The Outdoor Edit: I Asked Avid Hikers for Their Beauty Checklist, Here’s The Reveal

From 2019 to 2021, I fell in love with hiking. After my first experience, I was hooked because of how quickly it allowed me detach from everyday stressors. Soon enough, I was trying to get out on the trails at least once a month or every other month until the weather no longer permitted it. Since then, life has picked up considerably, and I rarely get the opportunity to spend quality time in nature. So when I heard that Peak & Pace, a New York-based run crew turned wellness community, was heading upstate for a hike, I was sold.

“New York is a city where you get to meet a lot of people but it’s hard to find others with similar mindsets to you, so I wanted to start something where I could meet new people, get out more, and connect,” says founder Owen Akhibi Herrera. “I wanted to bring community together, and a group of 12 of us grew to over a thousand.” Truthfully, it didn’t take long for me to realize why so many people gravitated toward this crew. The welcoming energy took me right back to my early days on the trails, and as many would say, it’s the company your with that makes the experience worth it.