What does a single person do on Valentine’s Day? I recommend a hike.
Nothing is better than getting away from all the happy couples and love, so just walk up a mountain and look at trees. The fresh air and cold breeze are peak conditions for your brain. With endorphins rushing through you, you will begin to realize how much money you’re saving by avoiding having a significant other.
The aspect I truly love about hiking is the calm presence of wildlife. There’s nothing more freeing than walking in nature with no worries about work or school.
A lot of people say hikes are boring or pointless. I see it as more of an experience and less of something you just do with your family in the mountains. When you really are able to sink into nature, with no technology, you are able to notice things about life and yourself that may have truly passed you by.
On the snow weekend in January, I went on a quick “hike” through the woods. It was more of a walk to no place in particular, but I felt freedom in the fact that I had nothing to do that day besides just walk. I brought a snowboard that I had made by taking the wheels off a skateboard and putting on some jerry-rigged boot straps.
I had walked about a mile when I realized that my phone was dead. I wasn’t 100 percent sure where I was, but in the snow, all I had to do was follow my tracks to get back, so I wasn’t worried.
On the way back I looked at my footprints and noticed a second pair. They were little paw prints. I’m no tracker, but they looked like fox prints to me. I started following them with whole hearted confidence in my ability to find the fox.
Normally I wouldn’t really be interested but with no phone and no plans I was really intrigued by this fox. After searching for far too long I gave up and followed my footprints back, but I didn’t regret any of it.
I felt fulfilled even without finding the fox. Just walking and enjoying the nature allowed for me to gain a feeling of fulfillment.
Hiking doesn’t just make you “feel” good. It’s also great for your physical health. According to the National Park Service, hiking strengthens your muscles and bones, improves your sense of balance, improves your heart health and decreases your risk of respiratory problems. Cortisol levels are also shown to decrease by 13.5 percent in hikers.
Despite that, hiking can also be dangerous. One in every 25,000 hikers die due to accidents encountered in hikes. This could be from encountering dangerous wildlife or falling. I’ve seen bears on hikes and just driving through mountainous areas, but knowing how to handle it could be the difference between life or death. A calming hike can always lead to something thrilling.
When I was 12, I was on a hike in Boone that led to a small waterfall my dad knew about, and about halfway there, we reached the stream that led into the waterfall. I decided to go and try and get in the water, but I slipped and fell on a rock. I was about half a foot away from breaking my head open. It definitely freaked my dad out but I thought it was funny. He still has never let me near a wet rock.
Supporting hiking is good for nature too. Many hiking trails are located in national parks. This secures the land and makes sure that it will be protected. If you go on hikes and keep the national parks busy, we will be able to help conserve the most beautiful parts of American nature.
Hiking does not have to be a boring family activity or a lame way to pass the time. It can be a fun way to get to know yourself better and increase your mental and physical health, while also helping the environment.
