HYOH is a mantra used out on the trail by hikers as a reminder that we must own our hikes. No one can tell us how we should hike our hike. No one can tell us how to do it in a way that we can each get the most out of our own individual experiences.

99 year old ranger station just off the trail.
There are a ton of choices that you make on the trail to take ownership of your hike. Are you a purist (hike past every white blaze unfailingly)? Will you aqua blaze (take a raft/canoe down the Shenandoah)? I definitely came out here with an idea of what my hike would look like. However, now that I am closing in on my third full week, I know that that concept is still developing in my mind. I want to be somewhat of a purist, but…