hikingafter40

Farrington Lake, East Brunswick, NJ So, you want to plan a short day hike but have no clue where to start.  No worries!  I got your 6. If you have been hiking before, even if it was a million years ago, you have some idea of what to expect.  You will go on a path, following trail signs, end up somewhere cool, and then head back. If you've never been hiking before or if someone else planned the hiking trips you were on, you might not know where to start.  Below are some tips to get you moving: Start with Clear and Reasonable Expectations   Sure, we all want to climb Mt. Everest (well, I actually don't...I like trees and stuff), but your first hike out shouldn't be to something requiring uber training and skill.  One of the greatest mistakes new hikers make is trying to do a hike that is too hard.  Then the hike really sucks, and then hiking becomes a thing of the past. Plan, Plan, Plan Start with a short, well known trail that is...

Manasquan Reservoir, Manasquan, NJ So, it's a bit of a debate.  I started hiking as a teenager, worked for a sleep-away Girl Scout camp in Eastern PA for two summers, and hiked a crap ton till I got married, had babies, and sat on my butt for 18 years. But, what I remember loving about hiking was the beauty of it.  Literally, every step is gorgeous.  I've never been a racer.  I don't need to be the first to the top.  In fact, I don't even need to get to the top.  For me, the experience, the nitty gritty of the journey, is the beautiful part.  It's fantastic to get to the top of a mountain, don't get wrong.  But, if the mountain is Everest, I am happy to go to the base and look up and love the beauty of God's Earth.  I don't have that competitive edge to be the first one there.  I don't need to make record time.  I'm not in it for that. Don't get me wrong.  I don't judge people who have the need to climb every mountain ...