travel and rhum

I'm looking for something that has a vibe similar to "the secret life of walter mitty". Light and inspirational and fun. Something that leaves you feeling good after you've finished it.

Recently did this hike:

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/virginia/cedar-run-trail-to-white-oak-fire-road-loop

I have like, zero hiking experience. I’ve usually been a pretty active person, but I did have some injuries and life events where I ended up not exercising nearly as much as I used to (4-6 days a week) in the past year or two.

It ended up being about an 8.6 mile hike in total, with 2273ft elevation gain, and started at the top, went down, and then back up to the top (meaning that the hard part, uphill, of the hike was last).

I definitely maybe overestimated my abilities choosing to do this hike. I did it counter-clockwise, and by the last maybe 2-3 miles I was struggling. Obviously the only way out was to keep going up, but it was an accomplishment just to keep putting one foot in front of the other and making sure my legs didn’t give out on me by the time I was at that last stretch. My heart rate was ~170 for the majority of the uphill portion of the hike. And after the hike, I had some knee and hip issues for the next week. They were really hurting by that end portion of the hike.

It obviously doesn’t feel great to have been struggling that much at the end of this hike, but I am proud of myself for just how much I pushed through.

But, it leaves me feeling like I’m so out of shape. Was this just a hard hike for any beginner, or am I in trouble with my health?

I’m looking into footwear for hiking and I’m starting to wonder if hiking boots or shoes will be a better option. I’m assuming hiking boots would be warmer and more durable while shoes would be lighter and probably more comfortable, not sure if one or the other would be more waterproof. So whats best for beginners to get first for like 4-6km hikes?

Me and my brothers (4 total) are planning a casual camping trip. We are from NC so want to stick to NC mountain ranges but could venture to VA. We want to go anytime between April-September, 3 days. 2 of us are experienced backpackers 2 are not, so we’re thinking a casual camping trip that has a rest room, near a brewery, and near some quality hikes for day trips. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

I cant seem to find a hiking shoe/boot that holds up to daily use for more then 6 months. I just went through my third pair of salomons in the last 2 years.

I hike dirt trails (water pack is all thats carried) through mostly dry canyons for 4-6 miles a day with some weeks only seeing 2x a week hiking.

I'm 6'4" male around 190lbs.

The salomons develop holes in the top front sides, they loose their water proofing, finally no tread.

My budget is around $150 to $200.

The nice thing about salomon is there 2 year warranty. Should I just go with them again and keep replacing?