10 Lessons I Learned While Hiking in Idaho
The Pettit-Toxaway Loop
I just returned home from a full week of day hiking with my sister in Idaho. We hiked over 70 miles and climbed 10,350’ in elevation during the seven days I was there. It was an absolutely amazing adventure, and doing it with my sister, Tracie, made it even more special.
Whenever you are hiking, it’s good to always be prepared. Anyone can hike, but be smart so you don’t get hurt.
1. If you can, go with someone who knows the area of the hikes. It was so nice to have my sister to pull together an itinerary for us. She had not been on all of our hikes, but she knew the area so she knew what to expect.
2. Check the weather when preparing for a hike. Know the correct clothing to wear so you’re not too hot or too cold. I recommend dressing in light layers so you can take the layers off as the day gets warmer and put on layers as the day gets colder. Even though some days started out coolish, we knew it was going to get warmer, so we started with a long sleeve shirt and shorts and after about an hour we removed the long sleeve shirt and was happy with shorts and a tank top (again Tracie, my sister, knew what to expect with the weather).
3. Use All Trails. This app is AMAZING! It gives you quite a bit of information about hikes all around the world. You will find how long the trail is, how easy or difficult it is, the elevation, where the trail is located, and if there’s other activities at the trail. All Trails also has a map of the trail that you should download before you go. When you do this, you will be able to use the map while hiking (with or without internet). And, make sure you regularly check the map so you don't get too far off your trail. This can easily happen. This app is free, but you can pay for it if you want more info about the trails.
4. Pick a hike that will challenge you, but it shouldn’t be so challenging that you don’t enjoy the hike. Tracie and I picked different types of day hikes during my week in Idaho. Some were short, some long, and some with more elevation. Neither of us had hiked 20 miles before, and this one was the most challenging, but it was doable because we had trained for it. Start with smaller trails and gradually increase your mileage &/or the elevation. You’ll be glad you did!
5. Make sure you have comfortable hiking boots or trail shoes. I typically wear trail shoes, but in the mountains the boots might have been better on my ankles. And, make sure you don’t buy your shoes or boots and then go on a long hike right away. You will need to break them in with a few shorter hikes to see how comfortable they are.
6. When going on a long hike, use a backpack with a water bladder in it. The first few hikes I had a hand held water bottle. I noticed I was very dehydrated at the end of the hikes. When we went out on our 20 mile hike at the end of the week, my sister offered me one of her backpacks with a water bladder. This was awesome! Water was readily available and I didn’t need to hold anything. I came home with very little dehydration.
7. Be prepared with food you can eat while on the go and make sure it doesn’t take up much room in your backpack. Also, food can get crushed in your backpack, so always take that into consideration (a smushed banana is not great!). We always packed energy bars and Epic bars for snacks, and for lunch we ate tuna or a turkey wrap.
8. Slowly acclimate to the elevation. When I got to Idaho, Tracie took me on an short, easy hike so I could acclimate. I did fine, but the next day we went on a bit longer hike with more elevation. This was a bit more difficult for me, and I needed to stop quite a bit while going up hill. But by day three I was fine and didn’t have many issues.
9. Don’t hesitate to take breaks during your hike. Whether you are having issues with the change of elevation, or stopping just to enjoy the scenery, it’s always a good idea to take it slow. Also, always have your camera/phone ready to take pictures. I kept my phone in an easy to get to pocket in my backpack. You want to keep it safe, but you will be pulling it out constantly, so pick a spot that makes it easy to get to.
10. Pack a first-aid kit, sun lotion, and bug spray. Injuries happen, so it’s always good to be prepared. I purchased my first-aid kit on Amazon here. I like the small size, but there’s also a lot of great stuff in this small kit.
Are you ready to go hiking? Start going to some trails near you and then expand to places farther away. You will be glad you started! Let me know how it goes. Comment below or post on my FB page.
Twin Lakes
Middle Cramer Lake