Lights, Camera, Walking Poles!

Back in October 2023, I had the joy of participating in the Jockey Hollow Hike with FreeWalkers – my first real walk on a hiking trail as opposed to an open space with streets, beaches, etc.  It had rained pretty hard the night before, and we all knew the trail was going to be muddy.  As such, Risa kindly offered to share her spare walking poles with those of us who wanted to borrow one. 

I was skeptical for many reasons.  No, I can walk just fine.  No, I’m not skiing.  No, I’ll be careful. 

But as Risa made clear prior to departure (and as I learned over the course of that day), using a walking pole is in no way a reflection of your abilities or athleticism.  In fact, one of the top priorities of any athlete is to avoid injury at all costs.  After that Jockey Hollow hike, I went home and immediately purchased my own set of walking poles, which I now love using.

I know there are many physical and/or medical reasons to use walking poles that are recommended by physicians, trainers, or other health-related professionals.  I am not here to talk about those reasons – I will leave that to the actual pros.  I am also not recommending what type of poles you should get, or whether you should use one pole or two (since poles are usually sold as a pair).  Those are personal choices depending on your needs and preferences. 

My reasons for recommending walking poles are more basic and practical – things you learn as you go, notably after you realize how narrowly you just avoided hurting yourself.  And as a film buff, I can think of no better way to illustrate this than to present five scenes from five classic films that likely would have ended much better for the character(s) involved had they been using a walking pole, and why.

Here they are, in no particular order… (oh, and SPOILER ALERTS):

Scene 1 (Preventing Cliff-Related Or Otherwise Dangerous Falls)

There was no better (unexpected) comedic duo than Robert DeNiro and the late, great Charles Grodin – as proven by the 1988 action comedy, Midnight Run.  However, a walking pole might have deprived us of the excitement and hilarity of the famous river rapids scene. 

You’ll recall that, having crashed their car near a cliffside location, DeNiro and Grodin’s characters were running from a gun-toting helicopter sent by a vengeful mob boss.  While running too close to the cliff’s edge, Grodin lost his balance and fell about a hundred feet into a rapid-filled river (and it’s the movies, so the impact of hitting the water from that high up did not kill him instantly).

Think of the walking pole as your “third leg,” turning you into a human tripod.  That third leg provides more stability and balance, two things you will need when walking anywhere remotely close to the edge of a cliff, ravine, or other “drop.”  Which, to be fair, you should avoid doing to the best you are able, but can be inevitable on certain walking trails.

***Being a “tripod” suggests you are only using one walking pole at a time (which is my personal preference).  As I mentioned above, walking poles are sold in pairs, and some people prefer to use two at a time.  Do what works best for you.

Scene 2 (Providing Stability on Slippery Surfaces)

Full disclosure – I am in no way embarrassed how many hours of my life have been spent watching and re-watching one of the funniest slip-and-fall scenes of all time from (in my opinion) the greatest comedy of all time:  My Cousin Vinny.  In fact, I’m kind of proud of it, as it’s brought me a lot of laughs over the course of many decades.

I am talking about the scene where Joe Pesci, in yet another failed attempt to get a good night’s sleep, stepped out of his car into a field of post-storm generated mud, and “up then down” he goes – first onto his back, then his stomach.  

Mud can be slippery.  Ice, by definition, is slippery.  But sometimes you’re not always certain how slippery a surface is, and sometimes you may not even be able to see the surface at all (e.g., black ice).

As I mentioned above, having a “third leg” via a walking pole will always give you a leg up (excuse the pun) on any wet/slick surfaces.  But a well-placed walking pole can also be a great indicator of “yeah, this mud is just kind of squelchy and annoying” versus “oh, I’m going to slide out if I try this.”  The more you walk, the more experience you’ll have encountering and looking out for different types of slippery surfaces.  Having the pole as a “feeler” can help you avoid any embarrassing (or worse, painful) “Joe Pesci in My Cousin Vinny” moments.

Scene 3 (Feeling/Hearing Potentially Sharp or Otherwise Dangerous Objects)

Speaking of Joe Pesci, this past holiday season, my husband and I selected Home Alone as our 2023 “Feel Good” Holiday Film to watch on Christmas Eve.  When thinking about the multitude of traps Kevin set up for the burglars, almost all of them (in some way) could have been fended off or at least been less devastating had Marv or Harry had a walking pole.  But there’s one that is not all that obvious… the giant nail sticking out of the tar-covered basement steps. 

Poor Marv.  I still have to turn away from the screen when he steps barefoot onto the nail.  But a walking pole might have done two things for him.  First, an object that large will likely be brushed/hit by a walking pole in advance of your stepping on it – giving you notice to stop and look.  Second, since most walking poles are plastic or metal, you might also hear the sound of your pole hitting a sharp/metal object (another reason to keep your ears open while you’re walking).  ***This tip is especially important when you are trekking through piles of leaves, sticks, or forces of nature (e.g., the dark) that make seeing the ground more difficult.

***In case anyone was wondering, the other two contenders for our 2023 Film Selection were Love Actually and Christmas Vacation. 

Scene 4 (Testing the Weight/Stability of a Surface)

Speaking of Christmas Vacation, what could possibly be funnier than Chevy Chase crashing through the floor of an attic?  Well, I guess ANY scene in that film involving Randy Quaid, and Uncle Lewis poorly reapplying his burnt toupee after being blown a hundred feet in the air (PSA: Don’t throw lit matches into sewage liquid from your nephew’s RV).

That said, walking poles can help you determine if a surface will hold your weight (like a man-made bridge across a stream) or whether a surface is stable enough to step on (like a rock you need to climb).  For example, if you push your pole down on the rock and it teeters/flips over, don’t step on it.  If you prod a log with your pole and it starts rolling out of place, it’ll roll right out from under your foot.  And if you push your pole down on, say, a piece of wood on a man-made bridge and it bends or you feel/hear it crack, find another way. 

So the next time you’re at the Griswold’s house, make sure whoever goes into the attic takes a walking pole to test the strength of the floorboards.

Scene 5 (Measuring Depth of Water/Mud)

Towards the end of the 1961 version of the classic film, The Parent Trap, you’ll recall the fun-filled family weekend in the mountains where our protagonist twins, Sharon and Susan, took all steps necessary to prevent their father from marrying Vicky, the conniving gold-digger.  This included a well-planned prank that resulted in Vicky full-body plunging into the lake that the twins assured her was ankle deep. 

***I must highlight the cinematic brilliance in demonstrating the lake’s depth via an underwater closeup of Hayley Mills with two feet standing on her shoulders as she stares wide-eyed at a passing fish.

However, had Vicky been equipped with a walking pole to use as a “feeler,” she would have figured out very quickly that the twins were lying.  Not only can a walking pole prevent you from getting unexpectedly soaked or muddy, but, in the event getting wet is inevitable, it can still allow you to gauge and take depth-appropriate steps into whatever lies ahead so you can avoid hurting your ankle, knee, entire leg, etc., while also using the pole as an extra source of stability.

In closing, I’m very glad there were no walking poles available to remove the pricelessness from all of these scenes.  But when it comes to my walking journey, I’m grateful I allowed myself to be more open-minded by giving poles a chance.  And why I will always listen to Risa!!!

Happy Walking (With Your Poles),

Lindsay