Seriously, I hope you’ve had your trail footwear on lately to explore and wander.

I had a weird thing happen to me on a recent hike that I’d love to have you chime in on.

I had just settled down with a snack after hiking several miles up to an alpine lake. I kept company with a mama duck and her bobbing babies, enjoyed loud frog gossip, had a fly over by a bird of prey (too fast to i.d.). Ah, heaven!

And then they arrived: 2 young women, chatting and snapping photos.

What they did next was a first in my world: stripped, splashed around for half a second, stood up and started posing, preening, tossing hair around ... you get the buck naked idea.

Here’s some context. This lake is in a national park. It’s not an easy trail to the lake, definitely not the most popular one around, but on the short-ish side (I planned to keep going up to two more lakes).

The day was sunny but mild (maybe 60F?). Definitely not "I must cool off immediately" weather.

There was a plainly visible social trail all around the lake, with plenty of opportunity for privacy.

It all got to be a bit much: the noise, the posing, the absolute disregard for anyone else’s enjoyment of the serene lake (including its inhabitants - poor mama duck!!). I packed up and got back on the trail to my blissfully quiet next destination.

So here’s where I need your input. Have you experienced this level of claiming a public space for private intentions? Is this entitlement, or something else?

Kinda rocked my little well mannered hiking world...

Okay, now on to this month's hiking news!

INSPIRING HIKING WOMEN

Here's the wisdom two women offer you in response to three questions:

1. How do you describe yourself as a hiker?

2. Where are you headed this year to spend time in the outdoors?

3. What is your number one tip for happy trails?

Maria Stattel

2. Upcoming adventures: I'm heading to Olympic National Park (WA State) to do some mountain and beach hiking, Dolly Sods in West Virginia for a long weekend, and the Dominican Republic to hike its three tall peaks.

I'm also heading for some backcountry in Banff and day hikes in Yoho, Glacier, and Kootenay National Parks in Canada.

3. Best tip: Be prepared and make sure your hiking companions are prepared. It's not enjoyable for anyone if one of the group has taken on more than they anticipated so they are not enjoying the hike, and if they are struggling, it becomes dangerous.

Sue, White Salmon WA

Several years ago, I began participating in the Cascades Pika Watch citizen science program by hiking trails where the adorable pikas live and then conducting a sit survey at assigned GPS coordinates. I enjoy having a purpose and find that I am more engaged in the present moment when I am on trails. 

2. Where headed: At the end of June, I am headed to Ireland for a 10-day group walking tour, visiting historical and cultural sites. In October, I am planning to visit Utah and do day hikes.

3. Best advice: Be as prepared as possible: research the trail, know the weather conditions, know basic first-aid, carry extra food and clothing, bring paper maps, and always let family/partners know where I will be. As a woman who often hikes solo, I pay attention to my surroundings from the trailhead parking lot through my entire hike.

An aside from me: Sue has a Substack packed full of useful and entertaining information. Check it out! For the Love of Nature

Your turn!

You can be an inspiration in the July/August newsletter, your answers to 3 easy questions is all it takes.

Hit reply to send your answers, and thanks for contributing to our hiking community!

HIKING RESOURCES

The study using spatiotemporal data via trail cameras noted that 16 of the 22 species observed altered their behaviors to avoid humans. And this was with a small amount of data.

So our presence impacts animal behavior in a profound way. That’s why staying on trail, leashing dogs, and leaving no trace matters.

There was a bit of good news. Two species that can tolerate us? Red foxes and mule deer were spotted often in high use areas.

Hikers and animal behavior

Backpacker's Pantry Celebrates 75 Years

I do, and have written several reviews, I'll link to one of them below.

What I love about this company is that it was started by a Girl Scout leader named Anne Benedict. She hated lugging back a sack of empty cans after her backpacking trips with the girls, so she started dehydrating food in her garage way back before that was a thing.

The original name Dri-Lite Foods was rebranded in 1972 when Ron Smith started adding freeze dried food into the mix to extend shelf life while improving the nutritional value.

Now read why I personally rely on this backpacking food:

Backpackers Pantry freeze dried food review

What kind of hiker are you?

It was fascinating to see the four categories the hiking tourists fell into: “mental refreshment seekers”, “social hikers”, “challenge seekers”, and “general purpose hikers”.

A snarky aside: Is that last category the equivalent of a multitool or Swiss Army knife?

Which hiker category describes you? Read the article for more details:

What motivates hikers

Looking back through the Hiking For Her archives, I realized that I had written two articles on this topic.

Types of Hikers: Which One(s) Are You?

6 Types of Hikers

You made it!

I'm humbled that you make time for this little newsletter and I will continue to share only the best hiking tips and resources with you.

Because who has time for stale hiking tips?

Diane a.k.a. Only Fresh Stuff Hiker

diane@hiking-for-her.com

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