8 Tips to Get Hiking Again After a Hiatus

This past winter was a difficult one for us. I came down with one illness after another (after another, after another) and it was so hard to gather the motivation to get outside in the cold. I don’t mind going for a hike in cold weather when I’m feeling well, but when I’m under the weather it’s a different story entirely.

Last year we went on 14 hikes in the first four months of the year. This year, we only managed 4 hikes in the same time period.

While I’m disappointed in that change, I also know that I was legitimately ill for months and not physically capable of getting us all out the door and on a hike. So I’m not beating myself up over it, but we do have some catching up to do to reach our goal of 52 hikes this year.

With warmer weather finally here for good, I’m determined to get back to our weekly hiking schedule, and to even add a second hike each week.

What am I doing differently to make sure our hikes happen?

1. Schedule it

Ok, so I’ve had our hikes written into our schedule for some time now, but I’ve gotten slack about keeping that time just for hiking. I’m going to be more careful about not scheduling other things on top of our hiking time.

2. No excuses

Even if I’m not feeling well, we’re going on our hike. This does have limitations, though- a recent migraine followed by an unscheduled root canal managed to keep us from hiking two weeks in a row. But I won’t let a measly cold or sore throat keep us from our hike.

3. Dress appropriately for the weather

We have the gear, but sometimes I forget to bring our sun hats or our rain jackets with us. They don’t do us any good at home, so I will make more of an effort to make sure we have what we need in the car.

4. Know the forecast and be flexible

I’m pretty good at this one. I’ve been able to change the day we go hiking based on the forecast, though on occasion I’ve changed it only to have the original day be beautiful and the backup day later in the week be less than ideal, resulting in us not going hiking. A recent occurrence involving lightning in the forecast comes to mind. I don’t mess around with lightning and wasn’t willing to be caught outside in the middle of a storm.

5. Add new trails to keep things interesting

It’s hard to stay motivated when we go to the same place over and over, and we’ve gotten into a bit of a rut with our hikes and have been defaulting to two local parks. There’s lots of other hikes we could do, but they’re a bit further away, which brings me to my next point:

6. Get an early start

Too often we have things we need to do later in the day but we get a late start, so we’re stuck going to one of the local parks for a quick hike rather than having the time to explore new hikes a bit further afield.

7. Get a good night’s sleep the night before

Everything is easier when I (and the kiddos) are well rested. Problems that arise aren’t nearly as insurmountable when we’ve had a good night’s rest and aren’t tired and cranky.

8. No guilt trips over perceived failures

There will be times when, despite our best efforts, the hike just doesn’t happen, and that’s OK. While I know it’s important to get outside with the kiddos, the realities of life means we can’t forget to be flexible.

Is there anything that’s helped you get back on the hiking trail after taking a break? Please share!

Want to join the 52 Hike Challenge? It’s not too late. The 52 Hike Challenge does not operate on a calendar year, so you can sign up at any time throughout the year, and you have 12 months to complete 52 hikes. Sign up using my link and I’ll earn a small commission at no additional charge to you. You can also click on the 52 Hike Challenge image in the right sidebar.