Shoes/gear for easy hiking?

Options
2»

Replies

  • SueSueDio
    SueSueDio Posts: 4,796 Member
    Options

    Thanks everyone, for all the advice so far!

    I know nothing about the condition of the trails around here, so I'll definitely look into that sort of thing before I decide where to go and what to wear on my first couple of outings. I'll also look for a local group or a Meetup, since I don't think I really want to go on my own if hubby doesn't want to come with me. (I'm very "directionally-challenged" and can barely find my way out of a square room with one door... ;) )

    The Nordic walking idea is a good one too, I think I can borrow poles from my library.

    spiriteagle99 wrote: »
    You live in a beautiful area.

    I know... :) I feel like I should get out and enjoy it more!

    Bragg Creek Recreation area has some good ones as well.

    Bragg Creek isn't far, I'll look into that.

    Weather in the Rockies is very changeable, as you know, so you need to be prepared for whatever comes.

    "If you don't like the weather, wait ten minutes..." ;)
  • rugratz2015
    rugratz2015 Posts: 593 Member
    edited January 2017
    Options
    Leggings are a great idea, but jeans are a definite no no - if they get wet they won't dry quickly, and even if the weather is dry they're heavy to wear.

    ETA - There is an app you can download - R2B - it's free - you can program it to call someone if you don't return/turn off by a certain time.

    Most important! Go at a pace and distance that suits you and enjoy!
  • brooksbarrick
    brooksbarrick Posts: 6 Member
    Options
    I purchased Keen hiking boots. We are looking at doing the El Camino de Santigo in 2018. I already knwo from hiking in Ireland that good waterproof hiking boots are a must.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
    Options
    SueSueDio wrote: »
    (I'm very "directionally-challenged" and can barely find my way out of a square room with one door... ;) )

    Bring a GPS (can be a phone app), they have a "take me back to where I started" function.

    Decide where you're going before you leave, and leave that info with a responsible person. Tell them when you'll be back. Tell them to call the authorities if you're not back by that time. And what you're wearing that day (blue jacket, black pants, green backpack - or whatever).

    But know that it's really easy to follow a trail. You won't get lost. That stuff is just a precaution. Not only will it protect you in the one in a million chance, it'll also get you into the frame of mind where you're being careful.

    You're going to bring us back pictures, right? I've always wanted to visit the Canadian Rockies and haven't had a chance yet.

    :smile:
  • SueSueDio
    SueSueDio Posts: 4,796 Member
    Options
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    You're going to bring us back pictures, right? I've always wanted to visit the Canadian Rockies and haven't had a chance yet.

    :smile:

    You should come and see them. They are magnificent! My photos don't do them justice. :bigsmile:

    I'm not a good photographer, but I still like snapping away. :) How about some photos I took a few years ago? The second batch is from a walk around one of the lakes that we attempted when my brother visited us from the UK - I think it's about a 10k walk, a mixture of dirt trails and rocky scrambles and a bit ambitious for us, but we thought we'd try it! Unfortunately my brother turned out to be allergic to mosquito bites or something, and his foot swelled so badly from them that we had to turn around after a couple of km and limp back to the car. One day I'd like to do the whole trail!


    i0gdd2rq0m97.jpg



    dblezwlkfypt.jpg

  • girlinahat
    girlinahat Posts: 2,956 Member
    Options
    oh. that's looks a truly HORRIBLE place for a hike.....


    most of those pics make it look eminently doable is some comfortable shoes, just get out there and do it.

    and jeans, yes, forgot to say don't wear jeans. wet jeans. ugh.
  • SueSueDio
    SueSueDio Posts: 4,796 Member
    Options
    girlinahat wrote: »
    oh. that's looks a truly HORRIBLE place for a hike.....

    Awful, isn't it? So boring, nothing to see.

    ;)

    most of those pics make it look eminently doable is some comfortable shoes, just get out there and do it.

    and jeans, yes, forgot to say don't wear jeans. wet jeans. ugh.

    I hate wet jeans when it rains! (And when it's below freezing too, they seem to hold the cold for too long!)

    I think I'd start with some shorter walks (and probably a little closer to home, the lakes are an hour or so away), but yeah - I definitely want to go back out there and do that hike one day soon, when the weather's good! I need to build up a bit more stamina first... I've lost a decent amount of weight now but I'm still pretty unfit. Improving, though! :)

    And I discovered that one of my husband's clients is into hiking and runs a group, so I'll ask to be put in contact with him for some advice on local trail conditions.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
    Options
    Is that a waterfall coming down from the glacier?

    For sure don't wear jeans. No cotton of any kind is best. Once it gets wet, it stays wet, and it pulls the heat right out of you.
  • SueSueDio
    SueSueDio Posts: 4,796 Member
    Options
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    Is that a waterfall coming down from the glacier?

    I think it's just snow... I couldn't zoom in far enough with my camera to see it really clearly, even though it has optical zoom rather than digital, so I'm not 100% sure. (It's an older camera and only 4MP, which was fabulous at the time! ;) )

    It looks more like snow to me, but here's the full picture if you want to take a closer look yourself and see what you think! :)


    01hz4eofuqzo.jpg

  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    Options
    girlinahat wrote: »
    oh. that's looks a truly HORRIBLE place for a hike.....


    and jeans, yes, forgot to say don't wear jeans. wet jeans. ugh.

    I can't believe I forgot to mention that too. (There's a saying amongst hikers/backpackers: "Cotton kills"...it loses its warmth when wet and will stay wet for a very very long time). And check that your socks you are going to wear are synthetic/wool/alpaca/etc and not cotton.
  • BeeerRunner
    BeeerRunner Posts: 728 Member
    Options
    If your hikes are short and relatively flat, gym shoes will be fine. When you start going longer distances and the trails are rocky, your feet will thank you if you put them in some hiking boots. We went to Glacier National Park last year, and my 1st day, I wore my trail running shoes, which have a rock plate at the bottom so you don't feel the rocks quite so much. We probably hiked about 10 miles round trip, but it was slow going...stopping to take pics, eating huckleberries and thimbleberries along the way. We were out hiking for 4 to 5 hours. My feet were killing me! Now, I've ran trails well over 10 miles, but I wasn't on my feet for so long. I wore my nice comfy Merrell hiking boots the rest of the trip, and it was so much better.

    When you're ready, I would go to a sporting goods store and find something comfy for your feet. I love my Merrell hiking boots, but what feels good to me may not to others. Colorado will have a lot of options.
  • columbus2015
    columbus2015 Posts: 51 Member
    Options
    I live in the same area as the OP...maybe even the same city.

    I use a runner style hiking shoe - good grip and waterproof. As soon as you start to get out of the "tourist" hikes, the paths can be quite steep, rooted, exposed shale sticking up, etc. You need good grip. And lots of well shaded areas on paths can have snow well into the summer, so waterproof is a good idea.

    You may want trekking poles (basically ski poles), you may not. They're quite a personal preference.

    Other than that, a backpack, water, maybe an apple/nibble of some sort (pack your trash out!), a jacket or shell (the weather uphill can be a lot cooler/damper than at ground level)... take a camera! MEC can outfit you, but they are pricey. Atmosphere is my secondary choice, the one across from MEC can be helpful, the rest not so much. Kijiji might be an option as well.

    Banff has some great easy hikes... down by the river is a great loop that goes back to the highway and past the Banff Springs. Minimal climbing, lots of pretty. There are trail maps available in town and most of the "standard" hikes are very well marked and used. The real popular hikes are pretty much a parade in the middle of summer.

  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,679 Member
    Options
    The first time I hiked in the Canadian Rockies, I used a book called, "Don't waste your time in the Canadian Rockies." It rated various hikes for difficulty, beauty, etc. I don't know whether it goes as far south as the Kananaskis Country though. It was a bit too picky, because it low balled some hikes I liked, but it definitely gave an idea of where to go when time was limited.

    Are your photos from Peter Lougheed PP? We camped there when we hiked the GDT. I think that is a waterfall.
  • SueSueDio
    SueSueDio Posts: 4,796 Member
    Options
    spiriteagle99 wrote: »
    Are your photos from Peter Lougheed PP? We camped there when we hiked the GDT. I think that is a waterfall.

    Yes - I had to double-check, it's been a while, but yeah. It was the Upper Lake we tried to hike around. :)

    Thanks, everyone, for your continued advice and ideas... I appreciate it!

    @columbus2015 Banff is a couple of hours away, but it would be nice to visit again sometime and take a closer look at the area! Last time we went there it was so touristy in the town itself that it didn't really appeal to us, but we'd only stopped for lunch on the way through so didn't look around much.

Categories