Sometimes, the hardest part of hiking isn’t the hiking itself. It’s getting to the trailhead.

Before my boots are on. Before my pack is packed. Before I ever take that first step on the trail. That’s usually where the resistance shows up.

I’m too busy. I didn’t sleep well. The weather isn’t perfect. Today doesn’t feel like the right day.

If you’ve ever talked yourself out of going on a hike before you even left the house, you’re not alone. This mental hurdle is one of the most common challenges hikers, especially solo hikers, face.

And this week, I almost let it win again.

The Pattern I Know Too Well

I had planned to do this hike earlier in the week, but each day came with a very reasonable excuse.

On Monday, I was deep in video editing. Tuesday was spent prepping for and hosting a coaching call with my backpacking students. Wednesday, the entire town was socked in with thick fog, so I told myself I’d go later after it had burned off. By Thursday, I realized what was happening.

None of these were bad reasons. They were just convenient ones.

This is a pattern I know well, one that sneaks in whenever life feels busy, motivation is low and staying home sounds comfortable.

Why This Hike Is So Easy to Avoid

The hike I chose – Mount Sentinel – is one I try to talk myself out of hiking all the time. It’s steep. It’s relentless and it never eases up until you reach the top.

On this particular morning, the lower section of the trail was completely shaded and covered in a thick layer of frost. It was cold. Really cold.

Seven miles. Two thousand feet of elevation gain.

This is the kind of hike that makes staying home sound like a very logical option. My brain always has a reason why today isn’t the day.

The Real Reason (My Why)

But this was never really about the hike. It wasn’t about grinding my way to the top of the mountain or proving that I could do something hard.

What this was really about was consistency. It was about following through. About continuing to show up for myself even when I felt tired, busy or unmotivated.

Every time I choose to hike alone, I reinforce something deeper than physical strength:

  • Self-trust
  • Confidence
  • Capability

Being out on trail, especially solo, keeps me growing. It reminds me that I can handle discomfort, uncertainty and fear. That I can navigate self-doubt and quiet the negative self-talk that tries to keep me small. That I can get out of my own way and do the things I say I want to do.

So here I was, hiking up the mountain on a cold winter morning, showing up for myself. And no, the trail didn’t magically feel easier just because I showed up. It was still cold. The climb was still hard. And there were plenty of moments when turning around crossed my mind.

But I kept going. One foot in front of the other.

My Winter Hiking Commitment

This winter, I made a commitment to myself: take myself on at least one training hike each week.

Not to prove anything. Not to chase perfection. Just to show up.

Winter hiking for me, is about keeping promises to myself. It helps me:

  • Stay consistent when motivation is low
  • Keep my body strong for the hiking life I want to live
  • Manage the winter blues (something I’ve struggled with in the past)
  • Stay connected to the version of myself that thrives on trail

It’s not about crushing miles. It’s about consistency.

The Payoff of Showing Up

I’ve never gone on a hike I regretted.

I might start the day feeling scattered or unmotivated, buy by the end, things always feel much clearer. Not because I crushed the hike, but because I listed to the part of me that knew exactly what I needed.

Once I’m out there, I’m always glad I came.

This Isn’t an Extreme Adventure

This isn’t a story about extreme hiking or pushing through brutal conditions. It’s not a big, dramatic adventure. It’s about a normal day when I didn’t really feel like going on a hike.

And instead of letting that voice talk me out of it, I chose to show up at the trailhead anyway.

Sometimes, Showing Up Is Enough

Not everything in hiking, or in life, needs to be some big, grand moment. Sometimes, the win is simply getting to the trail.

If the hardest part of hiking for you is getting started, you’re not weak. You’re human. And you’re definitely not alone.

 

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