How to Add a Joy Checklist to Your Outdoor Adventures

A windstorm hit the area yesterday, forcing me to cancel my first hike as a newly minted Mountaineers Hike Leader. In the end, safety ruled. All eight hikers remained safe because…I notified hikers before anyone wasted gas driving to the trailhead. The rest of the weekend, I daydreamed about hikes I might lead in 2025 and added a series of mid-week trips to the Mountaineers website. I focused on the positives and created a “joy checklist” which includes seven items for future outings. Use my list as a starting point to develop your own.

Celebrate Little Wins

On your next adventure, pay particular attention to any little wins. Acknowledge reaching a trail junction, summiting a peak, or simply completing your first mile of the day. Every step is progress.

On one wintry hike a few years ago, a friend and I hiked the Pratt Lake Trail until we reached snow. We turned it into a game, doing a “Count Dracula” Mwahahaha (surely you recall him from Sesame Street?) every time we crossed a stream without getting our feet wet.

Your Joy Checklist: How might you “Gamify” your next adventure to commemorate and celebrate little wins?

Add a Tasty Treat to Your Joy Checklist

Another item to add to your Joy Checklist is to include a favorite snack or drink to enjoy at a scenic viewpoint or snack break during your journey. It’s amazing how much joy some hot cocoa, a few home-baked cookies, or a delectable piece of dark chocolate can bring.

One of the things I plan to do with my Mountaineers hikes in 2025 is to bring “summit treats” to share with participants, ranging from individually wrapped Ghirardelli chocolates to fresh ripe apricots, depending on the season. This is a trick I learned during my four WTA work parties. They offer everyone a “candy break” at 10:30 a.m. for each trip.

Go Slow and Notice the Details

This one may be counter-intuitive at first. But the more you do it, the more you will notice. The joy checklist challenge: walk at half your usual pace for 5-10 minutes and look anywhere BUT at your feet.

Take in the intricate details: the texture of bark, the sound of leaves crunching, the slant of the sun’s rays hitting the fog, or the scent of damp earth. You might even get in the habit of recording (via picture, Notes, or later journal entry) what drew your attention and what you discovered.

Is a Journal or Camera on Your Joy Checklist?

An important item on my joy checklist is my phone. I always hike with it in airplane mode, as I hate being disturbed when I recharge my batteries in nature. But it is still important for:

• Recording, identifying, and recognizing birds I hear via the Merlin App through Cornell University
• Taking notes about anything unusual or important for future journal entries or blog posts
• Photographing my adventures
• Researching backup plans on AllTrails or learning about side trails I might want to explore later

If you don’t like using your phone that way, bring a small notepad or digital camera to document a moment through words or photos. A short note about the sun peeking through the trees or a snapshot of an unusual fungus among us can contribute to reflections later.

Create a Trail Tradition

Create a ritual to look forward to that makes you smile. When my husband and I led climbs for the Mountaineers, we used to challenge participants to do 25 pushups at the summit. In the summer of 2023, my daughter and I visited alpine lakes and challenged each other to stay in the water the longest.

You could do a celebratory dance move (John Travolta, anyone?). Test out the echo effect when you reach a lake surrounded by high rock walls. Remove your boots and wade in the water for some grounding. Bring a trinket or donation to add to a hidden geocache. I know plenty of people who leave trinkets in the mailbox atop Mailbox Peak.

Never leave behind anything offensive like orange or banana peels, trash, or dog bags. Please be respectful of others’ enjoyment of the mountains. I ascribe to the tenet: “Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but photographs.” See if you can add something to your joy checklist that won’t disturb future visitors.

A Joy Checklist Includes Appreciating (Nearly) All Weather

Equip yourself to find joy in any condition. Rain may mean fewer people. Snow transforms the trail into a winter wonderland. Fog lends a mystical feel to the mountains. Your mindset is everything.

The only thing that keeps me from the mountains is strong wind. A friend shared that she narrowly missed getting injured from a falling tree. 4 years ago two friends and I were hiking the Tiger Mountain Trail when we heard a huge tree fall near us. Since then, I’ve adjusted my rule: the only thing that will prevent me from hiking is winds approaching “near gale” on the Beaufort Scale.

Practice Something New

Bring a plant identification guide with you. Practice navigating the old-fashioned way, with a map and compass. Use some new breathing or mindfulness techniques on the trail. Spend a minute in turn paying attention to each of your senses.

What can you smell that you never noticed before? If you close one eye, how does that change what you see? If you stop moving, how long does it take to see or hear your first bird? Growth adds to your joy and enriches your experience of nature.

Share Gratitude

Whether you offer a smile to a fellow hiker or a word of thanks to someone for something small they’ve done, sharing in some way often amplifies joy. When your group takes a break, see if you can find something you’re thankful for. If someone is struggling, a word of encouragement might be just what they need to keep going. And if you come equipped with funny stories or tasteful jokes, more power to you!

If you have a unique item you’ve added to your joy checklist you think others might enjoy, please share them in the comments. I love hearing from readers.