Hiking is a great way to escape the rat race, get out in
nature and leave the stress of the world behind. Alas, your hiking experiences
can fade with time. The best way to prevent this is to keep a hiking journal.
Hiking Journals
Take a minute to give some consideration to your most recent
hiking experience. What sticks out in your mind? Who did you go with and were
there any incredible views? Now think about the first time you ever went
hiking. Undoubtedly, you remember a few things about the geography, people you
went with and the particular hiking routes. The experiences you’ve forgotten
are lost to time. If you keep a hiking journal, this won’t be the case.
There are famous instances of people keeping journals
throughout time. Of course, Anne Frank’s Diary is the best example. In her
diary, Anne kept a running commentary of the two years her family spent hiding
from the Nazis. While your hiking experiences better be more light-hearted,
keeping a journal will let you remember them as the years pass.
A good hiking journal combines a number of characteristics.
First, it should be compact so you don’t have to lug extra weight around.
Second, it should have a case to protect it from the elements. Third, the
journal should contain blank areas to write your notes. Fourth, the journal
should contain cue spaces to remind you to keep notes on specific things. Cues
should include:
1. Who you went hiking with,
2. The length and difficulty of the hike,
3. Who you met and contact information for them,
4. The weather conditions,
5. Any unique things that occurred while hiking,
6. The routes you took on the hikes and alternatives you
might want to try later.
7. Unique information about the particular hiking trail, and
8. Any inside information provided by locals or other
climbers you met.
At the end of the hike, you should be able to get the
following from your journal:
1. Contact information for other hikers you met,
2. Enough detail to provide you or a friend with a guide if
you or they hike the location a second time.
3. Memories to reflect upon years later, and
4. Something to pass on to your friends, children and
grandchildren.
To get the most out of your hiking journal, you should write
in it just before you start, during breaks such as lunch and when you return.
It is always interesting to see the different impressions you have before and
after a hike as well as your mood changes as the hike progresses. On a
miserable rainy day in winter, the journal will make for good reading
Hiking is a great way to commune with nature and spend a
weekend. Make sure to preserve the experience with your hiking journal.
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