Hiking Increases Your Quality of Life
Photo by Gardner Wheeler - Hikers in a Large Glacial Valley on Unsplash
Hiking in the Hills Pushes You
I'm not an advanced, technical hiker, but I've hiked in some pretty cool places, including Rocky Mountain National Forest, Zion National Park, and several places in Alaska, including along Exit Glacier on the Harding Ice Field Trail. Each of these and a few other cool places all push you in intriguing ways.
The thing I like to say is:
The mountain always wins
And, while you know you're no match for the mountain, you feel the following things as you face down the mountain:
- Your increased heart rate opens your mind and makes you feel alive
- Inclines force slow downs
- Burning thighs slow things down even further
- But, new perspectives emerge as you the elevation increases
All these things open your mind and heart to new ideas and a relaxing peace.
Hiking Humbles
A magical thing happens as you hike. The toughness pushes you into new realms and new levels of humility. You're reminded so strongly that you are so small in this vast world and even larger universe.
For me, it often happens when you're able to hike steadily enough as a mild wind hits your face. This often hits as you turn a corner or round a crest and it reminds you:
- There’s a chance you might not make it
- But, You’re alive
- Life, like walking into this wind, is hard
- But, the difficulty is part of the reward
- This Earth is huge, and you are small
- But, that's okay
Hiking Inspires
And then a most magical moment happens for me. Despite my diminutive size compared to the glory around me ... I catch a glimpe of something incredible, such as the sunset lighting the sky and illuminating the mountains and mountain peaks up to 70 miles away. This leads me to feel:
- I could reach out and touch those distant peaks
- If I'm so inspired, I must also be powerful and amazing
- And, although I am small and insignificant
- I should dare to dream and to do incredible things
Conclusion
This is one of the reasons hiking increases the quality of your life. There are others. If you've got some good experiences, hit us up on Twitter!