HikeArizona.COM

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.

I get this response all the time from people, "why would anybody what to walk 6 miles and back."

I had to explain myself a lot when I was online dating last year. Luckily met a woman who had always wanted to go hiking but didn't really know how to get started.

Finally just told potential dates that unlike other middle aged guys I don't play golf or waste weekends watching sports at a bar. Instead I head outside and hike. Sometimes it's risky, sometimes it's not, but I come back with some good pics and an interesting story or two. Then have to explain why I have pictures of beer cans taken at the top of peaks.

SpiderLegs wrote:Then have to explain why I have pictures of beer cans taken at the top of peaks.

I have several of those but I'm most always holding the beer when the picture is taken. My wife, bless her heart, has never asked for an explanation; she understands. :kf:

P.S. Really surprised there isn't a beer mug or "Here's to you" type smiley.

@rcorfman

Our second date involved a tiny climb up to a local peak. Then I pulled out two beers for us to share while we got to know each other. Problem solved. Now she's the one always taking pictures of beer cans on tops of peaks to put on Facebook.

Jim_H wrote:I do not really ever see or hear people criticize or have nearly as many misconceptions about runners

Umm, clearly you are not a runner, or you would see/hear a lot more criticism/misconceptions being thrown around. What cracks me up, though, is that the critiques about running are often from other active folks in a different "genre"--hard-core cyclists (cough, cough).

As for me, I run a lot, cycle some, and hike as well. Unlike running and biking, though, which for me are more exercise oriented and often solitary pursuits, hiking for me is almost purely recreational and relationship-oriented. There are lots of ways to "see" cool places--something you only need a computer and Google to do. But, hiking allows you to "experience" places, which is a whole 'nother thing altogether in my book. And for me, experiencing places with my family and friends on the trail is an investment that has paid back much higher dividends than almost any other type of activity I've done with them.

ddgrunning wrote:

Jim_H wrote:I do not really ever see or hear people criticize or have nearly as many misconceptions about runners

Umm, clearly you are not a runner, or you would see/hear a lot more criticism/misconceptions being thrown around. What cracks me up, though, is that the critiques about running are often from other active folks in a different "genre"--hard-core cyclists (cough, cough).

This is true. I do not enjoy running. I wonder, do people who neither hike, bike, or do other outdoor sports or activites, make the same statements about people dying, getting lost, killed by wildlife, and so on, towards runners and running, as they have at least to me, about hiking?

here's what I get:
you hike on south mountain by yourself?
aren't you afraid of snakes?

i'll show some of my photos to co-workers during down time at work, and they seem to get it
a few of them even hike

Through the years, I found many people I met who claimed to hike didn't. They merely like the idea of it. Others hadn't hiked in months, or over a year, but counted it as an activity they enjoyed. I guess. Many express desire, but are put off by what it really is, at least how some people like me do it.

In Phoenix, which is a little different from every other place I hiked, there are a lot of people out on the trails. Especially the exercise hills, which is fine. However, many people see hiking only as doing Camelback or other similar hikes, and balk at bigger things, or longer hikes. Then are those high-fiving each other on the local summits and talking selfies....

I guess I've been lucky. People ask me the usual questions about fearing animals, accidents, getting lost, etc, and they often express doubts about whether hiking would be fun for them, but everyone seems to understand with little convincing why it's fun for me.

I had a coworker vehemently attempt to convince me that a Humphrey hike, even though done as many times as I did it, would result in my death if done alone, back in October!

Jim_H wrote:This is true. I do not enjoy running. I wonder, do people who neither hike, bike, or do other outdoor sports or activites, make the same statements about people dying, getting lost, killed by wildlife, and so on, towards runners and running, as they have at least to me, about hiking?

Well, I know they do about cycling. For about 20 years of my life that's about all I did. Plenty of non-cyclists seemed to think I would die riding across town. I've ridden across time plenty of times yet I'm still alive.

Heck, one time I showed up for a ride and forgot my helmet so I road without it, something I'd done probably over a thousand times before. One rider asked me if I was afraid I might crash and die. So I guess the fears aren't even isolated to people outside the activity.

For hiking, I do get asked if I carry a gun a lot. Then told I better when I say no since there are a lot of mean mountain lions to worry about.

Jim_H wrote:I had a coworker vehemently attempt to convince me that a Humphrey hike, even though done as many times as I did it, would result in my death if done alone, back in October!

Did your coworker volunteer to come along and prevent your demise? People don't give me too much trouble, but I'm known for charting my own course without evident disaster.

I've been told about bears, snakes, mountain lions, etc. I always have to stress that I'm legitimately more concerned about someone breaking into my vehicle while I'm out, or seeing other people on the trail.

I've even been told it's creepy to hike alone. Evidently when I said, "I'm going to 'hike,'" they heard, "I"m going to a 'high school.'"

Some people are denser and more judgemental than others. I hope those same people enjoy being boring and entirely too dependent on others to see the world. More for us.

Patrick L wrote:Some people are denser and more judgemental than others. I hope those same people enjoy being boring and entirely too dependent on others to see the world. More for us.

Hahahaha! Love this comment!

I'm running into a lot more females who not only day hike alone, but backpack, car camp, travel the world, etc. It's great to venture out on your own as I have, after having been married for 30 years. Of course, I was no scaredy-cat before, but over the past 5 years of singledom have gotten a lot more comfortable with myself while camping alone. (Oooh, it's dark! )

As for Jims' original topic, it's like water off a duck's back. I must hear a hundred times a year "Aren't you afraid of snakes?" or "...of getting lost?" etc. etc. Yes, a lot of people see on TV and movies all the wonders of hiking, ("A Walk in the Woods," "Wild," etc.) so they get the idea that it's a cool thing to do. But they only give it lip service.

I have a co-worker who is built like a tank, works out at the gym every day, really strong guy, but when I told him I hiked six miles on Saturday (on flat ground) he was all agape. Go figger.

I notice a lot of women my age and older (and sadly, so many of the younger ones, too) behave like little orbiting satellites to their husbands, even in these more liberated days. And no one is making them act that way, no law, no current social restrictions, probably not even the husband himself! But yet they still act that way. Arrrrgh! There are so many of them who won't do anything without the hubby.

However, I seem to attract friends who, if married, ARE willing to go backpacking or multiday kayaking or run down Grand Canyon in a raft WITHOUT the spouse in tow. If the spouse doesn't want to go, so be it. You want to go, so you go. And they never ask me if there are snakes.

Jim_H wrote:Through the years, I found many people I met who claimed to hike didn't. They merely like the idea of it. Others hadn't hiked in months, or over a year, but counted it as an activity they enjoyed. I guess. Many express desire, but are put off by what it really is, at least how some people like me do it.

In Phoenix, which is a little different from every other place I hiked, there are a lot of people out on the trails. Especially the exercise hills, which is fine. However, many people see hiking only as doing Camelback or other similar hikes, and balk at bigger things, or longer hikes. Then are those high-fiving each other on the local summits and talking selfies....

I follow a few people on Instagram that hike all the time, but only Camelback. It's crazy, to me. I abhor Camelback. I can moderately tolerate Piestewa, I can't tolerate Camelback.

@Jason Cleghorn
Some of them may wake up someday and want to try other places, and they'll have the legs for it. However, they may not even have learned any hiker etiquette at all (such as not having audible music, giving uphill right-of-way, trash disposal, etc.) if they do venture out somewhere else.

Karl and I met online....we both listed "hiking" as one of our likes. It didn't take long to learn we were talking about two very different activities! I took Karl on his first trip up the Cholla Trail...and he pretty much showed me there is more to Arizona than Camelback! Sometimes, we just don't know there is more to hiking than a hill two miles away!

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