EISPIRATEN

I started hiking in 1987 and quit in about 1991. Then I started again in late 2004.

What says you?

Edit: typo

Why did you temporarily quit?

I grew up in flat land so never really did more than rock bouldering, which I enjoyed, when I was younger. Did some hiking/backpacking in the Alps and in Australia in early 2000's, then moved out here August 2005. At first wanted to check out some hiking, but no friends were interested in going.

Found some groups in Spring 2006, followed their hikes which were mostly basic / local stuff at Griffith Park, Topanga, and the like. A big tough hike for them was going to First Water up the old mt wilson trail, so it was a good social group but not very challenging. I ended up hiking up to Mt. Wilson alone the day after Thanksgiving, and eventually started posting my own hikes on that group. Got the main hiking books for the area, and realizing there's just so much to still do, what a great feeling.

Since I was a wee lad. Hiking, hunting, etc all came as one. Tents came later. Ponchos FTW.

Started hiking in 1956 (with an assist from my dad) and climbing at Devil's Lake, Baraboo Wisconsin. My "real hiking" began in the mid sixties in Death Valley and Yosemite.

I've always loved mountains but I didn't come from an "outdoorsy" family and was too busy with school. After college I had more free time so then in 2004, I went with a group of coworkers up Baldy via the Ski Hut trail and did the ski scree down. Now that was a real hike! After that I got the confidence to plan my own hikes and go on my own.

Born '62. Started hiking shortly thereafter. I've got a picture of me on top of Pine Mountain (9,648') at age 3 or so -- before I could really walk. Dad used to tie me into a flannel shirt, strap the shirt to his chest, and off we'd go.

Dad and I did some pretty good hikes back in the day: Iron Mtn, San Gorgonio Dry - Dollar Loop, Pine - Dawson - Fish Fork loop, etc. Not too bad for a teenager. (OK, Alan K's son probably would have whupped my butt, but they were pretty challenging for me.)

Started backpacking as a teenager in the 70's. We just carried "Sierra Cups" that would hook onto your belt. We almost never carried any water unless we knew it would be a long dry stretch. I used to carry a pint bottle, and that was it. Never treated a drop of water. Actually, I still don't in remote areas where there is no human or livestock activity upstream. Never had a problem. (I do filter if I'm in an area I'm not sure about).

Took kind of a break in 2001 when I shattered my rt. femur in a back country ski accident. Took me about a year before I could walk reasonably normally again but still a lot of complications (knee, achilles, plantar fasciatis) since then. Messed up that leg pretty dern good. Didn't go on a backpack again until 2006. Was a little afraid to stress it that much, but as long as I don't push too hard, it works pretty well. Never have regained full function in that leg but I'm pretty darn grateful that I can get out on the trail still. I just have to lower my expectations. Heavy rock stuff is probably out. The leg is just not reliable any more. I can still do something like Strawberry Pk (west ridge route), but not much more than that.

Wilderness = awesome.

January last year. Although I have been on hikes since I was like 10. But not regularly like now.
The first hike I can remember was with my big brother going up to Henninger Flats on a Friday Night on the Toll Road. I think we were like 12 and 13 at the time. Neither of us had a backpack so we carried our stuff over our shoulder in unrolled slumber party type sleeping bags. What a joke. We planned to sleep overnight. When we got to the flats my brother opened a can of Rosetta Refried beans and heated it on one of those stoves in camp. Kept telling me to go find a smoke shifter somewhere. He was in charge of food. I was real hungry. He took out half for himself and gave me the can. I was so mad and hungry, I hated beans and this stuff looked like crap. So I threw it in the trash. The next morning I was so beyond starving I dug it out of the trash and licked that can o beans clean.

Started 2000 after changing job and got introduced to hiking by coworker Arch. I was always interest in the outdoor since was 10 from Vietnam. Not much alpine stuffs there, but lots of walking there in rain forest. Settled in Monrovia in late 80s, but did not know how beautiful the San Gabriel mountain was till 2000. I hope to pass the interest to my sons and their boyscout troop.

Like some of the previous posters, I did some hiking as a kid, but my interest took off later. My answer to the question posed by the topic is "1971." My first hike was to Grouse Lake in Kings Canyon NP and my second one was up Mt. Whitney. I then figured out that I should hike in the San Gabriels too.

i started really "hiking" 2004 when my lil girl was born.
we have so much fun on trails

im pretty much going to hike till i cant walk anymore

i love it when my alarm goes off at 4am on saturday morning
everything is dark and quiet and as im putting on my hiking shoes
my lil 4 year old daughter comes up to me with her lil boots and jacket
and whispers to me "daddy,where are we hiking today"

I grew up in Louisiana and Southeast Texas...not known for mountainous terrain to say the least (the high point in New Orleans is some freeway overpass I believe)...so I didn't start hiking until I moved to the land of fruits, nuts and flakes - the Bay Area. Hiked around there for about a year - Sunol Wilderness, Rose Pk., Mission Pk., Mt. Tam, Pt. Reyes area - then moved to Pasadena in '88. I had sworn up and down that I would never even drive through L.A., let alone live here. Oh well.

Bought the '84 (Angeles) and '86 (San Bernardino's) edition of Robinson's books and bagged Baldy, San Gorgonio and San Jacinto before I even did Henninger Flats.

JMunaretto wrote:Why did you temporarily quit?

Ah such is life. Got married and bought a house!!! Priorities and hobbies adapted. Quite a few years later and for some unknown reason things are reverting to the past. I'm back on the trails.

friendowl wrote:i love it when my alarm goes off at 4am on saturday morning
everything is dark and quiet and as im putting on my hiking shoes
my lil 4 year old daughter comes up to me with her lil boots and jacket
and whispers to me "daddy,where are we hiking today"

That is priceless. When I was 4, there was no way in hell I was waking up that early! We'll be seeing her on the top of Everest before ya know it

First hike without the parents occurred in 1966 when I was going to hike up to Vernal Falls with my parents from camp 14 in Yosemite. While walking along the Merced River, I realized I left my camera in our tent and ran back to get it. Since we had been up to the falls the previous year I knew how to get there and my parents were giving me, at 14 years old, a longer leash. To catch up I took a short cut and when I didn't catch up to them at Vernal Falls, I thought they had gone on to Nevada Falls (we had discussed maybe going there). I hiked all the way to the top of Nevada Falls never having met up with my parents and waited till the sun was low in the summer sky.

I got back to camp just before dark and saw a Ranger car at our camp and my parents talking to some rangers. Seems they had waited at the trailhead at Happy Isles (?) and finally returned to camp thinking I was lost or had been abducted or eaten by a bear and were calling out the rangers when it looked like night was about to arrive. That was one of the turning points in my going out on my own as I never had to tell my parents where I was going or when I would be home again (unlike my other friends that would).

HikeUp said

I grew up in Louisiana and Southeast Texas

Ever hike in the Big Thicket?

born in 1991, went to Yosemite in 1996, first "hike" was sturtevant falls with my mommy in 2003. climbed half dome 3 months later. first backpack(sequoia-- from lodgepole to twin lakes)in 2003. did the High Sierra trail in 2007. i am now hiking the John Muir Trail this summer.

Rick M wrote:HikeUp said

I grew up in Louisiana and Southeast Texas

Ever hike in the Big Thicket?

We lived in the Big Thicket, so I guess you could consider the exploring we did as kids as hiking. We'd head off into the 'thicket' with BB guns and a pocket knife, following deer trails and shooting anything that needed shooting. Never hit anything so we would end up shooting at each other in mock war games instead. We were invincible!

As a kid, short hikes no longer than 2 miles. I preferred the waves at the beach instead but did like waterfalls. Tried the San Gabriels in 2005, and got into canyoneering.....a friends death in 2007 and now hopefully transitioning to just an occasional hiker/volunteer.

AW wrote:As a kid, short hikes no longer than 2 miles. I preferred the waves at the beach instead but did like waterfalls. Tried the San Gabriels in 2005, and got into canyoneering.....a friends death in 2007 and now hopefully transitioning to just an occasional hiker/volunteer.

Bro, that sux. Do you mind if I ask what happened? Canyoneering accident?

I had to walk 10-15 miles a day in high school (admittedly not long ago) when I moved out of town. Then after ze Army, did ruckmarching as a hobby (sweet lord, why?).

Climbing is easier afterwards, even though you can crack each vertebrae and get all sortsa neat noises and pains.

I started hiking just over a year ago, in March 2007. The inspiration came to me that month as I was participating in a weekend photo shoot in Lone Pine. We shot Mt Whitney at sunrise, at sunrise, and from across the valley. Even my hotel room window at Dow Villa had a view of Mt Whitney. For three days THAT MOUNTAIN mocked me, reminding me that in 1977 THAT MOUNTAIN kicked my butt when I discovered Mountain Sickness on her slopes at 12,000' and lay in my own vomit for a day and a night as my friends summited. In 1977 I retreated and lived at sea level happily for 3 decades. Taunted by THAT MOUNTAIN in March 2007, I decided I wanted a "do-over." I'm in training. Maybe 2008 will be my year.

Rob.
I had a similar calling. but I did not attempt it way back when. I decided to start training December 2006 and failed my first attempt in summer of last year. Sick at 13,800. But I went back the following week and made it easily. You can do it! Good luck.

Officially, 1973 for me.....Lots of little hikes with Dad and twin brother before that (born 1955), but that first summer backpack in the Sierra (Bishop Pass area) in '73 began my tempestuous relationship with hiking and mountaineering (there have been some Epics over the years)....

Hedgehog

I started hiking early last year. Before I hiked my main reason for going to the great outdoors was to ride my quad. I was an offroader and still am (but much more responsible now 8) )I have a much greater appreciation for wilderness since I began hiking. I guess the reason that motivated me the most to hike was the simple urge to explore new areas where I couldn't ride my quad. I still remember the first time I actually thought about hiking, it was during a trip to desert, while riding my quad I could see the mighty San Gabriel Mountians towering above, I thought damn it would be cool to go up on top of the mountians. My first "real" hike came a few weeks later, Mount Islip, before that I hiked in the Verdugos to prepare for longer hikes in the San Gabriels. Since then me and my girlfriend have hiked Mount Baldy, Mount Baden Powell, explored the closed section of the Angeles Crest, and lots of other hikes throughout the San Gabriels with no particular destination in mind, just a love for the great outdoors.