I’ve been hiking with the Women’s Wine Hiking Society (WWHS) since June 2022, but I’ve been a member since 2021. Why did it take me a year to get brave enough to sign up for my first hike? Because, I was afraid I’d be the slowest hiker, that everyone would judge me, that I would be exiled from the group and never allowed on another hike.
Sound familiar?
Well, I was right. On that first hike, I was the slowest hiker.
But, no one judged me. I wasn’t exiled from the group either. I’ve since been on many, many more hikes. And I’m still the slowest hiker. If I’m on your hike, you will find my rear in the rear. And you know what? I’m totally cool with that.
Does being a slow hiker mean you shouldn’t hike? Absolutely not.
Does it mean you aren’t fit enough, skinny enough, aren’t wearing the most fashionable clothing or carrying the latest gear? Absolutely not.
Those outdoor retailer ads you see–those are not reality.
Despite being slow, 30+ pounds overweight, getting very close to 50, and having no sense of fashion, I’ve hiked the Annapurna Circuit and Langtang trek in Nepal, and I walked across England on the Coast-to-Coast trail . . . slowly.
I won the 2022 WWHS Hiking Challenge . . . slowly. I’m hiking the Kalalau Trail in Kauai this May with new member ambassador Tori (she already knows I hike slow).
My point is, slow doesn’t equate to can’t, shouldn’t, not qualified, too fat, too old, or too unstylish. It certainly doesn’t mean you don’t have a place on the trail.
During introductions at the trailhead, I commonly hear first time hikers make that familiar, self-conscious statement, “Hi my name is _______, I’m from _______, and I’ll be __________ (insert: slow, the slowest, in the back) and therefore, (insert: don’t wait for me, I’m nervous, don’t judge me, don’t kick me out of the group).”
Why are we so scared of being slow hikers?
There is nothing wrong with hiking slow, unless there are weather issues or the trail is especially confusing and there’s a danger of getting lost. However, for 99% of the WWHS day hikes, there is absolutely nothing wrong with hiking slow.
Consider this:
- You’re going to get the best photos. Taking photos is always a good pretense for letting your legs take a break and your lungs stop burning. Plus, you get to share your photo of that thing everyone else missed. See #7 below.
- You drove yourself–or you have the car keys–so you’re not going to be left stranded.
- The first hikers are the ones clearing the trail cobwebs with their faces.
- Your new best friend will be the one hanging with you.
- You can put in your earbuds and really listen to that new “Flowers” song Miley wrote and imagine it’s all the things you said to your ex. OR, no earbuds and you’ll be the first one to hear the mountain lion growl, the moose stampeding, or the bear huffing.
- You won’t be alone. Someone else really wants to be hiking slow too. See #4 above.
- All the scary animals have run away, and only the cute ones come out when the crowd passes. See #1 above.
- You get to gather all the stuff people drop, and you’ll be a hero when you give it back.
- There’s lots to see in the great outdoors, and how often do you get out on the trail? Remember, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” #saveferris
- NO ONE CARES.
Hike Your Own Hike
Like Salt Lake County ambassador Karen Leonard says at the beginning of each of her hikes, “Hike your own hike.”
Sometimes I show up to a hike and have something I’m trying to process. Sometimes talking to someone helps, but sometimes having some alone time on a trail is what I need. There is nothing wrong with saying, “Hey, I’m working out some stuff and am cool hanging in the back. I’ll see you at the top.”
After all, who are you showing up for?
. . . Hopefully you said yourself. Always show up for yourself.
Lastly, I have never felt judged on any of the hikes with this group. (See #10 above.)
Notice there were no skills tests or timed trials when you signed up for this group.
That’s because the only qualification required is a desire to get out on the trail, meet some amazing women, and hike your hike!
See you on the trail! I’ll be the slow one in the back!
