Hiking is a unique mix of exercise, time outdoors, and appreciation of beautiful scenery.
There is also a sense of accomplishment when you summit the mountain, and also a shared appreciation when you hike with a friend, family member or significant other.
Here are some of the best ways to appreciate your hike to its fullest without being caught up in taking photos and thinking about what you will be doing later on.
1. Bring a camera!
Bring a camera, but only take it out when you get to the summit,unless you see an animal or something completely noteworthy on the way up.
Focusing on the physical part of your hike will help you prevent injuries, while also creating a reward for reaching the top. Nowadays, since it is so easy to take photos using our phones, we often take photos of anything and everything, even if they are not that great.
Taking a couple of amazing photos, one scenic, one selfie, at the top will save you time from sifting through a hundred photos trying to find the best one.
If you want to challenge yourself, buy a disposable camera so you can get them developed later on.
Extreme hikers can use Go Pros to capture moments without getting caught up with editing photos in the moment.
2. Create a hiking log.
Another way to creatively express each hike that you take is to document it into a hiking log. A hiking log is whatever that you make out of it.
It can be a journal, a place to store your photos, a sketch pad, or a place to press flowers and leaves. It will give you incentive to keep hiking and creating memories when you are feeling unproductive.
If you have a family or are planning on having children in the future, you can pass the hiking log down through different generations.
3. Make the most out of the workout.
If you are feeling like pushing your body to achieve an extra workout, design a workout plan before starting. If you are hiking with a friend, see if they want to join in to provide extra motivation.
Some popular hiking workouts including running up the mountain, leg lunges, yoga, and meditation after to slow your heart rate down.
Make sure that you are being safe, because it’s too easy to injure yourself on top of a mountain and hard to get help with little cell service and being far away from other people.
4. Be present.
Finally, making the most out of your hike means to be in the present. Thinking about how many likes you will get on your photos or how relieved you will feel after will only detract from many details of the hike.
I readily accept technology as necessary and inevitable, but there are a few things in life that can be kept sacred without technology intruding.
Use your hikes to practice mindfulness and appreciation of the present, especially if you are hiking with another person.
Featured Image: iStock
Reflect & Refresh 