6:30 AM One hour into our 15+ hour day The Grand Canyon: The Hike That Didn’t End the Way We Planned April and I started planning our Grand Canyon trip in February 2025. Our hike wasn't until October 7, so we had eight months to prepare. That sounds like plenty of time, but it didn't feel like it. From the beginning, I knew this wasn't going to be one of those trips where you book an Air BnB, show up and figure things out when you get there. The Grand Canyon is not the place

I hear this all the time: “I want to hike, but I’m not a hiker.” Maybe you walk regularly or work out, but you wouldn’t consider yourself super fit. Perhaps you’re older and unsure if you can keep up. Maybe you’ve never really hiked before. Or there’s a specific hike you’ve been dreaming about, but when you see the mileage and elevation gain, you think, there’s no way I could do that. I understand why people feel that way. We often look at a mountain, a long trail, or a big e

I'm 49, and I don't feel old. But somewhere around 42, I started noticing things I hadn't really thought about before. My joints didn't always feel the same, and recovery started taking a little longer. A hard workout or a long hike that I could bounce back from pretty easily when I was younger sometimes required a little more planning and a little more recovery. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. It's just part of getting older. What has changed is how I approach

Home | Hiker Method Your Knee Might Not Be the Problem If your knees hurt when you hike, run, squat, climb stairs, or simply move through your day, your first instinct is probably to blame the knee. It makes sense. It hurts, so it must be the problem… right? Not always. In many cases, the knee is more like the innocent bystander—the one taking all the heat for a problem that started somewhere else. Look Above and Below the Knee Your knee sits between two major joints: the hip

The firehouse teaches you how to move fast. The trail teaches you how to slow down. My Background in Fitness and Hiking I had dabbled in hiking prior to leaving the fire service but mostly focused on running. Eventually, I transitioned into functional fitness, which I have enjoyed for many years. Helping others reach their fitness goals has become a rewarding part of my journey. Experience in the Fire Service After 20 years in the fire service, I learned how to read smoke, he