Urban Hiking: Newest Trend or Weird Neighbors?
October 28, 2008 by Kelly Turner
Filed under Fitness
Something is amiss in West Seattle.
Its hard to leave my house without seeing stuffed back-pack, walking pole clad hikers climbing the dangerous hills of my neighborhood.
They look ready to tackle Everest: jabbing thier metal tipped poles into the side walk, walking at a slow and determined pace, only to be passed by a kid on a tricycle playing in front of his house.
I’ve never seen this anywhere other than my neighborhood, and it seems to be spreading. I saw two seperate Urban Hikers on the way to the gym yesterday.
Have you seen this? It seems like an expensive, cumbersome, completely unneccessarily equipt hobby when you could just, you know, walk.
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You know, now that you mention it, we did see a lot of urban hikers out there in Seattle. They were like homeless people. Except with really pricey gear. I have yet to see a single one out here though. Hmmmm
off topic.
I HAD THE STRANGEST DREAM LAST NIGHT
cant recall but you were in it and you were ELATED about something!
Ok, this topic comes up a lot with my partner and I. We don’t wear packs or carry hiking poles, but we seem to be perpetually dressed for camping. It just so happens that hiking boots, woolen underlayers and waterproof outerwear are the perfect clothes for London. So we often tease eachother about being urban hikers. It gets worse when I DO bring a backpack with me, which is of course, a Khatmandu reflective camelback / daypack.
I confess, I’ve thought about carrying a heavy pack with me when I walk to train my body for doing long distance trekking (I’d like to do the pacific crest trail). The walking poles seem over the top though. =)
Hahaha! Good ol’ Seattle. Sometimes I miss that particular brand of crazy…
:-)
That’s pretty funny. I definitely haven’t seen that in my neighborhood in the midwest. Although I do know that just walking poles (on hills or not) are growing in popularity.
Picturing it is kinda funny though. :)
When I first moved up to Oregon, I saw someone go past my apartment on cross-country skis. Then again, it was the day after an ice storm, when the whole area was shut down. Still a bizarre sight.
Mizfit… she may have been Elated, but was she Lucid? ;)
I read in a fitness magazine recently that using walking poles burns more calories than walking alone…because you’re engaging your upper body. Not sure if that’s what they’re doing or not…?
I haven’t seen that, but I have to confess I did go through a Hiking Phase in which I really, really wanted a pair of poles.
Heh, yes, it DOES seem somewhat unnecessary. Haven’t seen that much around where I live though! Mmmm walking.
I know that walking poles are on the rise, but couldn’t remember what it was they did for you until reading Colleens comment. I spose it makes sense–makes your walk more like a xcountry ski? Haven’t seen this in the hood, but have around urban lakes and walking trails. Not for me, feel overcommitted already with dog leash and kids (one kid will likely crash their bike and I end up carrying kid and bike home). So I guess I burn extra calories, too.
I am starting to see the walking poles at the stores here in the suburbs as well. I am all for burning more calories when I walk, but I do not want to look that out of place when I am walking around my neighborhood. However, I am considering a weighted vest. The extra weight will burn more calories without me feeling self conscious. I know I should not feel self conscious in the first place, but I do.