Jump to content

What's your idea of a hike?


cachew nut

Recommended Posts

A hike is usually defined as an extended walk for pleasure or excercise.

 

I'm often amused when I read a log on a cache page describing the trip to the cache as a hike, when the distance from parking to the cache is less than .1 mile.

 

In many cases, the walk is less distance than a stroll across a baseball field.

 

So anyway, how would you descibe a hike?

Link to comment

I think "hike" is the eye of the beholder. It really depends on if they take long walks on a semi-regualar basis that would be a mile or more. As well as what condition they are in, a short walk if you do not exercise on a regualr basis could be quite exhausitng. The conditon the trail is in will also be a factor.

Link to comment

Great question.

 

In the eye of this beholder, it's not a hike unless I'm gone for at least a half hour, and it's offroad. It may be stupid, but I don't consider walking on sidewalks or safety paths to be a hike. That's a stroll or a walk. Trails are mandatory for a hike in my mind.

 

Flat_MiGeo_B88.gif

Well the mountain was so beautiful that this guy built a mall and a pizza shack

Yeah he built an ugly city because he wanted the mountain to love him back -- Dar Williams

Link to comment

My idea of a "hike" is an all day (or multi-day) walk. Not really a "walk," either, because I usually do a lot of bush whacking, icon_eek.gif and often times I don't follow streams and ridges; I just B-line to where I want to go.

 

Don't misunderstand, I love a good rugged trail, too.

 

All of the caches I have visited have been on or near a trail. With only a couple of exceptions, I have not walked more than a mile.

 

Did I mention, my favorite hiking conditions are snow, rain and either very hot or very cold weather? And its the cat's meow when I can do it at night!

 

Call me weird, but not late for dinner. icon_rolleyes.gif

 

==============="If it feels good...do it"================

 

**(the other 9 out of 10 voices in my head say: "Don't do it.")**

 

.

Link to comment

My idea of a hike is not intended for the weak of knees. I enjoy the hike to Crosier Mtn. where I have a two caches. Or go up from the gravel pit where there is a nice cache.

 

Which was my first find and I had the pleasure of moving it for the cache owner so the county wouldn't confiscate it. And if you go all the way to the top and find this cache. And this is your view 79294_600.jpg

 

Tahosa - Dweller of Mountain Tops.

Link to comment

Its hard for me to think of a hike as being anywhere but in the woods.

 

Walking across X miles in the desert doesn't register "hike" with me. Maybe because that doesn't sound pleasant.

 

So,

1) In a wooded, pleasant area

2) Over a mile round trip

3) with a possability of getting lost, preferably a chance of dying icon_biggrin.gif

Link to comment

Hey have you noticed some of that caches that are shown as only .1 mile away, really aren't? They are as the crow flys so to speak, but by the time you get to the cache (if you stayed on trail) it ends up being a half mile to it...lol

 

We did one that said it was like .2 miles away. I looked at my GPSr when I got out of the car and it said less than 500 ft. Which route do you think I took...lol And there really was no bushwacking either..it was pretty much cleared ground under the trees with an occasion limb or plant.

 

Brian

 

As long as you're going to think anyway, think big. -Donald Trump

Link to comment

Sidewinder appears to think much the same as me. A hike is basically anything that takes over somewhere around 4 hours. For pre-planning I use the standard of 2 miles per hour average speed for rough trail or moderate route finding/bushwhacking. Add 30 minutes for each 1000 feet of elevation gain.

 

Some of the more fun, and popular dayhikes in my area ivolve round trip distances of between 15 and 20 miles, and elevation gains of between 4,000 and 7,000 feet. They tend to be the kind I find most enjoyable most of the time.

Link to comment

One of my caches is near the highest point in its county -- 1090 ft. So our hiking criteria is a little less stringent than in Utah and Washington.

 

Flat_MiGeo_B88.gif

Well the mountain was so beautiful that this guy built a mall and a pizza shack

Yeah he built an ugly city because he wanted the mountain to love him back -- Dar Williams

Link to comment

quote:
Originally posted by Woodsters Outdoors:

We did one that said it was like .2 miles away. I looked at my GPSr when I got out of the car and it said less than 500 ft. Which route do you think I took...lol And there really was no bushwacking either..it was pretty much cleared ground under the trees with an occasion limb or plant.


That's right, stay on the trail the other cachers created just so you don't have to walk and extra 528 feet.

 

texasgeocaching_sm.gif Took sun from sky, left world in eternal darkness bandbass.gif

Link to comment

I agree with most of what has been said. Pavement rules it out as a hike. It will most often involve nature, trees, hills/mountains, and hopefully a cache or two. .1 miles would not really qualify as a hike in my book, unless it involves some SERIOUS elevation gains.

 

"I'm 35 Years old, I am divorced, and I live in van down by the river!" - Matt Foley

Link to comment

wow... I guess not Dino...lol My house sits at about 500ft.. Mt Monadnock in NH, which is about 3o-45 minutes from here is at over 3000 ft...Mt Wachusett which we can see the lights of the ski slopes at night from our bedroom window is 2006 ft...

 

Brian

 

As long as you're going to think anyway, think big. -Donald Trump

Link to comment

quote:
Originally posted by SamLowrey:

Walking across X miles in the desert doesn't register "hike" with me. Maybe because that doesn't sound pleasant.


Living near the desert, I agree that when I think of hikes, the forest comes to mind, but I've been on some rather pleasant hikes in the desert. You just have to go at the right time of year, which is definitely not the summer months. The desert is rather enjoyable from October to early April.

 

5307_1000.gif

Webfoot

Veni...Vidi...Vicachi.

I came...I saw...I geocached.

Link to comment

Woodsters Outdoors said:

 

quote:
We did one that said it was like .2 miles away. I looked at my GPSr when I got out of the car and it said less than 500 ft. Which route do you think I took...lol And there really was no bushwacking either..it was pretty much cleared ground under the trees with an occasion limb or plant.


 

I always seem to get the opposite. I've many a time worked my way to well within a mile of a cache only to find out it was going to be a fair bit farther to actually get there. Here is an example of what I saw when I topped a ridge thinking I only had a short .75 miles to go. I decided not to take the straight route. I of course didn't take the trail either, as there really isn't one.

 

.75 miles to go

 

Sam Lowery said:

quote:
Walking across X miles in the desert doesn't register "hike" with me. Maybe because that doesn't sound pleasant.


 

If you're talking the deserts of Saudi Arabia, I totally agree. You really ought to get out and explore some of the deserts of Southern Utah though. Zion, Escalante, Arches, Canyonlands, the San Rafel swell etc are in my opinion some of the most scenic, and pleasant areas you'll ever find to hike in, and I've been fortunate enough to see a lot of the world thanks to 22 years in the USAF. Southern Utah can be some extremely strenuous hiking as well, and will definately qualify as having a good possability for getting lost, or dying. That area can play havoc with GPS reception more than most of the mountains and forests I've been in.

 

[This message was edited by Searching_ut on August 29, 2003 at 02:00 PM.]

Link to comment

I remember hiking in the mojave desert before...oh wait, that wasn't a hike, I was on a police chase...lol...actually plenty of them out there....no offense to those who live in that area, but there are some weirdos that live or end up out there...

 

Brian

 

As long as you're going to think anyway, think big. -Donald Trump

Link to comment

As my name indicates, I pretty know what hiking is here. I can tell you this, hiking a mile above 13,000 feet elevation will test even the best hikers. My last two cache finds stated .33 miles from the parking spot, and each one took over an hour to get to! And I am positive it was over a mile walk and several hundred feet elevation climb.

 

But simply put, a hike is a walk you enjoy!!! It doesn't matter if it is the desert, the mountains or Disneyland.

Link to comment

Hike: could be ANY distance, depends on the weather, temperature and what frame of mind I am in at the time. If I really don't feel like going out in the summer heat, then it's an excuse word: "Too much of a hike". If I am trying to persuade someone else to go caching, it's: "Not too far, just a little hike. Come on."

 

12 miles roundtrip? I think that most states require you file a change of address within 15 days.

Link to comment

quote:
Originally posted by Inmountains:

But simply put, a hike is a walk you enjoy!!! It doesn't matter if it is the desert, the mountains or Disneyland.


 

VERY well said. I agree.

 

Snicon_razz.gificon_razz.gifgans

texasgeocaching_sm.gif Sacred cows make the best hamburger....Mark Twain.

 

[This message was edited by Snoogans on August 29, 2003 at 02:18 PM.]

Link to comment

quote:
Originally posted by Dave_W6DPS:

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=88446

 

Shorter than that is a walk....

 

Dave_W6DPS

 

_My two cents worth, refunds available on request._ (US funds only)


 

didn't you know that requiring a password or clue to prove you visited a virtual cache is soon to be outlawed by the random rule happy admins? watch out your cache may be randomly and arbitrarily archived.

 

Creativity Within The Bounds Of Conformity

Link to comment

quote:
Originally posted by georapper:

 

didn't you know that requiring a password or clue to prove you visited a virtual cache is soon to be outlawed by the random rule happy admins? watch out your cache may be randomly and arbitrarily archived.


 

Huh? I think it more likely that TPTB would ban virtuals that didn't have some form of confirmation like this. The idea is that you did go to the site and (possibly using your GPSr) found the data you need to confirm you were there. You may be confused by the change to require that micros have log books and can no longer be confirmed by a password or code in the cache.

 

東西南北

Why do I always find it in the last place I look?

Link to comment

quote:
Originally posted by Webfoot:

Living near the desert, I agree that when I think of hikes, the forest comes to mind, but I've been on some rather pleasant hikes in the desert. You just have to go at the right time of year, which is definitely not the summer months. The desert is rather enjoyable from October to early April.

 


 

quote:
Originally posted by Searching_ut:

If you're talking the deserts of Saudi Arabia, I totally agree. You really ought to get out and explore some of the deserts of Southern Utah though. Zion, Escalante, Arches, Canyonlands, the San Rafel swell etc are in my opinion some of the most scenic, and pleasant areas you'll ever find to hike in, and I've been fortunate enough to see a lot of the world thanks to 22 years in the USAF. Southern Utah can be some extremely strenuous hiking as well, and will definately qualify as having a good possability for getting lost, or dying. That area can play havoc with GPS reception more than most of the mountains and forests I've been in.

 


 

Thanks for the tips.

Link to comment

On our recent vacation(actuallyit was just one long geocaching trip) we finally got in a few 'hikes' longer than the normal .1 - .2(or less) type caches usually encountered in the urban 'wilds' of the Chicago suburbs.

 

We hit about 130 caches in 13 days. Our longest 'hike' was about 9mi. roundtrip in the desert on about a 95 degree day. This one was a 'hike' for us. We really enjoyed the challenge for us city slickers. Perhaps the best part was that the next cache just up the road was placed near a hidden hot spring probably only 500 geet from Route 20 in Idaho.

A quick dip felt great after our long 'hike'.

 

We probably only encountered about a dozen caches over 2 mi. roundtrip or more. Yes, I know they are out there. I have a couple on my watch list.

 

One we didn't get to finish, but will next time was in/near/above Moab Utah. on another 90 plus day, we found parking only about .39 horizontal from the cache but approx. .2 vertical. By the time we had gone UP the trail about half the vertical distance, we found ourselves about a mile from the cache and still heading up to the rim in the opposite direction. Lightning and a private property sign(later found that while private it was ok to cross) prompted us to save this one for next year. Can't wait. Glutton for punishment I guess - or too much pent up energy from caching only the flatlands(maybe an occasional hill) of Illinois.

 

Thanks to all cache hiders in the western states and points in between for many challenging 'hikes' and caches.

Link to comment

Wow what a question. I myself find a hike anything upto an entire day and doesn't require overnight supplies and a backpack. My favorite hike which I have done a good dozen times at least is in Yosemite. Valley to top of Halfdome, 8.5 miles in, 8.5 miles out with 5000 foot elevation gain. This is about the outside of a single days event for me. My kids now 5 & 8 pull about 3-5 miles as long as the area is fun and they have food. So I am a few years off from another all day Halfdome run.

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...