Hikers and Non-hikers

[Jim]

In an effort to breathe some life into the forum while I sip coffee pre-hike this morning, I started thinking about the differences between hikers, and those that don't hike.

Over the years, I have a had a number of people learn I like hiking, who want to join me, but then back out when they learn what I do. Some have gone so far as to almost make fun of it, which I see as defensive on their part. Because, a 10 mile 4,000' hike could never be fun, and I must be crazy to do it. Then, there are those who actually seem to believe hiking is dangerous, and should never be done alone, even with trails, cell reception, and so on. Clearly, I'm going to die while hiking Humphrey's Peak, or Mount Kimball, because my femur is a delicate bone and mountain lions are just waiting behind rocks to maul me. Lol. Plus, I will certainly dehydrate, or be burned alive by the sun, should I do it in summer.

On another website, the consensus, was clear: hiking makes you fat. Yes, really. First, the primary posters automatically assume backpacking is the only brand of hiking, and because this usually means backpack food, that means high carb intake, and therefore, when you don't hike you get fat, and so by extension, hikers are all fat. I don't know, it was weird, but clearly, these are not people who are aware of the members of HAZ.

Some of the more accomplished members here do other activities which verges more on mountaineering or scrambling, Joe and Todd's recent trip to the KOFA comes to mind. There is an other area people who do not participate have vast and strange ideas about. Climbing websites are full of people who mention them, but essentially, once again, death is near and almost certain.

I don't understand much of the negative views, as I know people who run marathons, or do other things I would never be interested in, but I don't criticize them for doing so. However, I do not really ever see or hear people criticize or have nearly as many misconceptions about runners, or gym weightlifters, or boat paddlers. Not sure why. Maybe it is just because I am not one of them, and so I don't have people tell me how I will drown, or be crushed, or pass out at 55 and die from A-Fib due to a life of high intensity long distance cardio. OK, there actually is a real risk of that one if you do high intensity cardio, but that wasn't supposed to be the point. Anyway, it's just one of those things, and I don't understand it.

[JasonCleghorn]

I hike to get away from annoying people that ask me why I hike.

I hike to get away from people.

[CannondaleKid]

I hike to get away from annoying people that ask me why I hike.

Good thing nobody here asks you why you hike... ;)

[azbackpackr]

@Alston Neal
Why do you hike?

[Alston_Neal]

@Alston Neal
Why do you hike?

To breathe clean air, clear my head, wash a weeks worth of people out of my system, see cool schitt, improve my physical well being and most importantly eat Mexican food guilt free.

[big_load]

I hike to get away from annoying people that ask me why I hike.

I hike to get away from people.

I hike extra fast to get away from the people I'm hiking with. (At least that's what Mrs. big_load says.)

[CannondaleKid]

I hike extra fast to get away from the people I'm hiking with. (At least that's what Mrs. big_load says.)

Sounds you're trying to get away from her... [-X
Hope that's not the case... ;)

[big_load]

I hike extra fast to get away from the people I'm hiking with. (At least that's what Mrs. big_load says.)

Sounds you're trying to get away from her... [-X
Hope that's not the case... ;)

I often give her the lead so she has nothing to complain about but the distance. When I'm ahead and slow to her pace, she slows even more than I do. She's conditioned to assume that whatever speed I choose is too fast.

ETA: She also says that I can't enjoy anything but a death march, but on the other hand, she is a real hiker and she doesn't mind a little scrambling to get somewhere interesting.

[The_Eagle]

@Alston Neal
So why do you hike?

[azbackpackr]

@The Eagle
I already asked him that!! He came up with some blather about clean air. He said nothing about...oh, never mind.