Will you still be hiking when you are 70?

[Shutterbug]

My wife and I hiked the Grand Canyon last week. One thing I noticed was that there weren't many hikers my age still on the trails.

I offer some advice to those of you who want to be hiking when you are my age:

1. Pay attention to your weight. One pound a year of weight gain doesn't seem much, but over the years it really ads up.

2. Take care of your knees. Most of my friends who are my age say they can't hike because of their knees.

3. Save for retirement. Too many of my friends finally have the time to hike, but can't afford to travel.

Enough wisdom for one day.

[jbwood5]

Yep, I really felt my knees in the Whites last year and they are not likely to get much better since the MRI showed a small meniscus tear. It seems to be loss of flexibility that is tough to handle.

I'm inspired by those who are 70 and over. A few years ago I met an 80 year old from Pittsburg, PA by the name of "Bones" (Earl) just beyond Mtn Crossing in GA. He started at Springer and was moving strongly. This guy didn't have a weight issue, and that's how he got his trail name.

[daddytwosticks]

Wow! You are my hero. I'm 55 and feel great. Hope I'm like you in 15 years. You two look very happy.

[Coffee]

I hope so. I'm 40 now and have never been more fit. Hoping to keep going by staying fit but there are no guarantees so planning lots of hiking over the next decade!

[FarmerChef]

I definitely hope so. I'm in the best shape of my entire life but the future isn't guaranteed to stay that way. Lord-willing, I'll be smokin' up the trails on foot, on bike, on a boat wherever traveling takes me. I've been doing my best to abide the maxim, "Live below your means." Hopefully that will afford me the chance to do all of these things before my body gives out.

[Different Socks]

Yep, as long as my hearing, sight and knees hold up, I'll be hiking til the day I die. I'm 50 now, and plan on a 16 month journey beginning in 2 years. Prepping for it now and one of the ways I am doing that is staying in shape.

[88BlueGT]

I sure hope so! I need to show this to my father... who is 57 and claims he is too old to hike with me He is the one who got me into hiking 10+ years ago but I have never been out with him. Kind of sucks.

[tiptoe]

I certainly hope so.

[marti038]

2. Take care of your knees. Most of my friends who are my age say they can't hike because of their knees.

Aside from sticking with step 1, any recomendations for how to complete step 2?

[Shutterbug]

Aside from sticking with step 1, any recomendations for how to complete step 2?

Yes, get FitBit and walk at least 10,000 steps a day. It seem counterintuitive, be a lot of walking is good for knees.

From my observation the main problems with knees come from carrying too much weight, lack of regular exercise and injury.

10,000 steps (about 5 miles) is enough exercise.

Protecting one's knees from injury is a little more difficult. When I was younger, I thought that a hard fall or two a year was a normal part of hiking. As I have aged, I have tried harder to avoid those hard falls. I use two hiking poles, have reduced my pack weight, and am more careful in where I step. I have not had a hard fall in the past four years.


http://www.fitbit.com/store?gclid=CK...FUNhfgod5gUAPw

[kofritz]

Yeaaaaahhhh!! (like Lil' John the rapper)

[adamkrz]

I'm 54 and in better shape then my kids, But you 2 look like you found the fountain of youth..

[Shutterbug]

I sure hope so! I need to show this to my father... who is 57 and claims he is too old to hike with me He is the one who got me into hiking 10+ years ago but I have never been out with him. Kind of sucks.

Yes!! Encourage your father to hike with you. If he hasn't hiked recently, start him out slowly. Ask him to "take a walk."

My wife and I find that our daily walks are important times to talk and be together. We walk three to five miles a day. She didn't start hiking with me until we were both 62. Since then, we have hiked the Grand Canyon more than 20 times, climbed Pikes Peak, climbed Mt. Saint Helens, and hiked the Inca Trail together. I have not talked her into hiking the 100 Mile Wilderness with me yet -- maybe when we are 80.

[futureatwalker]

My wife and I hiked the Grand Canyon last week. One thing I noticed was that there weren't many hikers my age still on the trails.

First point: you guys look terrific. You are the epitome of successful aging.

I was at the Grand Canyon for a long weekend last fall. I don't recall seeing many older folk about once you hiked down into the canyon. Mind you, it's a pretty tough hike for anyone who is out of shape.

[Drybones]

People don't stop doing things because they get old, they get old because they stop doing things. Gotta tell this story. Last summer I was repairing some places on our driveway, only had shorts and flip flops on, the wife was at a friends house, the friends husband who I had never met drove by our house, when he got to his house he asked my wife what we were doing to the driveway, she told him I was repairing some places, he replied " no there's some young guy working on it"....this did create a problem...non of my caps and hats now fit.

[rafe]

61, still pulling 1 mph on just about any trail in the White Mountains or on the LT. A little faster on flat stuff. I wasn't any faster than that as a 25 year old. Hoping to retire in a couple more years and leave the cubicle world for good. I've already announced to my wife that one of my first goals after retiring will be to thru-hike the JMT. She has connections in CA so she's actually OK with that plan.

Thinking about relocating to some place cheaper and closer to the trail, maybe western MA. Would like to do some trail maintenance as a retiree.

PS, here in the Whites I see lots of seniors hiking, and even a few on the LT.

[Grinder]

I am 73 and I am still hiking. I'm doing PA in about a month. Now I'll go back and read the rest of the responses.

[Teacher & Snacktime]

Well, that depends. If the old adage "you're only as old as you feel" is true, then that would be next week. We'll be hiking in April, so YEAH.

[Slo-go'en]

I don't know, I think I'm getting a little worn out. Maybe I should move to Florida. These NH trails keep getting longer and steeper every year - at least it feels that way

[Shutterbug]

I don't know, I think I'm getting a little worn out. Maybe I should move to Florida. These NH trails keep getting longer and steeper every year - at least it feels that way

Don't move to Florida. Move to Arizona. Great hiking.