What Happens After An Older Hiker Finishes a Long Hike?

I just finished a 130 mile hike. For those in the long distance backpacking community, this isn’t a big deal. But for us older folks, especially those who don’t do this very often, what should we expect after a long hike? And what amazing opportunities do we have now that we’re back off trail?

First, let’s talk about expectations:

Physical and Dietary Changes

My neighbor asked me if I was worn out and sore after that long hike. For me, the worn-out and soreness happens during my preparation before the hike and within the first few days on the trail. 

If we prepare properly for a hike like this, most of the muscle soreness won’t happen much on the trail. That is, if we design our hike to take it easy in the first few days and then slowly increase miles and intensity. 

Doing our stretches throughout the day while we’re on trail will help too. 

Also, getting proper rest, nutrition, and hydration has a big impact on how our bodies perform. All these things are especially true as we age.

No doubt, long hikes will definitely challenge most people – before, during, and after the hike. But with proper preparation, good daily habits while on trail, and being careful to not overdue it, we can make the challenge manageable and rewarding. Long hikes may become one of the best experiences of our life. 

When I get back home after a long hike, my body is so used to moving for 10-12 hours per day, it wants to keep moving. It’s so temping to get comfortable and lazy, thinking I deserve this. But we should resist this because it’s part of the kind of unhealthy life habits that we always end up regretting later. Keep moving. Of course, we don’t need to move with the same degree or intensity as you did on trail. But get out on day-hikes as often as possible, go for long walks, get out in the sun and fresh air, and continue with daily work outs. 

It’s important to not loose all that physical and mental stamina we built up during our hike. Long hikes are a great springboard opportunity to life-long healthy self-care habits – both physical and mental. I promise, you won’t regret this new direction for your life.

We all know that, as we age, it gets harder to build and maintain good healthy habits. Since we worked so hard to get to this new higher standard, we need to keep it going or we’ll loose it.

Another thing that happens to most people is they will loose weight while on their long hike. For some people it may be mostly water weight, but some may loose body fat too. A couple years ago, on a six day hike, my hiking partner lost 12 pounds. 

Weight loss on trail happens for two reasons: 1) the drastic increase in physical activity, and 2) it’s hard to carry enough food to keep up with the caloric and nutritional output of a long hike, so we eat less than we it takes to replenish all that. 

And even in the days after we get back from our hike, we will still be burning calories because our bodies are still in recovery mode. 

The caution here is that we need to adjust to eating less because we are less active and we are burning less daily calories. 

Another note for those who tend to eat less healthy on trail, don’t carry that over to your normal life. Many people put on a good amount of weight when they get back from a long hike because they don’t pay enough their changing dietary needs. That’s another reason to keep moving after a long hike. However, the best way to combat dietary changes is to take healthy food with us on trail. Bad eating habits are bad whether we are on trail or not. 

Adjustment back to home life

For many people, the trail is freedom. We have very little to do while on trail. We eat, get water, hike, setup and break-down camp, and sleep. The only expectations on us are what we put on ourselves. Our responsibilities essentially dwindle down to one thing: to get back home safe. 

We have no house chores, no demands from an employer, no looking after other people, no managing expectations from others, no constant barrage of media, no crowds, no traffic, no distractions. It’s a very basic, stripped down, primal, form of existence. This frees us to think, to reset, and to refocus. So, we should give ourself permission to do that. We’ve created this opportunity. We should make the most of it. 

But when we come off trail, we plant ourselves right back into our normal life and everything that comes with it. Everything that we were able to shut off on the trail is instantly turned back on again, all at once. 

Nobody outside of those who have experienced living on trail for an extended period understands the transition we go through, and how shocking it can be for some of us. 

This transition back into “normal life” isn’t as drastic for some as it is for others. But for some people the adjustment can be quite rough. And people around us may expect us to snap instantly back into the ‘real world’. But we may not quite be ready for all that right away. 

Give yourself some time to adjust. And let people around you know that you are making your way back to “normal”, but you need a little time. Let them know before you leave for your hike that this might be tough for you, and them. Set that expectation, it will help everyone manage through it. 

How long does this readjustment take? That depends on how long a person has been out hiking, how isolated it was, and how fast the hiker typically adjusts to change. It could be a day or two... or maybe weeks. For big thru hikes, it may take months. 

As we age, most of us mature and handle changes in life better than our younger selves did. That’s not always the case, and, still, it may not be easy. But we have more tools and experience now to handle this kind of thing than we did when we were younger. 

Our first big hike is usually the eye-opener for us. For instance, when I hiked my first big hike on the Colorado Trail, I lived on trail for 40 days. It took a while for me to adjust back to normal life. In fact, some things never did go back to “normal”. 

The experience taught me how valuable my time was and reminded me what my life-priorities are. Trudging through life has a way of diluting what is important to us. We start taking people and circumstances for granted. Maybe we don’t stop to smell the roses often enough. A long hike will often flip that script.

But after that hike, I woke up and took stronger control of a few things. It’s a long story, but I intentionally began choosing the less-stress option at work and in every day life. I tossed my career ladder; it meant literally nothing to me any more. No more putting myself or my family second to my job. No more allowing my employer to steal away my time. Those days were done forever after that hike. I loved my work. But I loved my real life better. And so, there are some things that can change for the better. Sometimes our “normal” will shift toward what is should have been before the hike. 

My advice will all this is to be open to change, maybe even to things we thought we would never change. Don’t be surprised at how a complete immersion in nature for an extended period will impact you and how that impact may help change everyone around you. 

What do we do with ourselves now?

You’ve just experienced an amazing high. You’ve accomplished something extraordinary. And now you’ve come down off of that experience and stepped back into your normal life. 

For some people going back to normal from such an experience can be a bit dull, uninspiring, and even depressing. But what we’ve experience does not have to end at the trail terminus. It could be a stepping stone to the rest of our life. A demarcation of what was before the hike and came after the hike. 

The first thing I like to do when I get back from an amazing hike is to memorialize it. I do that by producing videos, writing about it, and telling others about it. 

Too many people get into a state of depression after a long hike. But we don’t need to go there. We aren’t finished yet. Battle that depression cycle by connecting with like-minded people, our family, anyone who will listen, and anyone who needs to be inspired or encouraged. Because, like it or now, we have become a model, an example of what could be that everyone at some point in their life will seek out. It is surprising to discover how many people are eager to see our positivity and to be inspired by what we’ve overcome and accomplished. 

Do a speaking event at your church, veterans group, hiking group, or any social group that would be interested in your experience. 

Write an article and get it published in a local paper, magazine, or website. 

Volunteer to help maintain the trail you hiked or any trail organization. 

Don’t do these things to gloat or brag. Rather, bring the message of “anyone can do something amazing” - “everyone can live like they want it”. Be encouraging and inspiring. Bring others into your positive space.

There are plenty of ways to extend our experience. I know for a fact that through my post-hike actions, many have been impacted in good ways. And it’s incredibly rewarding. Some have taken to the trails. Some have found their own passion. Some have had the courage to follow their own dreams or more deeply explore the life they want to live. 

What you do on these long trails is not just for you; it’s not short-term; and it’s not insignificant. It can be transformational for you and for others. 

Conclusion

So, what happens after an older person comes off a long hike? If they are one to grab an amazing opportunity, that person will take what they’ve learned, build on it, and use it as their new standard of living for the rest of their life and to change the lives of those around them. 

Your turn now: How are you going to live like you want it?