A vista with blue sky and clouds, green shrubs and dirt path. A backpacker is seen on the path in the distance.

Join us on the adventure!

Explore the outdoors through walking, hiking, and backpacking

With friends, family, and my zirconium hip!

Lea Appleton wearing a puffy jacket and smiling

The Hip Hiker Mission

Hip Hiker is dedicated to inspiring people to enjoy walking, hiking, backpacking, and spending time in the outdoors as we age. Through storytelling, trip suggestions, gear recommendations, and safety tips, Hip Hiker promotes exploration and adventure while embracing our own limits — with real insight from someone who hikes with a zirconium hip and osteoporosis. This site is a home for active living and meaningful time outdoors.

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Lea Appleton wearing a puffy jacket and hat is using walking poles and getting ready to hike up a hill.

About Lea

Lea Appleton, M.A., M.Div., PCC, is the author of Walking & Wayfinding: Create Your Own Mindful Practice, One Step at a Time, an Amazon #1 bestseller in Walking, and the founder of Wild Wayfinding, a coaching, consulting, and guided experiences practice for people navigating the terrain of meaningful change.

She writes about aging boldly outdoors because she believes the path we walk and the life we're living are never really separate. She loves long walks with friends and family, and her trusty zirconium hip. Lea holds credentials with the International Coaching Federation (PCC) and the National Board of Health and Wellness Coaches (NBC-HWC).