Happy New Year

I hope your year is filled with hikes to new places and old, that your knees stay healthy and your head is filled with wonder.

About a decade ago I wrote this list of rules for hiking. It still works.

• Stay positive, you are more than halfway to somewhere.
• Bring extra water.
• Wear good boots that fit properly.
• Hike when you can, don’t wait for good conditions.
• Smile and say hello to people on the trail. This is a community of strangers.
• Getting to the peak is not mandatory, getting back to the trailhead is mandatory.
• Enjoy the journey, the destination is a bonus.
• Hiking is not climbing, climbing is not hiking.
• Avoid littering. Pick up litter on your way back to the trail head.
• Don’t cut the switchbacks.
• Stop and enjoy the view.