Yep, still doing the 52 Hike Challenge and my biggest learning experience is that sometimes it is SO HARD to find time to take a simple hike. I thought this challenge would be a piece of cake for me throughout the summer and I found myself discouraged when I fell behind because life got crazy. I caught up, and I’m doing some beautiful fall hikes now!
The Hikes
Week 11: Waterfall Canyon; Ogden, Utah
Week 12: Lake of the Isles, Minneapolis, MN
Week 13: Carver Lake Park; Woodbury, MN
Week 14: Sovereign Grain (grandparent’s farm); Cresco, IA
Week 15: Downtown Minneapolis, MN
Week 16: Mississippi Gorge Regional Park; Minneapolis, MN
Week 17: Walker Art Center Sculpture Garden/Loring Park; Minneapolis, MN
Week 18: Lake Nokomis; Minneapolis, MN
Week 19: Loring Park; Minneapolis, MN
Week 20: Gold Medal Park; Minneapolis, MN
Reflections
Favorite trips:
Ogden, Utah // Waterfall Canyon Trail. I loved being able to take a long weekend trip out to Utah with my best friends – and we loved conquering this hike together. The trail wasn’t too packed and the climb up wasn’t as steep as I expected until the very top. It was really cool to see a waterfall tucked away and such a rewarding sight!
Lake of the Isles. It was just a walk around one of Minneapolis’ beautiful lakes with a friend, but it was the most beautiful night. I love taking advantage of living close to Minnesota’s amazing lakes.
Mississippi Gorge Regional Park // Unknown Trail. This was certainly one of the most unique hikes I’ve done because it was actually a trail that went down to the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area – almost a reverse hike!
In the middle of the summer, my job got extremely busy and my working hours got longer. I had a few days where I had planned hikes and had to skip them. I noticed my legs getting stiff and achey when I had to stay late at the office and my steps were continually low. This was definitely a new realization for me – the benefit of getting up and walking, even if it’s just around the lake or in a nearby park, far outweighs skipping it.
I never fell behind too far after this, but I did sometimes have to shorten my hike or go to a nearby park or trail rather than venturing to a new place. I had to get pretty creative. Either way, I made sure to fit some kind of hike or walk in – it’s definitely worth it for both my mental and physical health.
Rachel Enerson 