Serious "Daily" Hikers ?

I happen to live in backwoods mtn country, and have a very spirited young GermanShepherd dog. I just got in from a 30 minute *minimum* hike, am pretty sweaty, had to hold an umbrella the whole way because it's raining. I love, love, love rain hikes. I wondered if here on the TE, there are any other Hikers-For-Fitness? I am trying to get my bikes back into my life , road eventually, and some trail riding (where I hike), but for now, I mostly hike.

I am not sure what really defines Hiking, as opposed to 'walking' , I think they are pretty much the same thing. I suppose also somewhat uneven terrain with lots of Up & Down (not level). I hike mostly on old washed out overgrown roads, some vineyard roads, some singletrack trail, a lot of steep slope, sometimes an hour or more, but mostly under an hour.

It's difficult for me to even know how to keep track of distance, because it's all by foot in the back country. I just keep track of minutes I guess. I am not into heart monitors or pedometers, just old-fashioned no-tech here.

Any others?

I wish! I love hiking, but rarely get to do it. Sometimes I'll get out to the nearby state park and go for short hikes (one to seven miles, depending on how much time I have) but I can't do it often enough to call it hiking for fitness. Just fun.

I'd call it hiking rather than walking if you're covering territory that can only reasonably be reached on foot, horse, or mountain bike. If a skateboard could get there, then it's walking.

Sarah

I have 2 Australian Shepherds (also very young) that I take hiking almost every day. I live near a ski mountain so we use the cross country ski trails when there's no snow and the snowshoe trails when there is.

My favorite loop is about 3 miles for me, and the way the dogs run it they probably get 5 or 6 miles. Tired dogs are well-behaved dogs!

I also live out the middle of nowhere and used to hike with my 2 german shepherds daily that is until they both tore their CCL's. We are 9 weeks post surgery with the female and waiting another month to have the male done. Hoping by next summer we will be back out hiking/running the trails with them. I have gained about 10lbs since stopping hiking. We used to hike about 4-5 miles daily. We are heading up Maine this weekend to do some hiking but the pups will be staying behind. I feel so bad leaving them because all they do is cry and whine the whole time were gone.

I would do it every day if I had access. I love it.

I do a bit of hiking in our local conservation trails. Definitely no skateboards there. While it's not the White Mountains, you can get a good workout if you don't dawdle along. I love being on the trails.
However, I don't love rock scrambling and a few other things that come with more serious hiking.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Crankin

I do a bit of hiking in our local conservation trails. Definitely no skateboards there. While it's not the White Mountains, you can get a good workout if you don't dawdle along. I love being on the trails.
However, I don't love rock scrambling and a few other things that come with more serious hiking.

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This is why I enjoy hiking mountain bike trails in one of our state parks - the single track is beautiful and require attention and effort. Parts of the most advanced trail it is fun to imagine how a bike might traverse it, and sometimes I get to see it done. I love it, though I can't get down there too often. Basically this is what I do on a weekend when my legs need a break from the bike.