The Little Secret To Actually Reaching Your Hiking Goals

Prepping For Next Year's Hiking Season Starts Right Now

In years past, at the end of every hiking season I’ve swapped out my well-worn, dirt-coated hiking boots and tried-and-true Patagonia nano puff for my cozy knits and my fuzzy winter boots.

I’ve traded mornings trekking up the trails to see the alpenglow for dawns curled up by the fireplace, coffee in hand, with no plans to leave the house.

I always saw the end of summer as the end of an era, at least until next June when the high alpine of Colorado opens back up again for high altitude adventures.

Fall and winter, I told myself, were a time to rest, relax, and reset. And don’t get me wrong, they absolutely are for that.

The downside, though? By the time the next hiking season was starting back up again, it felt like I was a bear coming out of hibernation.

I had so much work to do to get my endurance back up to a place where I could do the hikes I’d been saving to my list all winter long.

And that challenge felt equal parts overwhelming and insurmountable.

But the past few years, I’ve tried a different approach during the off-season, and it has allowed me to become a much better hiker, tackling more and more challenging, lung-stinging hikes year-after-year.

And I’ve done this all without the sense of dread of playing catch-up before hiking season kicks off.

Fall And Winter Are When I Lock In And Push Myself

I treat fall and winter as arguably the most important training months.

Not only does this give me something to boost my mood during the winter scaries (seasonal depression, anyone?), but I basically don’t allow myself to lose the progress and strength I built during the peak of hiking season.

An Object In Motion Stays In Motion

And one that’s stopped has a lot more work to do to get moving again.

I’m going to give you some tough love here. It’s going to feel so easy to just completely abandon your hiking training and your dedicated workout routine in the off-season. Resist the urge.

I am 100% all for getting rest. Please, do give yourself grace and a time off during the cooler months (especially around the holidays!). But continue to show up for yourself every week, even if it’s for a little bit at a time.

Realistically, it’s so much easier to push yourself when you need it if you’ve been moving the whole time.

Let’s Play A Game

I love a good competition, and I really love setting personal records. So for me, I give myself a little challenge during the off-season to see if I can hit personal records.

Can I run faster? Can I jog for longer? Can I lift even heavier?

It’s not about comparing myself to anyone else. It’s about comparing myself to me from the past. Can this season’s Sheena out-lift and out-hike last season’s Sheena?

If you’re also competitive by nature, consider this some good old fashioned fun. Challenge yourself during the off-season and reap the benefits come next summer.

Forget New Year’s Resolutions

You know what’s cooler than committing to some grand plan in the new year? Knowing that you’ve stuck to something, been consistent, and always showed up for yourself every other day of the year.

You quite literally won’t need a New Year’s resolution in January, because you never stopped your training program in the first place.

Get In Some Winter Treks

I’ll be the first to admit, I’m bad about this. I hate hiking in the winter. Snow shoes, crampons, and all the layers (for me and for my kiddos)? It’s overwhelming, to say the least.

That said, if you can do a trail in winter, doing it in summer becomes a cakewalk. So that’s something I personally want to push myself to do during the colder months.

I’ve always been in awe of people who continue to hike in single digit (and negative) temps and snowy conditions. The times I’ve done it have always felt like a giant suffer-fest. But I’m hoping to change that this year and actually learn to love it.

The Secret Is Simple

At the end of the day, the secret to a solid hiking season is pretty straightforward. It’s simply about maintaining consistency, even when everyone else has stopped showing up.

Sure, we don’t have the same trail access in the off-season, but that doesn’t mean we can’t train our bodies for the challenge right now.

Come next month, I’m sure we’ll start seeing our first few snows here in Colorado. Hot weather or cold weather, though, you’ll still find me training for my bucket list hikes of summer ‘26.

Because I’ll be damned if anything is going to get in the way of my family making the most of the Colorado alpine.

In Case You Missed It

The other week, I dove into all the reasons why you’ll never find me hiking alone. I feel like it’s a bit of an unconventional take in this era where people are really embracing solo hiking, but there are some solid reasons to avoid it at all costs.