Knees hate me going downhill

"Even squats are done trying to preferentially recruit the hamstrings and glutes."

This has been my experience. Training more with a low bar, wider stance, knees out and to just below parallel has increased the strength of my hips, glutes and hamstrings with inclusion of the quads. It has also prevented any valgus of my knees which was occurring going down hill. Well, at least minimized it.

Thanks! Really appreciate the input! Will start doing these excersises daily!

+1 on knees out. Hits the glutes more that way. I wonder though, if "tight" hips aren't keeping some from getting proper form? I've heard a good ROM test is if you can touch the inside of your heel with the same elbow, while your foot is flat on the floor.

"… touch the inside of your heel with the same elbow, while your foot is flat on the floor."

I would need surgery after that! :-)

Great information here. I just wanted to add one exercise that I feel does a great job strengthening all of the supporting muscles in my legs – slacklining. I think any balance exercise would work just as well, but I had the strongest legs of my life after the few months that I was really into slacklining. With recent backpacking knee pain I've started doing it again – so far, so good. But I haven't been down the Grand Canyon in a couple of months, so I haven't had a real test.

The downside to this method that it works best when you're not good at it. Once you get good you maintain your balance better and your legs don't have to work for you to stay on the line. I'm to the point where I practice on a completely slack "rodeo" line (which is very difficult and unforgiving) because I don't feel like normal ones exercise my legs enough.