Everything You Need to Know Before Your First Hike!
Beginner’s Guide to Hiking
Hey! It’s DD. One of my friends posted on facebook this week looking for hiking advice, (KATAHDIN- super ambitious!! We also wrote a beginner’s guide to that as well. Read that here. ) and I immediately messaged her to share with her my Google Sheets lists, as well as many beginner’s tips. Then – a lightbulb went off. “Maybe there are other people out there who would like to gain that knowledge??” So, here’s my Beginner’s Guide to Hiking!
Willow and I are crazy list makers – which works out to our benefit in times like these. Willow was raised in the mountains, so she has experience hiking from an early age. I am from Florida, so my hiking experience was limited to hiking a few hills in Arkansas during some summers there. (and I loved it!) but there’s not much to hike in Florida, so I was a beginner once I got to Maine. Katahdin was actually one of my first hikes – I wouldn’t recommend doing that. It was part of my “Do one thing each birthday that scares you” mission. Fortunately, I went with a group that prepared me and had the things I had forgotten. I did make all of the rookie mistakes – so I’m here to help you NOT make the same mistakes I did and look like an experienced hiker – even if you’re not!
So - You Want To Hike a Mountain! Where Do You Start?
Start training.
Climbing mountains is no joke – and Katahdin takes a lot of upper and lower body strength. The step climber at the gym is always a good place to start. No gym membership? No problem! Start with a series of run/walk intervals, with push- ups, lunges, and squats in between. Climbing Katahdin is an 8 – 10 hour journey – you’ll need strength and endurance!
Find smaller hikes to begin with.
Do an hour hike, then build up. Eventually, you’ll be winter hikers like us!! (haha – well – after a few years.) Here are a few you can do in our area – Bald Mountain, Acadia Mountain, Beech Mountain, Tunk Mountain, Black Mountain, Mount Waldo, Maiden’s Cliff, Mount Megunticook…..the list goes on!
Find a guide.
Not necessarily a Registered Maine Guide, but a friend with some experience. Go on small hikes with them. Looking for a group hike? Send us an email. LoveMaineAdventures@gmail.com, or a facebook message, or an IG message. We’ll coordinate something.
Go shopping
Unless you have a hiker in the family – you’ll need more than just what you have laying around the house. No clue where to start? We’ve got your back!
Check out our Beginner’s Guides!
ok! Now you’re official. Time to start planning. Yay! and share your posts/stories with us by using #lovemaineadventures on social! Or PM us 🙂
