I’ve never regretted getting up early for a hike. I had that realization on my favorite trail near Pasadena last week, as I breathed in the cool morning air, watching as sunbeams filtered through the tree leaves above. A chilly breeze blew past, and it felt like someone had turned on the AC.
I don’t consider myself a morning person. When I was a teenager, my family would jokingly advise: “Don’t talk to Jaclyn until they’ve had their coffee.” But recently, I’ve found myself willingly springing out of bed by 6 a.
m. to hit the trails. I grab my coffee (still extremely necessary), my trusty hiking companion Maggie May and head out the door.
We are back to the car by 8 a.m., before it starts getting hot.
I know, I know. Last week, I exalted the joys of hiking at night , especially under the full moon. Well, dear Wilders, when it’s this hot out, I would recommend doing both.
That being said, I know that peeling yourself from bed in the early hours of the morning can be challenging. Especially when you’re running on low sleep and scrambling to manage work and family responsibilities. So I reached out to a few hikers who wake up much earlier than me to glean some wisdom for how to best motivate oneself to stick to a pre-dawn routine.
Below they share their tips and tricks for remaining consistent. Because early-morning adventures make the stress of life more tolerable. 1.
Set multiple alarms and pack the night before Omar Covarrubias, the organizer behind L.A. morni.