Walking vs Hiking

I was talking to a friend the other day about walking vs hiking. I mentioned to him that I wanted to hike in the morning before doing some other thing I had planned in the afternoon.

“Where are you going hiking?” he asked.

“Just outside my house, along the Anza Trail. Nothing strenuous, just being outside” (it should be noted that the Anza is fairly flat, but it’s a dirt and sand trail through fields and forests and other wildernessy things with animals and plants and bugs and stuff. Real, honest to God nature.)

Taz and I on one of our many hikes along the Anza Trail.

He had the audacity to reply, “Oh, so you’re taking a walk, not going on a hike,” implying that you had to have significant elevation changes, some level of exertion, and possibly a drive to a new location to get to said hike before it’s a hike.

“Hahahahah. No,” I explained. “No no no no no. If the path is dirt, I consider that a hike. If the path is road or sidewalk, that’s a walk. If I am wearing hiking shoes, that’s a hike. If I’m wearing Sunday-go-to-meeting sneakers, that’s probably a walk. Hike = dirt and nature and stuff. Walk = stroll around the neighborhood. If I might get eaten by an animal, hike. If I get hit by a car, walk. There’s a clear distinction.”

He was skeptical. I was, too, but since I chose to make that distinction, I was sticking to it. No way was he downgrading my hike to a simple walk. I’M HIKING PEOPLE, TOO! NOT JUST WALKING PEOPLE! I HAVE THE SHOES FOR HIKING!!!!

On a walk. Note the sidewalk and the road in the background. We were walking.

A few days later, I went to Madera Canyon and took a hike, an actual “drive to a new location, walk along a trail, go uphill and downhill” hike. I might see his point.