Depending on where you live, the weather could be permitting a start to 2011’s hiking season through the summer. Some of you might still be experiencing large amounts of snow or chilly weather, an unfortunate number of rainfall, or perhaps too much wind. Even if you are not weather-permitted to begin your hiking adventures, you can initiate your preparations for different excursions you will take this year.
This will be beneficial in a couple different ways. (1) You will be consciously thinking about the possible hikes so you can take all the necessary actions for supplies or gear in order to be ready. (2) You can research more on the different possible trails if you need to find out more about them. Maybe they are currently under construction or even closed. Finally, you can create an outline of your spring and summer hiking months which enables you to have some sort of check-list.
Having a goal in mind allows us to stretch for that plan, no matter what its difficulty, and then we are able to look back after all the time spent on that goal and actually feel proud of our accomplishments—-even if it isn’t finished! I have this same mindset for my hiking experience every year. I’ll set a goal or list of places that I want to visit, whether they are mile-long hikes or three-day hikes, and set out to at least attempt these goals. What a great way to bond with family and/or friends too! So go pick up a great hiking excursion book that contains all the great hikes in your region. Good books usually contain beneficial tips, cautious reminders, and numeral information for each of the unique hikes found in that book. Talk to different family members and friends, tell them about the possible excursion, and make a plan to carry out the adventure. You will experience awesome satisfaction and accomplishment when you get to check off that trailhead. Think of it like a mini bucket list, for a 4-6 month period.
If there are places on your list that weren’t accomplished that you had hoped to visit, carry it over to the following year’s bucket list. Make an effort to be actively engaged with the beautiful and interesting environment around you!
