In our last Hiking Yosemite article, we talked about slowing down and enjoying the journey instead of rushing to the destination.

If you’ll indulge me for one more article, I’d like to stay in that frame of mind.

Because the more I’ve thought about it, the more I’ve realized that slowing down isn’t just about walking a little slower.

It’s also about remembering to look behind us once in a while.

It’s human nature.

We spend a lot of our hike looking ahead.

Ahead to the waterfall.

Ahead to the summit.

Ahead to the lake.

Ahead to wherever it is we think we’re trying to get.

I’ve caught myself doing it more times than I can count.

Head down.

Watching my footing.

Thinking about how much farther I have to go.

Then I’ll stop for a drink of water, turn around almost by accident, and wonder how I managed to miss the view that had been behind me the whole time.

Yosemite has taught me to look back once in a while.

Not because the trail behind us is more important than the one ahead.

But because the perspective changes.

Sometimes dramatically.

Take almost any out-and-back trail in Yosemite and you’ll notice something interesting.

The view going out isn’t the same as the view coming back.

The morning light hits differently than the afternoon light.

Granite walls that seemed ordinary on the climb suddenly glow in the evening sun.

A meadow you barely noticed on the way out somehow becomes your favorite photograph of the day.

Loop hikes are a little different.

On many of them, once you’ve passed a view, you may never see it again.

That’s exactly why I’ve gotten into the habit of stopping every now and then and simply turning around.

You’d be surprised how often the view behind you is just as impressive as the one ahead.

I think life works that way too.

Sometimes we get so focused on what’s next that we forget to appreciate how far we’ve already come.

One of my favorite Yosemite moments isn’t reaching the destination.

It’s that first stop on the way back.

The pressure is gone.

The destination has been reached.

There’s nowhere left to hurry.

Suddenly, I start noticing things I walked right past a few hours earlier.

A twisted old pine somehow clinging to solid granite.

Tiny wildflowers growing out of cracks in the rock.

Clouds casting shadows across the Valley.

It’s almost like Yosemite is saying,

“Now that you’ve stopped worrying about getting somewhere, let me show you what you’ve been missing.”

I don’t think that’s an accident.

I think Yosemite rewards curiosity.

It rewards patience.

And maybe, every now and then, it rewards people who simply remember to turn around.

The next time you’re hiking, try something.

Every so often, stop.

Turn around.

Take in the view you’ve already walked through.

Whether you’re hiking an out-and-back trail or a loop, there’s a good chance you’ll see something you would have otherwise missed.

And if nothing else, you’ll gain a new appreciation for just how far your own two feet have carried you.

Trail Truth

I think that Yosemite has a way of rewarding the people who pause every once in a while.

Sometimes the best thing you can do on a trail isn’t to keep moving forward.

Sometimes it’s simply to stop, turn around, and appreciate the view you’ve already walked through.

You may discover that some of Yosemite’s most beautiful moments weren’t waiting at the destination after all.

They’ve been quietly behind you all along.

And the trail doesn’t end here. Until next time, get outside, take the scenic route, and make a few memories. After all, that’s what the best adventures are really about. We’ll see you in the next edition of Hiking Yosemite.