Things to remember to pack while hiking

• water!!
• map
• food/snack
• outerwear for weather changes, chances of rain, windy conditions, etc.

Definitions

Duration
The average length of time it takes for somebody to complete the trail. This really depends on an individual's pace, the number of stops to take for a water break, snack, or a meal, and if they're taking lots of photos (like me!)

Difficulty

• easy: paved or relatively flat trail with minimal elevation change; short
• moderately easy: some elevation change with restful flat sections
• moderate: a combination of elevation change and length
• moderately strenuous: frequented
• strenuous: best saved for those looking for a difficult challenge or really fit; tends to have a large elevation change and long distance
• disclaimer: I may not may be the best judge - these are classified by how often I'm out of breath 😉 (i.e. strenuous = very frequently out of breath)

Length
RT (a.k.a. round-trip): length of trail there and back
loop: trail goes in a general circle with limited step retracing.

Danger
Generally, this depends on the climate of the region, current seasonal conditions, and daily weather changes. Always dress appropriately. Trails can be unmaintained, with trees and or rocks to climb over or obstructing the path, extremely steep, muddy after a rain, etc.

Exposure

• shady: covered by large rock shadows, towering trees and forests
• mostly shaded: sunlight filters through the trees, though there may be sections where the sun reaches the floor either through tree gaps or in open areas
• mix of shade and sun: parts of the trail may be shaded and other parts may be exposed
• mostly sunny: some trails may be flanked by trees and provides limited shade
• open/full exposure: little to no areas for a rest in the shade

Crowd Factor

• very low: very few human sightings
• low: some people here and there, but enough to have solitude on the trail
• moderate: A fair number of people on the trail to know that this trail is popular. People sightings tend to be every couple of minutes
• high: constant sightings of people. Sometimes there are congestions to let people pass interspersed with low flow sections. Personally, at this point, I believe people start minding their own business and don't say "hello" to each other on the trail anymore.
• very high: as crowded as a mall on Black Friday (major shopping event in the US). Generally slow paced walking/hiking while having to weave in and out to advance forward
  

Inspiration and Helpful Sites

• Chris Burkard: outdoor and photography influencer
• National Park Maps: a one-stop source for all national park maps without having to look for maps at each individual nps.gov site
• Bay Area Hiker: Jane Huber's incredibly helpful site for finding hikes throughout the San Francisco Bay Area
• The American Southwest: John Crossley's well-documented site of places to visit and hike in the American Southwest. This site helped a lot when I was planning for my Yosemite trips!