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Explore how you and your family can stay fit by taking advantage of the beautiful outdoors in Grand Prairie, Texas.
My husband and I had our first backpacking experience in the summer of 2015 with a 6 mile, two day hike by Lake Michigan. We were astounded by how hard it was to hike with 30 lbs strapped to your back through sand dunes. We marveled at other backpackers who could hike 10+ miles a day for multiple days in a row. Not us...no way, I thought. One year later we were shuttled to the Grand Marais visitor center to begin our 42 mile Pictured Rocks backpacking adventure along the NCT with some friends. For the first 20 minutes or so, we chattered excitedly about the trip ahead. Soon, however, conversation trailed off as we realized how incredibly far away we were being dropped off from our car. Is this a crazy idea? Over the next few days, we hiked through woods, streams, fields, beaches, and alongside breathtaking scenery. The last 10 miles of our hike was fueled by promises of hot dogs and cold beer. We've come a long way, babe...and made a great adventure of it!
The Hike 100 challenge inspired new traditions for the Paavola family for years to come. Porcupine Mountain State Park, Harlow Lake cabin at Presque Isle, and the Two Hearted River were destinations to log North Country Trail miles. There are no words to describe the beauty of Lake Superior and the winding NCT. We found cabins in the woods, blueberries, smiled in the sunshine, swam in the waves, and took pictures. A satisfying challenge that allowed us to broaden our horizons and become tourists in our own state.
Bucket list…..NCT 100 Mile Hike Challenge…. CHECK! I didn’t want to be the first one done, the fastest, the most competitive or the best dressed. I just wanted to finish AND to get a patch. But as I reflect upon this past year, what I really accomplished was much more. I have memories of bringing diverse people together in awe of the majestic Cook Forest, walking among a field of lady slippers, meeting hikers from all walks of life resting in a bed of pine, meeting my first Great Dane named Casper and mistaking it for a deer. I connected with fellow explorers that I needed to get to know better and I enjoyed the mushroom lesson with a mycologist. Each hike was a journey, sometimes getting lost just to discover a marshy wetland oasis teaming with ducks & geese. And at the end of each hike sharing fellowship around a hearty meal and ale. Each time I look at my patch I will remember with fondness the memories of hiking with groups of likeminded trekkers who chose to share in my buc
I began my challenge on January 5th (my 65th birthday) retracing part of the Shoe Year's Day Hike in the Yankee Springs Recreation Area close to our home in Holland, Michigan. In July my hiking buddy and I did the Jordan River Pathway. Two hikes in August coincided with my dog Maddy's rehab appointments in Rockford, MI. Milo (Maddy's brother) and I hiked the White Pine Trail and the Rogue River State Game Area section (too much gun fire!), I decided to finish the 100 mile challenge by completing the 42.4 mile Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore trail to challenge my hiking legs and my backcountry camping abilities. Trying to stay local, the gap was filled with the Battle Creek section and the Paul Henry trail in Middleville. 1 day - hiking in the rain, 1/2 day at the Munising Urgent Care Center for a hatchet accident to my thumb, 2 days of cloudless skies, and the last day of muddy trail near Munising Falls and I was done!!! Great goal, great memories, great challenge. Thank you!
There were many highlights in our 100 mile challenge! There were the enjoyable short hikes we made along the section maintained by our club, The Spirit of the Woods Chapter. Some were club sponsored group outings, trail work days, or just by ourselves. We experienced temperatures from the teens to the eighties, and snow, rain and sun. Some miles were on snowshoes. The most memorable hikes were a hurried Mile and a half at Lake Sakaewea, ND. Taking a two hour detour while on a cross country drive, we raced the sunset in order to claim the far west end of the NCT. The hunt for and removal of ticks afterwards lasted longer than the hike! Our final five miles came on Labor Day as we walked the span of the Mackinaw Bridge over the beautiful Straits of Mackinaw. Open to walkers on only this one day of the year we completed one of the most difficult to schedule sections, and it has inspired us to fill in the rest!
My wife and I have hiked all over the Adirondacks but the North Country trail got us out to new areas of the state for hiking. We especially enjoyed hiking the Black River Canal trail from Pixley falls to Forestport. The area was abundant in wildlife that were used to seeing people and hence very photogenic.
My wife Judy, finished her 100 miles in Sept, but kept going to help me finish mine. We got a new puppy after seeing sale signs while looking for a trailhead, so we named her Blu Blaze. Blu has hiked the last 70 miles + with us.
My wife is an avid hiker and I can't bear to think of her hiking alone. She was really excited to do this challenge and I'm always happy to support her.
I love my kuksa ☺
#bushcraft #wildcamping #camping #nature #instalike #camp #instanature #vscogood #outdoors #adventure #hiking #forest #modernoutdoorsman #wood #liveauthentic #mothernature #naturelover #backpacking #nature_seekers #wilderness #getoutside #survival #wildernessculture #campvibes #neverstopexploring #menofoutdoors #bluebirdoutdoors
#woodcraft
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The Hike 100 challenge inspired new traditions for the Paavola family for years to come. Porcupine Mountain State Park, Harlow Lake cabin at Presque Isle, and the Two Hearted River were destinations to log North Country Trail miles. There are no words to describe the beauty of Lake Superior and the winding NCT. We found cabins in the woods, blueberries, smiled in the sunshine, swam in the waves, and took pictures. A satisfying challenge that allowed us to broaden our horizons and become tourists in our own state.
My 100 miles began in July when we celebrated my niece's 40th birthday by walking the 40 miles along the Pictured Rocks National Forest shoreline. My niece, her 14 year old daughter, and I actually completed 60 miles in those three days, the rest of our family joining us for the final 15. It was truly one of the best experiences of my lifetime, the scenery along the trail rendering us completely speechless at times. My husband and our 12 pound shih tzu joined me for most of the rest of the 100 over the next months, the miles completed mostly on weekend camping trips at or near Soldier Lake, Michigan. The last 15, we completed back at Pictured Rocks earlier this month.
A summer project of hiking the NCT from the East boundary of the Chippewa National Forest in Minnesota, heading West to Itasca State Park, and the headwaters of the mighty Mississippi River started with spring (in May) and finished with fall (in early November). The NCT was in excellent condition and ran through an outstandingly beautiful section of northern Minnesota.
My wife Judy, finished her 100 miles in Sept, but kept going to help me finish mine. We got a new puppy after seeing sale signs while looking for a trailhead, so we named her Blu Blaze. Blu has hiked the last 70 miles + with us.
Hiking the NCT in Clarion and Venango counties in Pennsylvania is a fun and exciting adventure. As a child I grew up playing in the woods and now through NCT hikes, I still can explore my playground from years ago. I never realized the work that is done by many to keep the trails blazed. The forests around us are so beautiful and hiking in them reminds us just how precious they truly are. The photos attached are near the Clarion River close to Gravel Lick Road, Clarion County, PA.
#mothernature #getoutside #naturelover #theoutdoorfolk #springtime #crunchymama #freerangekids #childhoodunplugged #wildandfreechildren #letthembelittle #magicofchildhood #runwildmychild #letthemexplore #documentyourdays #pixel_kids #littleandbrave #playmatters #childrenseemagic #wildandfree #wildandfreemama #raiseawildchild #unpluggedchildhood #outdoorplay #motherhoodrising #outdoorfamilies #naturekids #loveleya #loveleya_com
I love the NCT Hike 100 Challenge. It motivated me to get out and hike sections of the North Country Trail/Finger Lakes Trail in New York that I hadn't explored before. I hiked over a variety of terrain: hills, farmers' fields, country roads, next to railroad tracks and windmills, in state forests, and through deep snow. I even hiked the trail alongside curious cows who ran over to the barbed wire fence to follow me as far as they could. I started the challenge in June with a 20-mile hike and finished in late November with another 20-miler. On my last day of the challenge, I hiked through three-foot-deep snow drifts and followed animal tracks on the trail, the only other beings to break trail before me. I can't wait to hike and explore hundreds of miles more of the trail.
The Hike 100 challenge inspired new traditions for the Paavola family for years to come. Porcupine Mountain State Park, Harlow Lake cabin at Presque Isle, and the Two Hearted River were destinations to log North Country Trail miles. There are no words to describe the beauty of Lake Superior and the winding NCT. We found cabins in the woods, blueberries, smiled in the sunshine, swam in the waves, and took pictures. A satisfying challenge that allowed us to broaden our horizons and become tourists in our own state.
This year is the first time I have hiked on the trail in all 4 seasons and each season has its own special charm. In January the trail has a quiet stillness while you break a fresh trail in the pristine snow. In April the mornings are still crisp but the air has the unmistakable smell of spring with just a hint of greenery. In late May there was the astounding beauty of walking through a field of trilliums. In the summer months, everything is so vibrantly green.
Initially began my quest with all good intent of completing the 100 mile challenge by late April. A broken ankle and slow recovery made my goal harder to reach. I managed to complete the task while wearing an orthopedic boot. I'm also working on completing the Buckeye trail...for the second time.
The late summer 2015 a girlfriend and I discovered the NCT in Calhoun county. At that point we decided to walk the entire trail that goes through Calhoun County by the end of the year. We made it!! On New Years Eve we walked the last of the trail from the Hillsdale County line back up to Homer. In January when my girlfriend said that she signed us up to complete 100 miles of the NCT in 2016. We did it! Although it wasn't what we had planned to do in the beginning, we ended up walking the same stretches of the trail in Calhoun County up until October. We walked an average of 12 miles a week for at least 20 weeks for a total of at 240 miles. We did this in the rain, the snow, in heat and in the most beautiful weather we could have asked for. The trail we discovered was and will continue to be one of the best kept secret around Battle Creek. From the dew laced spider webs to the beautiful flowers to the wildlife we spotted, we will never forget our time on the trail together.