“Extreme Day Hike” … sounds like an exaggeration of the simple feat of walking. It is.
It is all relative. For a person not in shape, an extreme day hike may be a walk around the shopping center. On the other hand, for a trail or marathon runner, these hikes may be a walk in the park. This site characterizes “The Extreme Day Hike” as one that consumes most of the day in a challenging adventure in a spectacular natural setting, typically gaining an elevation gain of 4000 feet +, 14 miles round trip, and on a trail.
Other easier day hikes are also described on this site, especially if there is a unique aspect such as exotic, exciting, scenic, or otherwise entertaining. Examples are a section of the Great Wall of China, a major city hike/walk, or my favorites: Hiking up a hill to the top of an island to 13,300 feet and looking down at an “ocean” – Lake Titicaca – at 12,500 feet.
High Altitude. Any hike to over 14,000 feet altitude, a “Forteener,” is clearly an an extreme day hike due to two challenging factors: Lack of oxygen and quickly changing weather. Even after acclimatization, some people do not cope well with the high altitude and become ill. Secondly, the danger of unexpected storms bringing heavy rain, snow, or thunderstorms is greater at higher altitudes.
Multiple shorter hikes. Another version of an extreme day hike is to cobble together multiple hikes in a locale. The total distance, elevation, and interest combine to make a great experience. For example see the DayHiker article on the Capital Reef National Park located in the red rock country of Utah. I stitched together 3 of the Capital Reef hikes for amazing day experience.
UPDATE coming in 2023: This site will shortly be divided into two main categories:
1. Legacy Extreme Day Hikes. I will keep the 10 best day hikes on this site that are the most memorable to me. I the top 10 as described above will be updated as information becomes available. If you happen to hike one of these and find interesting updates please email me.
2. Gentle Walking, hiking, running for 70+ years olds. I will be chronicling my own journey as I move through my 80’s. Since I was born in 1943, and ahead of you baby boomers my goal is to discuss the myriad of benefits for moving on your feet.
Ready to see some examples?