Spotlight: The 5 Types of Hikers You See in the Hudson Valley

The Hudson Valley might be the only place where telling someone to "take a hike" isn't an insult but rather a helpful suggestion.

From the Shawangunks to the Catskills and beyond, there are breathtaking trails everywhere you look. For better or worse, there also seems to be very specific types of hikers that go along with the miles and miles of paths.

There are some obvious choices (which we'll start with first) as well as some more nuanced hikers that you've definitely seen whether you knew it or not. Let's get rolling...

1. The New York City Tourist

There are several distinct characteristics of the classic New York City tourist. Branded clothing from a city university or hospital might be the easiest clue (NYU is a particularly popular choice), but passing conversations are also a big giveaway. Keep an ear out for keywords like "bar crawl", "Grand Central Station", and "our weekend house".

2. The Person Whose Identity Is Hating New York City Tourists

For every yin, there is a yang, and there always seems to be a local hiker on the trail whose entire identity is wrapped up in letting everyone know how they feel about out-of-towners. Identify them by their loud passive-aggressive huffs as they walk around a group of people taking a selfie or the death stares they give anyone with the abovementioned NYU gear.

3. The Seven-Year-Old Who Is Somehow Doing Better Than You

No matter how fit you think you are, there always seems to be a small child on the trail who is having zero difficulty with the hike that you thought was difficult. They most often appear just as you collapse in a heap, swinging their stuffed animal and loudly asking their parents if they can have more graham crackers.

4. The Person Who Definitely Just Smoked Weed

Reconnecting with nature is great, but it seems like some hikers are a little more concerned with the green in their pipe than the nature around them. These stoners can be put into two categories: parking lot chillers (who never make it past the trailhead) and surprise athletes (who are somehow doing bong rips on the mountaintop).

5. The Trail God

You usually don't realize you've met a trail god until long after they've left. These majestic hikers manage to look like they were born in the boots they're wearing, and seem to effortlessly glide through terrain that would scare a mountain goat. They can be identified by their encouraging smiles as well as their camouflage... because once they go around the bend, they're gone forever.

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An honorable mention would be us, the average Hudson Valley resident just looking to enjoy our local mountains. We get gassed hiking up Mount Beacon, but we'll be damned if we let anyone know. At least we're not playing music loudly from a Bluetooth speaker...