You simply point yourself downhill and put one foot in front of another.

It’s hiking out that’s hard.

Except, that’s not really true. Believe it or not, I often prefer hiking uphill over downhill, especially if the trail is a bit sandy or muddy.

When you hike downhill, you’re actually putting more force on your landing foot than when you’re walking on flat ground or walking uphill. This can be tiring and sore. And if the trail is sandy or muddy, you have to take extra care not to slide and lose your footing. The only real advantage of hiking downhill is aerobically it tends to be easier and you burn fewer calories per mile.

Hiking uphill is often more tiring, but I find it easier on the body. Especially if you’re carrying enough snacks and water and can avoid the hottest part of the day.

In the Grand Canyon, a mistake many novice hikers make is forgetting that hiking in is optional, hiking out is mandatory. So they set off on what they think is a good day hike. “Oh look, Tipoff is only 4.5 miles away. If we get an early start we can finish by mid-afternoon and have time for dinner.”

So they start, perhaps close to sunrise or soon after. Given the path of the trail, they’re not in the bright sunlight for the first mile or so. The hiking is easy going. Things are feeling good. Then they come around the corner and are now on the eastern, more open side of the O’Neill Butte. Now it’s starting to get to be closer to say 10:00 AM. The Canyon is heating up. But they’re feeling good. They continue hiking. Now they’re starting to sweat, but that’s ok, they’ve got plenty of water that they’ve barely touched. And finally they can see the shelter at Tipoff. So they proceed. They get there around 11:00 AM. They’re feeling good. They’re sitting in the only shady spot for miles.

Finally they start back in high hopes. After all, how bad can it be. But now they realize it’s high noon in the Canyon. What started out as a cool, dry hike in he 70s when they started, is now a hike in the lower 90s with no shade. But at least it’s a dry heat, so they don’t feel gross and sweaty.

But now it’s uphill. And their legs are aching. Their snacks are running out. And their water, the surplus they thought they had when they got to Tipoff because they hadn’t even drunk half of it disappearing fast. It dawns on them that they’re now consuming three to four times as much water on the ascent as they did on the descent.

They get back upon the Butte and find a hint of shade here or there as the Sun moves westward, but eventually they realize that the shady last mile or so from the morning is now in the full view of the Sun. They start to panic when they take the last sip of water and realize the Rim is still a mile away and at their current pace, an hour more of brutally hot hiking.

Fortunately, like most hikers, they actually make it to the Rim safely. They stand in line refilling their water bottles and drinking down as much as they can. They’re a bit nauseous, but elated. They’ve seen one of the Wonders of the World. They’ve tested their limits more than they had expected But they’re here. They lived to talk about it. And hopefully they’ve learned a lesson: hiking in is easy and optional, hiking out is harder and mandatory.

Why these thoughts? Honestly, I started this post with a different thread in mind, about how I’m approaching the end of the first year of PA school. But, my thoughts ended up taking a different path, and that has made all the difference. At least as far as this post goes.