It seems like I remember someone here being into hiking -- nelie, maybe? Anyway, it's something I've always thought I would enjoy if I ever got into shape enough to do it. Now that I'm pretty serious about my running, I've kind of focused primarily on that and haven't thought as much about the many other things I could do. I don't know if hiking would be the greatest crosstraining activity for a runner, but it certainly would make my legs stronger, right? I'd be far more prepared for my hilly runs! Also, I just love the idea of hiking.

So...anyone else into it? Any tips for a beginner? I have this fear of getting lost in the woods and never making it out! I get lost on the way to my car in the Walmart parking lot, after all. I grew up in the mountains of Virginia, though, and I remember loving exploring some quite hilly areas with my siblings and friends. It wasn't hiking, exactly, but it instilled in me a bit of interest in hiking.

My husband has expressed interest in the past as well, and I like the idea of something we could do together, since we'll never be able to run together as he's Speedy McQuickness.

Experienced hikers, share your knowledge, please!

I LOVE hiking! And I live in Virginia as well and love the hiking trails here! I love spending the weekend hiking in the Appalacchian Mountains. I have hiked throughout Washington National Park, Shenandoah National Park, and Harpers Ferry. The great thing about hiking in the mountains is that you spend the first half hiking uphill to the top of the mountain, which is so invigorating. Then, you're rewarded with a spectacular view at the top. Then, the way back down is a nice relaxing cool-down. I will generally hike 15-20 miles a day when I can and have a good hiking companion. It's really inspiring hiking the Appalacchians in the summer, because you come across all those people making the full hike from Georgia to Maine.

I'm also a runner and find it to be an excellent complement to running, that really works out a good range of muscles and is quite fun and relaxing as well.

Yay! It's so good to hear from you! I grew up in the Appalachian mountains, and now I live between Richmond and Charlottesville. I have more questions for you! How did you get started, and how do you find out about trails and things? I honestly wouldn't know where to go (which is probably a shame since I'm a mountain girl!) What kind of equipment did you start with? What kind of shoes do you hike in?

Thanks for responding, by the way!

Most National Parks have visitors centers or ranger stations that provide maps and charts and lists of hiking trails with descriptions. The trails range from easy, level hikes of a couple miles to rigorous steep 20-mile or more trails. My mom is an ecologist and a big hiker, so she got me into hiking as a kid. When I don't have my daughter with me, I can hike really long trails. However, when I have my daughter, who is three, she can only hike a couple miles, so we either do short hikes or I put her in the backpack (and it's harder to hike with a 50-pound child in my backpack). I have hiking boots that I use sometimes, but I also will sometimes hike with my Nike tennis shoes that I use for jogging. You really don't need any special equipment for shorter hikes. However, some people hike with poles, particularly people doing long-term hikes (like the six month hike of the full Appalachian Trail). I think the poles are more commonly used for older people or people with trouble balancing. If you're just getting into hiking in the area, Harpers Ferry is a beautiful place to hike with a good mix of both easy and difficult trails and beautiful views!

I am a hiker! I'm away from CO for most of the summer, but the Appalachian Trail is only a few hours away so I will be hitting that up at some point- it's on my list of things to do before I die so I can't very well live in Nashville for the summer without going!

If you are new to hiking and will be exploring new terrain, always hike with a buddy. Look up your local parks online and print out maps. Don't be afraid to talk to the rangers to get an idea of the terrain- they usually have some great tips! Also, hikers love to share and I have found that just doing general searches online turns up nice websites that will include trail length, level of difficulty, crowds, etc...

I grew up in the middle of the Rockies and when I was looking for trails near Denver when I moved, doing online searches was actually the most helpful (I would search "hiking trails near Denver....")

Make sure you have some decent shoes- you are looking for ankle support and good traction. You can accomplish this without spending a fortune, but be sure you break them in before you take a long hike if you get new ones.

Common mistakes I've made hiking:
- not bringing water when I though I would only be out for an hour (it got very hot!). Never ever ever ever forget water.
-forgetting sunblock
-hiking by myself and not paying close enough attention to my surroundings and wandering off trail.
-getting ahead of myself and hiking until I was tired and forgetting that I needed energy to get back!

Kinda rookie mistakes for a girl that has been hiking since she was old enough to walk, but we all have to learn somehow...

Me me me!! Do you live near Northern Virginia? Billy Goat's A, B and C on the Maryland side of the Potomac are nice hikes. So is Shenandoah.

Decent shoes are a must. I recommend a small backpack filled with healthy snacks and water. A little toilet paper or tissue is also a smart idea. Check out the "50 hikes in ...." book series, its awesome. Always get a map of the general area. I would recommend trying to find a buddy. A compass is cheap and can be helpful.

My recommendation is start with smaller hikes. 1-2 miles and see how well those go. Changes in elevations can be killer at first

I think baby carrots and a gallon of water is the best way to go for bringing hiking snacks! They're refreshing and filling and really provide energy for the hike.

I actually prefer good protein and carbs. Nuts are good and portable. I take a thing of nuts with a few raisins in it. I usually make some peanut butter sandwiches on whole wheat as well. I'll also take some bars like the TLC Kashi bars.

I agree. I try not to take things that can get yucky hanging out in my backpack. I like homemade trailmixes, crackers, an apple, and the bars that you have mentioned. I will bring a sandwich if we are doing a day hike, though.

And remember- don't leave anything but footprints

Hiking is great fun--and a very friendly activity for novices.

I second the recommendation for the "50 Hikes..." books. Those can be very handy, and the internet is always good for finding trails. Try the national and state parks pages. There's a pay site called trails.com that has some great info too.

There's no reason to be intimidated by hiking at all. Just wear sturdy shoes and sunscreen and pack some snacks and water and head off into the woods.

We once saw a mama bear with her cubs on the Appalachian trail at the PA/NJ border. It was very cool

I actually saw a deer give birth! I've seen a black bear as well as well as various wild life.

Thank you so much for all these enthusiastic responses!! This has solidified my interest in hiking, and I plan to start soon! I'm going to my hometown on Friday to stay for a week, and I hope to do a short hike somewhere down there. Lots of lovely little mountains and hills, so I should be able to find something. I just read about the Stone Mountain Trail in Big Stone Gap (which is very near my hometown), so that's a possibility. And my brother and my husband often bike the Creeper Trail in the Bristol/Abingdon area, so I may talk them into hiking part of it with me instead. I'm off all summer, unless I find a part-time gig until school starts back up, so I should have plenty of time to get started. I think it'll be a fun activity for me as I love being outdoors now that I'm fit enough to enjoy it, and my legs have always been the strongest part of me (especially now, because of my running). Tomorrow I plan to run some hilly trails at a local park. Woohoo!

Thanks again. We should start a hiking thread and talk about it more often!

Another hiker here! Hiking is fantastic exercise, especially if you work up to difficult hikes that include climbing to work your upper body at the same time. General hiking though is awesome for your butt and the muscles in the upper half of your legs (front and back) because of uneven terrain and hills, it's kind of in between cardio and lifting weights, you're working your muscles a little more strenuously than if you were jogging or walking, but you're still working up a sweat and raising your heart rate so you get those cardio benefits.

I'm in Arizona and I do a lot of hiking in the phoenix mountains preserve. One thing that they tell us here (because of extreme heat) is to eat salty foods and drink lots of water, the salty foods make you retain water so there's less chance of becoming dehydrated, I usually choose beef jerky and mixed nuts.

Do a general internet search for local hiking guides (if there's anyone in my area I'd suggest www.hikeaz.com and start out on heavily used trails, they will be marked better than the obscure ones.

As far as equipment goes I use trail running shoes because I go between traditional hiking and trail running so I need a hiking shoe and running shoe in one. HERE is a good article that introduces you to some of the best/favorite trail shoes. I personally use a pair of Adidas Supernova Trail Runners (so comfortable and supportive). But you don't need special shoes to start out, your sneakers should be just fine in the beginning. When I'm going on an extensive hike I bring a very small backpack for water, snacks, first aid, etc. When I go trail running it's usually for not more than an hour so I don't bring supplies, they usually just hinder me.

Just get out there and have fun in nature, hiking is one of the best forms of exercise out there in my opinion!

Another hiker here! I sadly live in a city now and I've been kind of striking out in terms of finding public transportation to the mountains- but I still have hope!

I've hiked all over the country with my family and I grew up a half an hour or so south of the south end of the Appalachian Trail and loved it. Definitely go with a buddy and go on well marked trails. I think people on here have given you some good ideas as to where to go, but at first just look for shorter hikes. I personally like finding hikes that lead to somewhere you can swim (especially mountain rivers- so clean!). Even if you don't swim, it's nice and refreshing to relax at the end of a trail by some water.

Make sure you bring lots of water, healthy snacks (even on short hikes, my family would pack a "lunch" for each person, just in case), maps, sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, bug spray, and the correct shoes. On most easy trails, you can easily get away with tennis shoes, but if you're like me and are balance challenged, high tops boots are the best straight off.. My dad still hikes pretty rough trails in tennis shoes, but that's another story. :P Once you hit steeper inclines and rougher trails, it will be necessary to get a sturdy pair of hiking boots so if you know you're going to be serious, you might look into getting that. Also, ALWAYS tell people where you're going- even if you're going with a buddy, and bring flashlights. You just don't know what could happen and should always be prepared.

No matter how long you plan your hike to be, make sure you check the weather. Weather can change fast and it's best to be prepared. Personally, I won't hike in low visibility such as rain or dense fog because I definitely am the type of person to just wander right off of a trail.

I definitely recommend making a $15 to $20 investment in a hiking guide for your area. A good guide will give a description of the trail, the length of the trail, elevation gain, and the difficulty level. Start out with hikes that are rated "easy", short (1 to 2 miles), and relatively flat (less than 500 ft change in elevation). See how you do with that and then you can try more challenging hikes. The descriptions in the guide will help you find hikes that are interesting to you, will give you valuable directions to the trailhead, and will give you directions for the actual hike (in case it's not so well-marked).

You can do short, easy hikes in gym shoes. For anything a little more challenging, you might want to invest in a pair of hiking boots. I got my boots for around $25 at a sporting goods store and they've served me very well; if you are just a casual hiker, you don't have to spend a fortune on your boots but it is good to have a pair.

Stay on the trail. When you hear about people getting lost and stranded for days, it is always because they went off the trail. So long as you stay on the trail, you won't get lost. Also, when you go off the trail, you destroy the fragile ecosystem.

Also, a hat and sunglasses, in addition to sunscreen, are critical. It's can also be a good idea to have a light-weight long-sleeved shirt to pull on. If it's chilly, dress in layers because you'll warm up as you hike and you may want to be able to peel some layers off. I also usually bring a hairbrush and ponytail holder, in case it is windy. We're into birds, so my SO and I also usually bring binoculars and our bird book.

I also always bring an extra thermos of cold water that I leave in the car (in addition to the bottles of water that we carry with us). There are many times when we get back to the car and are really thankful to have that extra thermos of water waiting for us.

We sometimes stop at a deli and get sandwiches to bring with us for long hikes (long for me is 5 miles). It makes for a special treat.