Fall Hiking Tips

The Midwestern region of the world serves up some pretty hot and humid temperatures during the summer, so fall is generally the best time of the year to go hiking. The fall season can be fickle though on temperatures, so you might want to keep tabs on the weather report to find out what the lows are and if rain is coming. Hiking is a great way to get in shape with all of the climbing and walking up and down low and high grades.

My first tip is to start with a good pair of trail hikers, or hiking boots. My personal recommendation is two pairs of shoes I use. I have a pair of All Terrain New Balance shoes that I use as running/walking shoes. This shoe is phenomenal because it has a well hidden roller bar to keep your ankle from turning out when you walk, "Abzorb" technology in the heel for shock absorption, and interesting ridges called "Rock Stop". These are great because it will keep those pesky rocks from getting into the sole of your shoe and making it painful to walk. Just be sure you keep a look out for rocks that are overly large because if you step on them and twist your ankle that will really ruin your hike!

The hiking boots I use are made by Cabela's and are 100% Gortex. They protect you from water and other elements, so if you like hiking in the rain, no problem! Rich and I love taking a walk in the rain, it's very romantic but in the fall be cautious of the temperatures or you will catch a cold! Having the proper shoes to hike in or the best boots can be everything. The joy of hiking is knowing you don't have to stop because of discomfort or pain, and also to dump water out of your boots. For the New Balance shoes I recommend going to Bob Roncker's over in Glendale, Ohio. You can also check out the New Balance store in O'Bryanville.

The second tip I have, is about your conditioning. If you aren't used to working out or you don't hike much, you will want to start by walking at the park where you can walk a trail that has a few grades in it to get you adjusted to the incline. I would highly suggest that you walk a track like this for about one week then move up to a half mile hiking trail. Once you have nailed the half mile trail, you can move up to the one mile, one and a half mile and two miles. At the Germantown Metropark, we have half mile trails going up to the five mile trails. I would also suggest that if you have a treadmill that has an adjustable incline, that is also a great way to help prepare yourself for a hiking excursion. The only thing about treadmills is that you have no scenery to enjoy. Hiking in the fall gives you gorgeous colors to look at, and light breezes that create the peaceful rustling of leaves.

The third tip I have is for family hiking trips. If you have small children, start small! Take them for walks regularly especially to walk the dog if you have one. That will get their little legs used to the idea of walking. Hiking can be fun and you can hold their interest by having them collect leaves as you go, and by having them pick up rocks as you go. You can turn this into a fun craft project for later by dipping the leaves in paraffin and helping the children put them into a book. You can go to the local toy store and get a rock tumbler with the special tools to tumble the rocks into new shiny objects. They will have a lot of fun with their new adventures in the woods. So, with that being said, get yourself some good trail shoes, and happy trails to you.