A few Saturdays ago, I had the (soul-crushing) pleasure of joining Troy University’s Hiking Club on their first hike of the semester: a five-mile hike in William B. Bankhead national forest. We laughed, I cried, and now I’m here to tell you why you should (or shouldn’t) add more outside time to your daily life through hiking.
I am the exact opposite of a normally active person. I played e-sports and competed in theatre competitions in high school, if that gives you any insight.
However, I wanted to change this semester, and what better way than going on an outside hike on a weekend? So, I geared up, slapped on my best tennis shoes and headed to the Trojan Center to meet with the club at 5 a.m.
Pro #1: You have the chance to meet new people
I did not want to drive three and a half hours by myself, so I found a few folks carpooling and hopped in the car with them.
Now, riding in a stranger’s car for three and a half hours with two other strangers in the wee hours of the morning was terrifying, don't get me wrong. But, it was honestly the most fun part of the trip.
Talking about love lives, work, course schedules and music preferences was so interesting, since I really didn't know much about these people to begin with. Even if you don’t get back home with new friends, you get the chance to at least get to know them better.
Con #1: You can severely overestimate yourself.
Remember how I said I’m not normally an active person? Yeah, that came to bite me back once we were about 30 minutes into the hike.
When you have no concept of how long a hike will be, or considering the terrain, you can overestimate how much you're able to do. For example, I thought I could do a five-mile hike easily. I walk all the time on campus – it couldn't be that different right?
I was so wrong.
I didn’t take into consideration the fact that a) I would be trucking it to keep up with the seasoned hikers and cross-country runners I went with and b) the terrain was mostly wet rocks and mud, which did not go over well with my tennis shoes.
Some advice: walk one mile at the gym with those hiking courses they have on the machines or walk some of the trails found at the arboretum to help gauge how much you realistically can do.
Pro #2: the stunning photos and views
This is short since this is not what I go for when traveling anywhere. However, the views you’re able to see on some hikes are just gorgeous. Beautiful sunrays, waterfalls, cliffside views, etc.
Bring your phone or a camera on some of these hikes because you'll be surprised at what you might be able to shoot.
Con #2: the injuries, God the injuries
I still have bruises and cuts from this hike, as of Sept. 19, from almost two weeks ago. I fell and fell hard, a tree broke holding my weight, I accidentally and painfully slid on rocks and I had symptoms close to heat exhaustion (loss of hearing, slight dizziness, outward fever and excessive sweating).
I’m an outlier (see: not normally active person, this stupidly being my first hike with no hiking shoes) but be ready to at least come out with a few bruises or scrapes.
To be honest, this can also be a pro in my book. They are proof of me going on this hike, and I stuck it through even though I wanted to quit one-third of the way there.
Overall...
I would recommend it! Definitely go on a shorter hike for your first time and learn from my mistakes. I’ve been somewhat banned from more intense hikes like this one by our Tropolitan advisor, Professor Cooper, so you must go in my stead!
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