What has taken me a while to figure out is that more of the 50+ crowd might be interested in hiking if there was a supportive environment to help them get started. An environment where they could hike with others, where they could learn the local trails, where a patient, experienced hiker could share their expertise and make them feel more comfortable on the trail. 

That’s why we’ve launched GetHiking! 50+, a hiking program aimed at folks emerging from decades spent taking care of others — at home, at work — and now are looking for something challenging and meaningful to do for themselves. Something they can continue doing for another 20 or 30 years, or more.

Today, we share 10 bits of advice on how to get into this hiking thing if you’re age 50 or older — or simply if you haven’t hiked in a while, if ever. At the end of today’s post we share two hiking programs we’re launching aimed at helping you find your place, and your pace, on the trail. 

I’m glad you’re here. Welcome to the trail! 

1. Use trekking poles. I start this list with trekking poles because they can cure so many ills. Got balance issues? Trekking poles are great at keeping you upright, especially over iffy terrain and water crossings. Trick knee? Proper use of poles can take a surprising amount of pressure off your knees, up to 25 percent, according to outdoorgearlab.com. Unsteady on steep downhills? Poles act as breaks to ease your descent. Need a little boost going uphill? Let your pole-toting arms pitch in and assume some of the work. Trekking poles are such a plus, there’s no reason for anyone, especially a 50+ hiker, not to use them.

2. Don’t hike alone. For me, this is a Do-as-I say,-not-as-I-do suggestion. I hike alone largely because my hikes tend to be either spontaneous or with a goal in mind — scouting, for instance — that others might find distracting. But when I do hike alone I always try to do so at a time when other hikers are likely to be around. The reason? Anything can happen on the trail, to anyone. The problem when you’re older is that “anything” can result in more severe consequences. A twisted ankle can be much harder to hobble out on. Getting dehydrated can quickly become life-threatening. Heart issues, stroke, a litany of medical situations that, if not treated quickly, are exacerbated tenfold. Don’t hike alone, and don’t hike without a reliable communications device: a cell phone where you’re positive you can get a signal, and when you’re not, a GPS emergency locator such as a Spot, Zoleo, or a Garmin InReach.

3. Hydrate. You sweat when you hike, but then you probably knew that. But did you know that older adults are more likely to become dehydrated than younger hikers? There are a number of reasons for this, according to the National Council on Aging, including the fact that thirst tends to diminish with age, changes in body chemistry leave seniors with less fluid in their bodies, and seniors are more likely to take medications that increase dehydration risk. So a pursuit that already sucks the fluids out of our bodies becomes a bit more problematic for older hikers. Symptoms to watch for: fatigue, irritability, headache and cramps, among others. According to the NCO you should take a third of your body weight and drink that many ounces of fluid a day. So if you weigh 180 pounds, you should drink about 60 ounces of water daily — and that’s under normal circumstances! Don’t forget to factor in your perspiration rate on the trail. The best way to ensure that you drink while hiking? Use a hydration bladder, such as a Camelbak.

4. Eat! Just as older adults are less inclined to hydrate, they’re less inclined to eat as well. And that’s trouble, especially on the trail. Hiking burns a boatload of calories. According to one calorie calculator, a 175-pound person hiking 5 miles in 2 hours in piedmont-like terrain burns about 865 calories in that 2-hour stretch (according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the typical adult woman burns between 1,600 and 2,400 calories per day, the typical male between 2,000 and 3,000). So, what to eat on the trail? Whatever you’re inclined to eat, provided it has good nutritional value and provides the fuel you need to keep from bonking. Nuts and seeds are popular trail foods (high in protein), cheese as well.

5. Use sunscreen. Granted, the bulk of the damage to your skin from exposure to the sun occurs in your youth (23 percent of the damage is done by the time you’re 18, according to the American Society for Photobiology). Still, even though damage may already have been done, your thinner skin (literally!) makes it even more susceptible to the harmful UV rays of the sun. It’s imperative that you protect you skin when you venture out. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends using sunscreen that offers broad-spectrum protection (against both ultraviolet A and B rays), with an SPF of 30 or higher, and one that’s water resistant). Improve your degree of protection by wearing clothing with UV protection, as well as a wide-brim hat (I like a sombrero). 

6. Be vigilant about the weather. Most of us have a tale from our youth about getting caught in severe weather and emerging unscathed (physically, if not emotionally). I’ve got several, including once being caught on a bike ride in eastern Colorado by a hail storm that beat the crap out of me and dropped the temperature by a good 25 degrees. I hobbled 20 miles home and sat in a warm tub for a half hour to stop shivering. My 17-year-old body quickly recovered. That wouldn’t be the case with a body with a half century of wear. Not only is it uncomfortable being caught unprepared in, say, an afternoon thunderstorm, it can be deadly. Check the weather starting three days before heading out and then, just before you hit the trail. Pack accordingly, including clothes and food — or delay your adventure altogether.

7. Make sure you’re physically prepared. Gone are the days when you could head out on a lark and hike 5 miles having not been active for a month or three. When you’re young, your body can put up with a lot — it also can recover more quickly from your ill-conceived adventures. As an older hiker, you put yourself at undue risk when you ask your body to do things it’s not prepared for. For instance, if you’re interested in hiking with a group that does 3-mile hikes every Friday morning (see below), first, make sure you can hike 3 miles. Also find out the kinds of trails the group hikes. Are they paved greenway trails through flood plains? Or are they natural surface hikes, maybe with some rocks and tree roots thrown in, on rolling terrain? There’s a big difference. The main reason to be prepared? You’ll simply have a lot more fun if you aren’t struggling to make it to the end.

8. Pay attention to your medications. If you’re on medications, check with your physician or pharmacist before increasing your activity level, especially before venturing into the remote woods on a strenuous hike. For instance, OldGeezerHiking.com says if you’re on diuretics, or on a medication that includes diuretics, you’re at a much greater risk for dehydration. Check and see what other issues could result from the medications you’re on. And, harkening back to Tip No. 2, make sure the people you are hiking with are aware of any meds you might be on. Four years ago I was leading a hike where one of the hikers simply stopped, sat against a rock and stared. She was near comatose and unable to communicate, making it impossible to find out what was wrong. We had no choice but to call in a rescue and carry her out. Turned out she had just changed medications for a condition she was being treated for and the new meds didn’t mix well with strenuous exercise. Had we known, we could have contacted her physician for an appropriate course of action.

9. Think twice about “going under the rope.” “Under the rope,” that’s actually a ski term about skiing terrain that’s closed — and indicated as such by a rope. In the case of hiking, going under the rope would be hiking off trail. Now, I love going off trail, and have been leading Winter Wild off-trail adventures for years. But those off-trail adventures are carefully scouted with few surprises of the unfortunate kind. And, I’ve researched Plan Bs and exit options. That’s a far-cry from seeing an old roadbed striking out from the trail and thinking, “Shucks, I’ll just see where this heads.” Maybe not a terrible idea if you’ve come equipped to spend a night in the woods, but really, overall a terrible idea. Only go with someone who knows the terrain.

10. Listen to your body. Probably the most important bit of advice, especially as we head into the heat of summer. If you’e body is telling you to slow down, slow down. If it’s telling you to stop, stop. Feel a cramp coming on? Don’t “walk it out,” stop and drink some water, something with electrolytes ideally, better still take a potassium tablet or eat a banana. Starting to sweat a little too much? Find yourself short of breath? Suddenly a little dizzy? All signs to stop, sit in the shade and take a minute to figure out what’s going on and how to nip it in the bud.

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Explore with Us!

Ready to get started? We have two summer hiking programs ideal for both the beginning hiker and for experienced hikers who don’t want to stop hiking because it’s summer, but don’t want to wear themselves out, either. Hikes in both series are between 3 and 4 miles, last about an hour and a half, and explore a new trail each week.

• GetHiking! 50+ Friday Morning Summer Hike Series, 8 hikes at 8 a.m. on Fridays, on trails in the western Triangle. More info here.
• GetHiking! 50+ Wednesday Evening Summer Hike Series, 10 hikes at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Popsicles conclude each outing. More info here for single hikers, here for couples and families.

Hike ’til you’re … 200?

This week on the GetHiking Southeast Podcast we talk with Jerry Kroll, founder of Jevitty Life Science, which is working to use existing and emerging technology — coupled with good lifestyle habits — to extend our lives significantly. Give a listen here.

Learn more

For more information on topics touched on today:

• “21 Simple Survival Tips for Hikers Over 50.” These tips come from oldgeezerhiking.com, and cover a range of appropriate suggestions. Learn more here.
• “How to Stay Hydrated for Better Health,” a blog post from the National Council on Aging that goes deeper into the importance of staying hydrated for older adults. Check it out here.
• Skin Care and Aging. Learn more about the importance of protecting your skin in this post from the National Institute on Aging.

The post GetHiking! 50+ 10 tips for older hikers appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Like, spending time exploring the outdoors and becoming a hiker. 

Maybe you just want to become comfortable hiking local trails, get out once a week for an hour or so for a social hike with friends. Maybe you like the social element, but want to get in a cardio workout as well. Or perhaps you’ve decided that you’re in a place where you’d like to start taking physically challenging vacations. Taking a ramble across Great Britain, perhaps. Or walking the Camino de Santiago, or climbing Kilimanjaro. 

We have hiking programs that can help you meet those goals — and more.

GetHiking! Summer Hike Series

• 8 hikes
• 3 on Sunday mornings beginning at 9 a.m., 5 on Tuesday evenings, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
• $155 for single hikers, $265 for couples and families
• 15 hiker limit

When summer rolls around, a lot of hikers — even avid ones — steer clear of the trail. Not here at GetHiking!, though we do make some accommodations for the summer heat. For instance, we like to avoid the mid-day sun — or avoid ol’ sol altogether. More of our brown trails tend to follow blue ones. And we also tend to seek out cooler trails meteorologically speaking. 

Learn more and sign up: Individual hikers go here, couples and families here.

GetHiking! Summer Wednesday Evening Hike Series

• 10 hikes
• Every Wednesday evening from June through August.
• $155 for single hikers, $295 for couples and families.
• 15 hiker limit

Make the most of your summer evenings with this 10-hike series of weekly Wednesday evening hikes on various trails throughout the Triangle. Hikes are 3-4 miles each, on different trails each week, each well suited for evening hikes, and each geared toward hikers age 50 and up.

Learn more and sign up: Individual hikers go here, couples and families here.

GetHiking! Summer Friday Morning Hike Series

• 8 hikes
• Friday mornings, June through August at 8 a.m..
• $135
• Includes: Weekly eguide for each hike, including a map, route description, overview of the hike and key details (such as how to get to the trailhead!). All the information you’ll need to hike the trail on your own later.

Summer can be a great time to be on the trail — you just need to know when to hike and where to hike. Our 8-hike GetHiking! 50+ Summer Hike Series hits the trail early, seeks out cool waterways and sun-blocking canopies, takes a leisurely pace and gets you off the trail before the heat hits.  Our hikes are on trails throughout the Triangle, a different trail each week! These hikes are targeted to hikers age 50 and up who are looking for a friendly, non-competitive hiking environment. Our hikes are no-drop; you will always be with the hike leader.

For more information and to sign up, go here.

GetHiking! Summer Hike Series for Clubs/Organizations/Business

If you’ve got a minimum of 8 hikers, we can craft a weekly Spring hike series to suite your needs, from mid-day during the work week, to evenings to weekends. Same as our Sunday series, but set up around your availability.

• 10 hikes
• Built around your schedule
• $165 for single hikers, $295 for couples and families.
• 8 hiker minimum

For more information, email info@getgoingnc.com

The post GetHiking! 50+ Summer 2022 appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Bob and Henry aren’t free soloists; in fact, climbing may be the only outdoor adventure they don’t do. Among other things, Henry is section hiking the Appalachian Trail, while Bob starts his day with a 5-mile run, ends it with a 3-mile hike, and works in, say, a 20-mile mountain bike ride in between. The pair usually work in a paddle trip together every couple of weeks, a hike as well. Maybe they don’t scamper up El Cap without a rope, but for a couple of retired guys, they’re doing pretty good.

This morning’s adventure was a hike and while they were only going 8 miles, most of it was off trail. Some of it over cliffs, some through rhododendron hells, all of it on the 2-3 inches of snow and ice remaining from Sunday’s storm. I won’t reveal too much about the mile or so I hiked with them; for that, you’ll need to listen to next week’s GetHiking! Southeast Podcast. What I will say is that in retirement both have blossomed as adventurers, with both acknowledging that they are in far better shape today than when they left the workforce. 

“I’ll just keep going like this as long as I can,” Henry said early in the hike. 

Why do they remind me of Alex Honnold? Because among  their “golden years” cohort, what they do may seem similarly remarkable. Thing is, it’s not. While they may be the exception, they are not alone. And growing numbers of 50+ folks are joining the ranks and pushing themselves like never before. Folks who GetGoing After 50 is a topic we’ll be exploring at length in the coming months.

In the meantime, the 2019 post on Honnold follows. Marvel in his accomplishments, then think about what you might do that would cause you to flash your own Honnold “smile.”

* * *

Talking with author/climber Mark Synnott earlier this week about his new book, “The Impossible Climb: Alex Honnold, El Capitan and the Climbing Life,” I was touched by something vaguely familiar. Vaguely, and weirdly, because the book is about one of the most audacious physical and psychological feats of our time: Honnold’s ascent of El Capitan, a 3,000-foot near-sheer rockface in Yosemite National Park — without any form of protection to save him should he slip from one of the wall’s precarious microscopic holds. What could possibly be familiar about that?

Honnold has climbed, mostly without a rope, throughout much of the world on some of the globe’s toughest mountains. Despite living on what he describes as “the income of a moderately successful dentist,” he still prefers to live in his van, even when it’s parked in the driveway of his Las Vegas home. And after knocking off El Cap on June 3, 2017, at 9:28 a.m., how did he celebrate? By hanging for more than an hour on his Beastmaster Hangboard, a strip of hardwood with microscope indentions that he uses to build arm, finger and torso strength. Why the hangboard? Well, because he does this every other day as part of his training, and his epic climb just happened to occur on a training day.

So again, how could Honnold’s story even remotely feel familiar?

Then I thought about “the smile.” When Honnold successfully executed the hardest part of his El Cap climb — an especially tenuous move called the Boulder Problem — he turned to one of the camera’s documenting the climb for the film “Free Solo” and flashed a huge grin. That grin, says Synnott and others who know Honnold, is rare. “You see that smile,” says Synnott, “you stand in the presence of that, it washes over you.”

Then it hit me. I haven’t necessarily seen that smile before, but I have seen that look, the “one that washes over you.”

The look

On our backpack trip into the Joyce Kilmer/Slickrock Wilderness a couple weeks back we were making our way down a particularly challenging stretch of the Slickrock Creek Trail. We were losing elevation at a dizzying rate — in one stretch, about 1,400 feet in less than a mile. The trail was overgrown, and it was criss-crossed by more than 30 downed trees — Joyce Kilmer-sized sentinels of ample girth. At one point, after a particularly challenging crossing, I looked up the trail expecting to looks of concern, at best, anger at the least. I didn’t see any Honnoldesque grins, but I what I did see surprised me. I saw people, many of whom were either retired or of retirement age, very focused on the task at hand. Not one person looked worried or defeated. All were in the moment. They knew a wilderness area would present challenges unlike what they’d seen hiking in a state park. That was why they were here: they were aware of the challenge, and they were embracing it.

Same thing a year earlier on our annual dive into Linville Gorge. A late start and a wrong turn left us a mile and a half from camp in waning light in the midst of a classic, homegrown Linville thunderstorm. We righted ourselves, then, a half hour later, wronged ourselves again. We ended up pulling into a makeshift camp at 11 p.m., low on water, wet, and five hours past feeding time. Yet the next morning, there was nary a word about the previous evening. Rather, everyone was eager for the day ahead.

I feel this presence on local day hikes. Someone who’s never hiked 5 miles before, who’s never hiked in 85-degree heat, shows up because she wants to push her limits. The hike may not be easy, it may not be entirely enjoyable. But they do it and you can feel their sense of accomplishment.

Facing the ‘impossible’

Some argue that Alex Honnold lacks a sense of fear, that his brain is wired in such a way that he doesn’t experience fear. Honnold pooh-poohs the notion (and an MRI scan of his brain reported in Synnott’s book appears to back him up), saying he feels fear all right, he’s just better at managing it than most (which he does in part by being extremely prepared). If you want something bad enough, he says, you figure out how to make it happen.

That’s what resonated with me, with Honnold’s story. The people who do our trips aren’t, for the most part, athletes who’ve dedicated their lives to training for the impossible. Most have jobs and have to deal with the day-to-day of survival. But, like Honnold, they’re driven by that spark to feel, even for just an afternoon or a weekend, truly alive. To feel good about themselves in a way that binge watching the latest Netflix series or buying a Tesla can’t touch.

To do for themselves what might seem, like the audacious free solo of a 3,000-foot rock face, the impossible.

* * *

Test yourself

Eager to flash your own Honnold smile? Here are some upcoming opportunities:

GetHiking! Winter Wild Adventure Series. We have two Winter Wild off-trail hikes remaining in our 2021-22 series: Hanging Rock’s Three Sisters on February 5, 6-7 miles; Birkhead Mountains Wilderness, March 12, 8 miles. Learn more here.

GetBackpacking! Intro to Backpacking. Our three-part class — including a gear session via Zoom, a 5-hour in-field training session, and a weekend graduation trip — will turn you from nervous novice to competent, confident backcountry explorer in time for the spring backpacking season. Our spring session starts Feb. 23; learn more and sign up here if you live in North Carolina, here if you’re in Virginia.

GetHiking! Weekend Escape to Jones Lake State Park. Give your hiking legs some pre-spring training with this 15-mile weekend on trail at Jones Lake, Turnbull State Educational Forest and Bay Tree Lake State Natural Area. Learn more and sign up here.

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