish them safe travels and happy settling over there in Switzerland! While she is making her way, she asked me to spread my knowledge on successful hiking tips. That, I can do. I’m Twiggy and I blog at The Dirt Life, a little place called home where I can use the word ‘poop’ as often as I want. This is me:
One / I’d bring my heavy, nice camera. That’s right. Pack weight isn’t much of an issue when your going out for only a few hours. Bring that nice camera and take all the shots you want. Enjoy it. Taking in the beauty of the woods to the full extent was never feasible while trying to hike 20+ miles a day. A day hike? That sounds like a recipe for true admiration of the views. Pull up a small pile of rocks to sit on, take photos, and fall in love with mother nature.
Two / I’d pack a fancy lunch. In other words, I’d bring the good stuff. The stuff that would spoil after a day in the woods, the stuff I never got to bring. Fruit, Lunchmeat sandwiches, hummus with fresh carrots, pecan pie. And you better believe I’d fill my pack with as much soda as humanly possible. Make a picnic out of it. Climb to the top of some gorgeous mountain and take in a feast instead of freeze dried snacks and trail mix. You will have earned each and every calorie.
Three / I’d bring my iPod. This is one convenience I can not live without in the woods. I know that venturing into the wilderness often paints murals on our mind of us getting in touch with nature and listening to faint sounds of bird calls. I hiked the entire Appalachian Trail (2,000+ miles) with no iPod. I refused to bring it. I then hiked over 1,000 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail before I begged my sister to mail it to me. I learned that music in the lonely woods is one of the most beautiful experiences of life. Have you ever hiked in the rain, with your earphones tucked under your waterproof hood, while listening to The Cinematic Orchestra? It could bring you to tears. This song, just listen to it.
Four / I’d still hitch-hike. A lot of people hike a loop back to their car, or they drive 2 cars and leave one at the start and finish locations. I hate loops….I like seeing something new, taking in as much as possible before I have to leave the thicket. And the 2 car idea is really quite genius. I just find that one of my favorite parts of hiking is actually hitch-hiking. Yes, people still do this. In fact, when you hike a long distance you don’t have a car. And you have to get into town some way or another, to buy more food and bathe. So, you stick that thumb out, and meet the most incredible people you will ever meet in your whole life, as they offer you a ride.
Five / I’d bring someone along to share the experience. Sometimes we all crave that alone time, and I’d definitely recommend a day-hike for that. Talk about a great destressor. But man, I tell you what, nothing makes hiking better than someone that you love, or someone(s) that you love. My hiking experiences have always, always been a riot when fun, interesting people were around me and with me. I just don’t think that at this point in my life I could fully enjoy any mountain journey without my husband, who has hiked along side me for nearly 5000 miles. He is my partner in dirty crime.
