Cool Tips for Hot Hikes
Who turned up the thermostat outside? Just when spring allergies allowed some of us to leave the house again, it got hot. Really hot. And it’s going to get hotter in July, so how about some tips to keep cool while still logging the exercise miles?
Since we love bullet points, let’s list them as our Top Ways Not To Melt On A Daily Walk:
Go Early. Yes, we know you’ve already thought of that one, but it’s easier to do when you set your alarm at least half an hour earlier than usual. The sun’s up early and rudely waking you anyway, so you might as well use the cooler morning temps and get your miles in while it’s still pretty easy to leave your air conditioning.
Go Late: If you just sleep through early alarms, then twilight walks may be perfect for you. It’s called the Golden Hour for a reason, when nature is softly lit and temps are gentler. Just be aware that most parks will close at dark and you’ll want reflective clothing and a flashlight if you take your walk near traffic. An LED armband is highly recommended for late evening walks.
Try A Cooling Wrap: They come in lots of fun patterns and colors and cost as little as $10. Inside the wrap are something called water drops, made of absorbent polymers that hold hundreds of times their weight in water. Soak them in cold water before your walk, wrap them around your neck, and enjoy the evaporative cooling effect. They make them for dogs, too, if you’re walking with a four-legged buddy.
Keep Your Water Bottle in the Fridge: And, of course, remember to take it with you when you walk! Adding ice to the water will cool it down if you forget to refrigerate it in time for your walk but you don’t want to start out with a frozen bottle because it will likely melt too slowly to provide sufficient hydration.
Dress for Success: That doesn’t have to mean high dollar technical clothing, the kind that wicks away perspiration to cool the skin. Any clothing that is loose and light enough to permit air flow can allow your body’s natural cooling system—perspiration—to do its job. Natural fabrics, especially linen, can be excellent choices.
Choose Your Path for Shade: If you’re not lucky enough to live on a street lined with big, leafy trees, then seek out parks and trails that offer lots of shade. We found just such a trail at the Tal’s Trailhead section of Wilson Creek Greenway. Read on for a few more tips on summer hiking and our review of the trail.
Wilson’s Creek Greenway Review: click here for map
If this is your first time reading one of our trail reviews, let me quickly tell you that the trails are hiked and the reviews written by the Professional Weight Management webmaster, Karen (that’s me), and my year-old collie Birdie. All opinions are mine and your mileage may vary, but this trail is lovely. Yes, I overuse the word lovely but that’s how the Ozark Greenways describes it on their website and who am I to argue? It links to South Creek Greenway and honestly I’m never sure exactly which trail I’m on at any given time, but does it matter when thick trees are arching over a cool path and wildflowers are dotting the undergrowth with color? Not to mention that Wilson’s Creek Greenway is a National Recreation Trail.
Birdie and I parked at Tal’s Trailhead, basically just west of FF at the endpoint of Battlefield Road. From our parking spot, we headed to the Tal’s Trailhead sign and then followed the trail southwest (the trail can also be followed away from the sign toward Rutledge-Wilson Farm Park). We started out about 8:30am, hiked 1.15 miles and turned around for a total of 2.3 miles by 9:30am, allowing for brief stops for Birdie to enjoy some sniffing. During that hour the temperature during our late June walk climbed from 75 degrees to 83 degrees and would continue climbing to more than 90 degrees by the afternoon. We beat the heat.
The trail offers a wide paved path, most of it level with a few moderate climbs. It looks like this:
And this, where we turned around.
And did I mention the flowers?
TIP: All that shade and shrubbery is a haven for mosquitoes. I was only bothered by a few of them and walking briskly can discourage them, but mosquito spray is recommended if you’re sensitive to their bite.
You’ll share this trail with bikes, so keep your ears open for one coming up behind you and be ready to shorten a dog’s leash. This is also a good reminder to also pull your dog in when you approach other dogs. Not all dogs are as friendly as yours might be.
The entire Wilson Creek Greenway Trail is an 11.9 mile out and back but one of the blessings of trails is that you don’t have to hike the entire trail. Just keep track of your miles covered and turn around when you’re halfway to your goal.
Have fun on the trail. And stay hydrated.