A reader wrote in to request a post on hikers. “Who are the true hikers and how do you know them?” this reader asks.
I find this question hard to answer because I’m not a hiker and I don’t think I’m destined to be one. I’m a walker.
So how do you know if what you do is walking on hiking? Here is a simple test:
a) If in order to engage in this activity you select a cute outfit, apply make-up, do your hair, choose a pretty handbag, and make sure your shoes compliment the outfit, you are a walker.
b) If the preceding statement sounds completely ridiculous, you are a hiker.
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If you engage in the activity for relaxation and to clear your head, you’re a walker.
If your primary concern is improving your health or morality, you’re a hiker.
Also,
If you don’t mind passing through or spending your entire time in populated areas (and engaging in people watching while you’re at it), you’re a walker.
If your goal is to get away from populated areas and other people, you’re a hiker.
I’m a walker and my bias shows, a hiker might phrase these differently….
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OK, according to this classification, I recently transformed from a walker into a hiker. I retained the handbags and the nice shoes, though, so maybe I’m somewhere in the middle. 🙂
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And as often happens, Portlandia has something to say about this.
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“If the preceding statement sounds completely ridiculous, you are a hiker”.
If this is the test to pass, I am passing it with flying colors and I am, most definitively a hiker!.
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By this definition I’m squarely a hiker. I used to wonder which to call myself because my idea of fun is just going around a nature trail in a park, not scaling mountains or any of the more adventurous things people do in the name of hiking.
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