How old are you ?

[TJH]

I'm 33. I went on my first mountain hike when I was about 10. ( Mt. Monadnock). When I was 14 I did Lafayette, stayed at the Green Leaf Hut, along the ridge, down Falling Waters. Then spent the night at Lonesome Lake, then back down the next day. This was with a group of co-workers of my father who were into hiking. Did not hike again ( non military ) until I was 26. That's when I got more serious about it.

My hiking partner now is my 6 year old son Brody. Together we have done the Blue Hills, Wachusett a few times, hiked and snowshoed The Welch Dickey Loop ( He calls it the Sticky Loop) several times. This summer we got turned back on Cannon mountain halfway up because he started to get blisters. It was too bad because we were making awesome time.

Before I was 26, I went on two hikes in the mountains. Between age 2 and 5, Brody has been on about 15 mountain hikes where he did all the hiking and didn't get carried by me. One time when driving up to the White mountains he was in the back in his car seat and asked me "Why do we have to go to New Hampshire all the time."

I figured I better watch myself so I don't burn him out before he is, lets say "8" years old.

TJH

 

[Chip]

1st peak (Marcy) was at age 51 in 2005.
This kicked my butt so I got younger.
Last year our group did the Great Range Traverse.
This year the Presidential Range.
Just train yourself hard, gently.

My first winter peak was Marcy at age 15 in 1975 !
But I have not yet done the Great Range or Presidential Traverse, so you got me there, for sure.

At this point (here's a head's up to those under 30 here) I need to do something every day so that I have half a chance of keeping up on the real stuff. This includes stretching, which I NEVER did until this year, and I think it has been a great help and would have helped me avoid a lot of foot, ankle, knee and back pain in my 30's.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

This includes stretching, which I NEVER did until this year, and I think it has been a great help and would have helped me avoid a lot of foot, ankle, knee and back pain in my 30's.

There are not many things you can do while watching TV that will help you out more than stretching. I spend 15-20 minutes during TV time on the floor doing that, before migrating up onto the couch. When I first had my knee problems, the PT was shocked that I was as tight (unstrechable?) as I was, given my bicycle racing history. It was in part a cause of the knee problems.

Tim

 

[Umsaskis]

I'm 33 and acting like I'm 80 (except for those few, wonderful 80-year-olds who still hike). I have a 12-month old. That means not very many hikes. Not very many winter hikes, that is. I did several summer hikes with her in the backpack but when she looked like she had gone into rigormortis on the top of Moriah last October because she had so many clothes on she couldn't move, I decided to stop for the season. Just a few short hikes this winter without her, but my husband has promised to look after her ALL DAY one or two times during his vacation in a couple of weeks. I can't wait! Lots of people have noted the slow-down of hiking during the early years of parenthood. They also say you get hiking again, eventually. I'm looking forward to that. Though for now, I'm happy that she likes to go outside and, except for the getting dressed part, has never complained about her many excursions in the backpack.

So for me, the peak of my hiking was in my 20s and very early 30s, and for her, it would probably have been between 3 and 9 months. I surely hope that both of us will be doing much more as we age further.

 

[Silverfox]

How old are you

I am 55 and vitamin I is my friend..

My dad, the original Silverfox, introduced my brother and I to climbing/backpacking with trips on the Long Trail in the 60's. Steve and I both kept with the hiking through college..he finishing the winter 4ks in early 80's, I did the Long Trail a couple of times, a few AT 100 mile trips and spent free time in Vermont. A funny thing happened when I moved to NH in 1976..while I did a little time on skis and local walks I got mixed up with indoor sports..specifically volleyball and that kept me off the trails for years. A major injury in 1991 and an ACL replacement in 2001 had my doc advise me to quit volleyball and ski on groomed trails...So obviously, I got back into hiking..First NH 4k was Osceola in 2001..the next year 10..then 20...then 75 4k's last year. Shooting for 100 maybe this year with the skis safely put away and the winter pack always ready..

 

[Adk_dib]

I just turned 50 so it looks like I am a member of the majority!

 

[Amicus]

I just turned 50 so it looks like I am a member of the majority!

No, we 50-somethings are merely a plurality among the decades, and on an aggregate basis the under-50s predominate.

Happy Birthday anyway!

 

[Tom Rankin]

No, we 50-somethings are merely a plurality among the decades, and on an aggregate basis the under-50s predominate.

Happy Birthday anyway!

I took that to mean the group with the largest bar.

 

[Amicus]

I took that to mean the group with the largest bar.

Just nit-picking - if this were an election, we in our 50s would be winning by a plurality, not majority (like some Presidents). I'm thrilled to be in the group with the largest bar, however.

 

[teejay]

Gee,

I just turned 111111 my last birthday. Next year I'll be 1000000. Cool, eh?

Older than dirt!!!

teejay

 

[DreamFarmer]

Just a general question to the 50+ crowd......

Do you ever think things to yourself like:

Oh yeah, I'm over 50 now.....followed by "What the he__ am I doing ?"
Man, I hope I can get 20 more good years.

 

[Mohamed Ellozy]

Do you ever think things to yourself like:

Oh yeah, I'm over 50 now.....followed by "What the he__ am I doing?"

Since I am (barely) over 70 I ask myself that question on every hike But I keep on pluggin'!

 

[BIGEarl]

Just a general question to the 50+ crowd......

Do you ever think things to yourself like:

Oh yeah, I'm over 50 now.....followed by "What the he__ am I doing ?"
Man, I hope I can get 20 more good years.

One of the nice things about not knowing any better is “you don’t know any better”. I find myself doing things that I can’t do because I didn’t realize that I couldn’t do them.

Not having hiked in my 20’s, 30’s, or 40’s, I assume my experiences now – in my 50’s – are normal. At a point on most hikes, isn’t hiking hard work for everybody?

I hope I can get 20 more good years too!

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Just a general question to the 50+ crowd......

Do you ever think things to yourself like:

Oh yeah, I'm over 50 now.....followed by "What the he__ am I doing ?"
Man, I hope I can get 20 more good years.

No, not in the sense that you're asking. Sometimes I get a little ugly with myself, which I've learned to recognize is the point I need to eat and drink a bit more. After I've eaten, within about 20 minutes or so, am good to go and the 'life is good' feeling is back.

What you do notice as you get older is that it takes longer to get back in shape if you slack off for a week or two (or more). So, you learn not to slack off ...

 

[BIGEarl]

.......

What you do notice as you get older is that it takes longer to get back in shape if you slack off for a week or two (or more). So, you learn not to slack off ...

Kevin, Thanks - I thought it was just me.

 

[Amicus]

Not having hiked in my 20’s, 30’s, or 40’s, I assume my experiences now – in my 50’s – are normal. At a point on most hikes, isn’t hiking hard work for everybody?

I did hike in my earlier decades, but not to the extent I have since turning 50. (My picking-up of my hiking pace was not for that reason - circumstances just made it easier to do more of something I already enjoyed.)

I am far better able to undertake and enjoy long and challenging hikes, on- or off-trail, now than 30 years ago, because I've learned some of the many lessons mentioned in this thread and some other recent ones - the importance of regular exercise, perhaps, above all.

That said, luck plays a role. We can improve our odds for staying healthy, but that is not ultimately within our control. So, enjoy it while you can.

 

[marty]

What you do notice as you get older is that it takes longer to get back in shape if you slack off for a week or two (or more). So, you learn not to slack off ...

Agreed. I also have to put in more effort to stay in hiking shape.

When in my twenties and thirties, exercising three days a week was enough to keep me in good shape.

In my forties, I had to increase my workouts to five or six days a week.

Near the end of my forties, I noticed that it got a bit tougher to do big hikes, so I lengthened my workout sessions. Thankfully this has paid off and I am hiking as well as ever in my 50's.

As the saying goes, you're not getting older, you're getting better.

Marty

 

[DreamFarmer]

Oh yeah…that lovely “life is good” feeling on a hike …nothing better…and I mean nothing !

I know what you all mean about not slacking off….. I feel like after the 3rd day of laying off, I start to decline….and after a long family vacation…ugh.... it’s like starting all over .

But then on the other hand it feels so good when you fight your way back and you feel like you’re on top of “your game”.

Marty— by the time you hit 90, you will be working out 24/7 !

 

[rhihn]

Add me to the list of those over 50 (actually 61) who REALLY feels it when I miss a week of hiking. I'm not at the point of saying "what the hell am I doing here" yet. It depends upon the hike, but it does also take longer for me to get "in the groove." Consecutive days of hiking are less common due to work, but when they happen, it usually transports me into the "groove" quickly, and I seem to have much more energy. Looking forward to that happening during my upcoming retirement!

 

[marty]

Marty— by the time you hit 90, you will be working out 24/7 !

LOL. My wife and her friends made a pact that if they reach an age like 90, then they will start partying like they did in their teens and 20's. Although I have not signed into their pact, it does sound a bit more fun than working out 24/7!

Regards,
Marty