Perrot State Park – Trempealeau, WI 05/05/2019

Distance: 4 miles

Toddler Perspective:

  • Running Wild – There were portions that we felt completely comfortable letting the kids run ahead and several areas where we wanted to make sure they were close to us. These portions were at the tops of the bluffs and along narrow portions of trail that dropped off to the water.
  • Terrain – This park has it all! We encountered steep climbs, gentle switchbacks, rolling hills, and walks along the water. The trail itself was well maintained and did not present many obstacles.
  • Bugs or Pests – We found our first tick of the season here! At least the one that we did see was crawling on the trail! We were pleasantly surprised that despite the flooding and obvious areas where mosquitoes would like to take up residence, there were none! Bees were a plenty but they did not bother us any.
  • Plants – We really loved the blooming trees! The ferns that were just budding were also pretty cool. We also found many walnut shells and some beautiful wildflowers.
  • Bathrooms – There was a porta-potty but there is more to come with that one:)

Weather & Trail Conditions: We could not have asked for better weather! It was a little chilly when we headed out but soon we were all quite toasty…finally! We only saw one portion of the trail with flooding and the rest was smooth sailing.

Trail Food: I finally had Jerky again…BOOM! We also snacked on the regular Twizzlers, Gummy Bears, Dog Turds, and Almonds. An exciting addition was Summer Sausage that my Aunt gave us for Christmas – so YUMMY! The kids also really enjoyed having Juice Boxes mid hike.

Highlights:

  • Joey & William – Hiking with Krista!
  • Mom & Dad – Finally having a really warm day (Mom actually got a sun burn) and encountering some steeper climbs!

We had a wonderful partner on the trail today…my Best Friend and God Mother to our kids, KRISTA! The kids were super excited to hit the trail with Krista. Truth be told, we were very lucky to have an extra helper and sanity keeper with us.

We left Krista’s car at another trailhead so she would not have to pay the entrance fee for the state park in her car (we already had a WI State Park Pass). When we entered the park we were not clear on which trailhead was the one that we intended to start from – our book showed the trailhead as Brady’s Bluff West Trail but it was actually marked as Brady’s Bluff Trail. Needless to say we drove past the trailhead the first time and had to circle back. We determined that this must be the right trail because it was right next to the boat launch that was shown on our other map. I was a bit nervous when we started out but eventually was able to determine that we were on the right trail. Photo’s credited to Hiking Wisconsin: A Guide to the State’s Greatest Hikes – A Falcon Guide by Eric Hansen and Kevin Revolinski.

Upon getting out of the car, Joey informed us that she really needed to go to the bathroom. Luckily we were right next to the bathrooms. BUT as luck would have it they had not been opened for the season yet. So, we hit the trail in search of a place where she might be able to go. The trail started with a bang. Beautiful rock stairs and towering cliffs surrounded us…it was absolutely gorgeous! William took off like a bat out of you know what and Joey was very concerned as to where she might be able to find some relief. There was a two person group behind us so we knew we had to hike at a quick pace to be able to find a responsible and private place for Joey to find some relief.

Not going into details but Joey found relief, following the rules I laid out in a previous post. Now both kids had stayed up VERY late the night before and we expected this hike to be tantrum and whining filled but they surprised us and were little troupers. William continued to want to be Blaze and cruised along, not missing a beat. There was not much trail talk on this portion of the trail because we were all oohing and ahhing over the scenery!

Soon we encountered the steeper portion of the climb. We pushed ahead to our first overlook and found our hearts starting to pump along the way. Both kids relished pushing ahead of the grownups – we kept reminding them that slow and steady wins the race but they were content in being the hare.

The first overlook was dramatic (or so we thought) and we had to take a quick moment for a family picture. Krista might not be related to us by blood but she is family, through and through.

We hit the trail again and discovered a structure that was holding wood planks. Dad joked that this might be where people would stop to take a rest. Later we realized that these structures actually held planks to replace broken planks along the trail so they would not have to haul them out there when the damage occurred – pretty ingenious! We have yet to encounter such foresight!

This part of the trail was a set of steepish switchbacks and stairs…oh the stairs!

We really enjoyed the tree that had roots growing out of the ground and right next to the stairs.

Once we got closer to the top of Brady’s Bluff the trail became narrow and was close to the actual bluffs. We had the kids check out the temperature of the rock and they were surprised that it was so cold when they were so warm.

We were greeted by our first of many expansive views at this park when we reached the top of Brady’s Bluff. So beautiful! There was also a shelter at the top but we did not get a picture of that one. We also encountered a group that had two large dogs with them. The kids were surprised with how much water the dogs needed to drink!

Next we made the descent back down Brady’s Bluff to the forest. We reminisced that this looked a lot like a hike we did in Missoula, Montana. It was crazy that the kids remembered this hike from two summers ago (Joey was 6 and William was only 3). We had fun recalling all the fun things we did the day of the “M” in Montana – county fair, playground, REI, and a great restaurant. See, these experiences really do stick out in their minds and now we are even more determined to keep it up!

We also encountered our first bee of the season!

At this point William and Joey took off! At first we were somewhat concerned but then decided they would be ok. Later, when we caught up with them, Joey was quite perturbed to inform me that another hiker had told them to slow down because they might get hurt.

William also decided he should hide in a tree to scare us:)

Next we walked through a level portion of the forest to the Perrot Ridge trail. The kids took great pleasure in running wild, ahead of us. We told them that they just had to see us and hear us, then they could go wild. They listened!

We also encountered the first of several beautifully blooming trees! If you know what the tree is, please comment! We have been trying to figure this one out but have yet to come up with any answers.

It also started to get pretty warm at this point so we needed to stop for some serious re-hydrating!

We came to a fork in the trail (4 trails to be precise) and we needed to do some debating as to which trail to take. This time we chose the right one! William started to have a bit of a meltdown because he was too hot. Our solution? Take the shirt off buddy! Boy oh boy did this put an extra spring in his step!

We also encountered more of the fun tree blooms! Seriously, what are they?!

This portion of the trail actually made Dad trip with the loose rock and steep incline. Watching Dad almost take a digger prepared the rest of us to take it slow and steady.

After the steep climb we took a moment to take in the views and again took off (William really loved hiking without his shirt) for the top! Let’s do this!

Once at the top, we decided we should really take a break for some goodies. This is where we all REALLY enjoyed the Summer Sausage (did I mention that it was super yummy?) and the kids loved the Juice Boxes! Food is a really great motivator on the trail!

Back to hiking! The trail took us along a ridgeline and the kids again took off. William found a “shield” (large piece of flat bark on the ground) and showed it to Joey, telling her it had super powers that would make him win the race. Well sibling rivalry took over and she might have knocked it into his eyes, causing him to cry. Dog turds to the rescue!

We then found more of the coveted tree blooms!

Back on the trail William took great pleasure in scaring us and Joey discussed the best place to live in the world. She told us she wanted to live in Hamilton, Montana! My favorite place on earth! We debated how we would set up our supplies to ensure that we were safe and taken care of in the event of a major snow storm. She is one smart cookie!

Eventually William’s cruising got the best of him and he literally tumbled head over heal on the trail! Luckily it was just a flesh wound and he was good to go after a Dog Turd and two Gummy Bears!

At this point Dad was convinced that Mom had lead us astray on the trail but guess what? I didn’t! BOOM! We found several Ferns just starting their bloom – super cool! And they were EVERYWHERE! We also found a neat stone bridge that of course William had to check out.

Next we hit the Riverview Trail and historic monument. Joey really enjoyed reading about the first people to inhabit this particular section of land!

At the start of this portion William thought he should encourage all of us with high fives (he wanted to fill our buckets – see previous post for an explanation).

The rail ran along a railroad and the water – very exciting all around!

It was quite a bit warmer along this section but the kids relished in running and laughing and giggling…YES!! We found beautiful wildflowers and a tree attacked by a woodpecker. The best part was finding a bridge! BUT wait there is more! We saw at least a dozen turtles by the bridge!!

Unfortunately Dad soon found an egg…that contained a baby bird…that did not make it on the ground. He creatively moved us around the sad scene, making jokes with the kids the distract them.

We next encountered our first mud of the trail (not bad at all compared to what we have experienced thus far this season). Of course we had to throw sticks in the water!

The last portion of the trail was a narrow trail next to the river and the road (separated by a guardrail). This was easy going and no problem. When we made it back to the boat launch (and our car) we realized there was a porta-potty by the boat launch! We didn’t need to find a secret place to potty at the start of our hike! Oh well, it was all a part of the fun anyway:)

We had a lovely picnic at the boat launch and headed home. William lost the battle (he tried really hard) and eventually fell asleep for at least an hour! This was an AMAZING day and made us look forward to warm weather and stretching our legs a bit more!

Best hike of the season! We cannot wait for next weekend!

Rice Lake State Park – Owatonna, MN 05/04/2019

Distance: 2.4 miles

Toddler Perspective:

  • Running Wild – Go for it!
  • Terrain – This was a mostly flat unobstructed path through the woods. We traveled along the shore of the lake for a bit, then into grasslands, forest, and more grasslands before returning to the shore. There were some downed trees that we had to navigate around, but it was easy going. We also encountered a fair bit of mud towards the end which resulted in some interesting path finding.
  • Bugs or Pests – We encountered a decent amount of bugs along the shore but nothing was biting at least! I am guessing that the bugs are pretty bad in the warmer months as there were signs in the bathroom asking people to make sure the door to the bathroom was closed to ensure the bugs did not find their way in. We were lucky but you should probably bring bug spray for this one.
  • Plants – We truly enjoyed all of the wildflowers! The trees were just starting to bud and the grass was a beautiful shade of green.
  • Bathrooms – There were bathrooms at the trailhead (3 indoor stalls – not bad!). The bug strip hanging from the ceiling was COVERED with bugs that met their unfortunate demise.

Weather & Trail Conditions: The weather was perfect! Shorts and a long sleeve shirt kept us quite comfortable. As I said before the trail was smooth and easy going but the sections of mud were a little tricky towards the end.

Trail Food: Gummy Bears, Twizzler Sticks, Almonds, and Dog Turds.

Highlights:

  • Joey – The wildflowers!
  • William – The bridges!
  • Mom & Dad – The scenery and the wood-duck house numbers!

We had planned on going to Minneopa State Park because the last time we were there we were not able to complete the Hiking Club trail because the mosquitoes were too awful so we thought we would give it another try. WELL…this time the Hiking Club trail was closed due to flooding. Minneopa State Park: 1 and Us: 0. We will be back! We did manage to get our passport stamped at least:) Onwards and outwards.

We had planned to meet a good friend in Rochester so we looked to parks that were between Minneopa and Rochester and decided on Rice Lake State Park. Back on the road for another 50 minutes. So much driving!

Once at the park the kids were excited to see that there was a playground right at the trailhead. After using the restroom and making promises to play on the playground after hiking we were finally off. Right off the bat we encountered a bridge – yep, you guessed it…William had to throw a stick in the water.

The wildflowers in this park were petite and beautiful! Joey loved stopping to look at each flower. We were so excited to see the blooms!

William enjoyed being Blaze today and was often so far in front of us that we could not see him. Joey hung back with Mom, chatting about this and that. We pointed to the pretty flowers and marveled over all of the Wood-Duck houses that we saw. It was pretty neat, the houses were actually numbered. We had quite the discussion guessing as to why they were numbered. The best that we could come up with was to track the waterfowl.

We continued on our way and eventually William fell behind and we were not concerned. Soon we heard a William grunt and then laughter filled we glee. William had found a treasure and was oh so proud!

William had found a “stick” that he could be truly proud of! He actually convinced Dad to carry this big guy for several yards before Dad “accidentally” launched it into the woods. Next we came upon a really cool tree. That was one thing this park had plenty of – large sprawling trees. They made you feel small and insignificant amongst their grandeur.

Next we encountered our first downed tree. Of course the kids needed to walk the tight rope! They really enjoy stopping to smell the roses. We used to try to push them along to complete the trail or find the anticipated vistas. Over the years, we discovered that the hike is much better when we stopped and checked out all the little things. When there is something cool to look at, we stop. When there is something good to smell, we stop. When there is a moment to take a break, we stop. The frequent stops help, this seems to give the kids an extra boost.

Off again we quickly encountered a tree blocking our path – no worries this won’t stop us!

We decided we should make a race of things. We told the kids that the next person to find a Hiking Club trail sign would get to pick the next treat. They were off!

We found a bench near a Hiking Club sign and stopped to take a quick treat break (Dog Turds of course) and snapped a quick family photo.

Often times we talk to William about emotions and how some things can fill your bucket or empty your bucket. Basically if you have a full bucket you are happy and if your bucket is empty you are quite sad. Joey had quickly overtaken William on the trail and he was quite inconsolable. I may have told him that my bucket was also empty and he decided to give me several hugs and kisses – he told me he filled 7 buckets for me! This was when we had to our first trail reroute to get around mud and downed trees but the kids seemed to be a ok with that!

Next we came upon the grasslands and we told the kids that whomever found the password first would get to pick the next treat. They were OFF! William and I found a cool downed tree and the remains of “something”. But soon William discovered that he would not beat Joey to the password…tantrum ensued. We continued on. Dad joked that the helicopter overhead was looking for the kid that was crying and continued to yell “He’s right here!”, somehow this encouraged William to take off again! Yes!

After the grasslands we encountered some SERIOUS mud! Joey ran through it and got pretty dirty but we were soon rewarded with the password and treats! BOOM!

We were off again and we encountered a cute chipmunk. It took some time to help the kids see the little guy but he sure was cute!

We also found some different seeds that had actually started germinated along the trail – they were everywhere!

Next up, mud, mud, and more mud! Oh and did I mention, William found another amazing stick! The kid has some muscles, that is for sure! We had to do some creative path finding along the trail – Mom even had to carry William for a distance because it was hopeless, he would have been covered in mud otherwise. But we made it through the mud to the entrance of the park, which worked out well because we wanted photos of the sign.

We encountered MORE mud at this point and unfortunately some pointy branches (just flesh wounds I assure you). William again decided that we should have a race to the finish. The game was ON!

Next up was the boat landing, a bridge, an upside down campsite number and THE PLAYGROUND! The kids sure had a blast on this one. I think the flat but varying landscape helped.

That is it for tonight. We have another GREAT one coming for tomorrow so stay tuned!

Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge – Zimmerman, MN 04/28/2019

Miles: 4.6 miles – 2:02:35

Toddler Perspective:

  • Running Wild – Oh yes, go for it!
  • Terrain – The trail today was wide and covered with grass in most areas. There were a few spots with some standing water and mud, but mostly it was smooth sailing! The trail was winding, with gentle slopes up and down. What was really cool was that the landscape was so varied. We saw fields, wetlands, and a spooky forest!
  • Bugs or Pests – We actually saw a few Dragon Flies today! We did not encounter any pesky insects but from what I read on their website, in the summer there are many ticks and mosquitoes. It was highly recommended to bring bug spray and to do a thorough tick check prior to leaving. Definitely something to keep in mind!
  • Plants – Nothing poisonous that we noticed. We saw many cool trees and different types of vegetation.
  • Bathrooms – There was a male and female outhouse enclosed in brick right at the trailhead. The bathroom was definitely well used and we made sure to get in and out quickly, if you catch my drift.

Weather & Trail Conditions: It started off pretty cold this morning and William was not a fan. By the end of the day it had warmed up and he was running along happily. The trails are well maintained and as previously noted, just a few wet spots to contend with.

Trail Food: Dog Turds, Almonds, Peach Rings, and Sour Patch Kids.

Highlights:

  • Joey – Seeing the birds!
  • William – Seeing the poop!
  • Mom & Dad – The varied terrain and getting out and stretching our legs!

Today we decided to tackle the other trail from last weekend. On the way out to the Refuge Joey read to us out of the “Minnesota Conservation Volunteer” magazine that my Aunt sent the kids. Guess what was featured? POOP! Joey told us all about which animals leave which droppings. She was especially excited to learn that the white poop we have seen is from Coyotes! Armed with our poop knowledge we were ready to hit the trail!

It was pretty chilly when we started and William was NOT a fan. I actually carried him for quite sometime in an attempt to warm him up. At the trailhead we found a Bird Checklist and Joey was very interested in checking to see what types of birds we might find on the trail.

We were happily surprised to see Swans fly right by us! We also saw Mallards, Red Winged Black Birds and Geese.

Unfortunately, I was unable to carry William the entire time and did need to put him down. This meant he had to walk…in the cold! We tried to explain to him that he would actually warm up if he started moving but of course this was a ludicrous idea to him. So we continued on our way. William thought he was more stubborn than dad or I (who’s the kid kidding – we are German and Italian…) and sat down in the middle of the trail refusing to move. Sorry buddy, we must continue! Eventually he realized his mistake and slowly made his way to the spot that we had stopped at just out of his eyesight, to wait for him. He eventually made his way back to us but he was determined to let us know that he was NOT happy about it.

Now, I love my kids dearly but sometimes the tantrums are just too much. I mean is it really that big of a deal if the seam to your sock is in the wrong place? Do we really need to scream and cry about it for 15 minutes? Luckily Joey noticed that I was not up to snuff in my “Cheer William Up” routine and she took my place. Today we decided to let the kids bring a pair of small walkie talkies on the trail to spice things up. Soon Joey was calling William on their walkie talkies, telling him that she was a monster and she was going to get him. Soon his smile showed back up and before you knew it he was running around like the happy dude we know and love. I was very proud of Joey in this moment. She took the time to make sure her little brother was happy and enjoying himself.

Another thing we noticed was that there appeared to have been a fire at the refuge. Evidence of the burn was on many of the trees. We even came across one tree that looked particularly scary and we joked that the tree was ready to eat William. Joey even found eyes in the markings on the bark.

Soon we came across a bridge and you know what that meant! Yep, we had to throw a stick in. I was surprised by how clear the water was. We did not spend much time looking at the water this time because monsters kept coming out of the woods and chasing us.

And yes we saw poop and lots of it! William enjoyed stepping on the crunchy one’s and Joey had fun telling us what kind of animal had likely “dropped that load”.

We also saw “caterpillars” that were actually seeds from the trees. We joked that we would be squishy an entire city of caterpillars if that was actually what they were (gross). And Joey found a fuzzy feather and then was disheartened when Dad pointed out more of the same feathers, informing her that a bird likely met it’s demise in that very spot. We were off again!

Soon we came to the Wildlife Sanctuary, which is an area that is completely closed off to us human types, to protect the migratory birds that were making their temporary home. We discussed what migratory meant and William decided Minnesota should just be warmer so the birds want to stay with us year round. We also encountered a fork in the trail and after some discussion decided to take the way Mom pointed out – shh, don’t tell but I was right!

We were serenaded by the birds and monster calls over the walkie talkies for the next 10 – 15 minutes. Dad has a pretty keen eye and found a snake skin and a bone that we are guessing was from a deer? The kids thought both were super cool. See, it’s all of the interesting little finds that make our time out on the trail enjoyable. The moments when you see a look of amazement or pure joy coming from your kids.

And of course more treats!

And we were off again! William was walking VERY slow because he was distracted by his walkie talkie. Joey decided to take this opportunity to hide in the tall grass. She waited patiently for her unsuspecting victim. Little did she know, William saw her and had this devilish little grin as he passed by her, not flinching a bit as she did her biggest, scariest RAWR!

Sadly, tragedy befell our merry little group at this point. Joey got a splinter! I tried to convince her to wait until we got back to the car to take it out but the pain was just too much. We needed to perform surgery immediately, if she was to survive. The splinter was tiny and wedged in her hand pretty good. I had to get my knife out the coax it out. Joey immediately began heave sobbing. William was brave and let me lightly drag my knife across his palm and the back of his hand to show that it wouldn’t hurt. Eventually Joey let me begin the operation. Midway through, she began screaming and William grabbed her hand and told her to squeeze tight if it hurt. She did and we were able to successfully remove the splinter. Crisis averted. Of course we all needed to eat a Dog Turd to replenish our systems after such an ordeal.

We came across a caterpillar and odd holes in the trail next. Joey attempted to pick the caterpillar up and then screeched when she realized it was dead. William enjoyed trying to figure out what made the hole. We also found fungus growing on a downed tree – very cool.

Soon we came to a Wildlife Viewing area. The kids really enjoyed looking at the different birds through the viewing devices provided. Truth be told, Mom and Dad thought it was pretty cool too.

After the observation area we continued on a narrow trail that was right next to the water, until we found another bridge. Yep, time to throw another stick in!

The trees at the Refuge were really cool and we thought we were pretty lucky to find another one that had a perfect, kid sized hole in it. Of course we had to stop and explore.

As we meandered along we discussed how AMAZING Cinnamon Buns sounded and decided that we would need to stop and get some. YUM! We also had a lively debate deciding if we should have steak or ribs for dinner. Joey voted steak and William voted ribs. (Side note – first we bought the steak and then we went back for the ribs…such a decisive family).

Soon we came to a heavily wooded area. We had two choices – a straight path along the outside of the forest or into “Forbidden Forest”. Joey has been feverishly tearing through the Harry Potter series and encouraged us to take our chances in the spooky forest. We pretended that giant spiders were after us and tore through the forest. It was really cool!

Around this time the walkie talkies began to significantly slow the kids down. It turns out it is extremely difficult to walk and talk on a walkie talkie at the same time. Dad invented a new game. The kids had to stay in front of us or Dad could steal their walkie talkie. Dad did give them a little scare, getting just close enough to make them sweat. Soon they were well ahead of us, laughing that Dad was too slow to catch them.

We enjoyed a nice walk back to the car. The kids hid their walkie talkies and enjoyed daring us to find them. We also discussed the whole “first is the worst, second is the best, and third is the one with a treasure chest”, coming up with new words to add depending on who was in the lead. Let me just say there was much talk about poop, diarrhea, green poop and stinky farts.

It was another fabulous day!!

Burning Question: How do you motivate kids to hike when they would rather stay at home?

We have several methods for this and have learned that you really have to spice things up and try different incentives frequently. Here are a few that work for us:

  • Treats! I really do not let the kids have much sugar at home but when we are on the trail, I let them go wild.
  • Games – We make up games to play along the way. I spy, scavenger hunts, tag, etc.
  • Trail Talk – kids love being able to talk about all of the gross stuff that we usually shush them for at home.
  • Mario Kart when we are driving.
  • Promise of a special treat on the way home.

Well that is it for this week! I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as we did on our journey. Stay tuned for more and thanks for reading!

Glacial Lakes State Park – Starbuck, MN 04/20/2019

Miles: Today we did 4.7 miles on the Hiking Club Trail.

Toddler Perspective:

  • Running Wild – Feel free to let the kids run wild and free on this trail! There were absolutely zero safety concerns on this one. I would recommend some caution on the various boardwalks but this is only if you are concerned with getting wet. I am guessing that in warmer months this is not as much of an issue.
  • Terrain – This trail was mostly prairie. We did not encounter any obstacles (except one fallen tree) on the trail…SMOOTH SAILING!
  • Bugs or Pests – No concerns.
  • Plants – Nothing poisonous that we saw today. We did make note of some interesting finds along the way though.
  • Bathrooms – We actually encountered 3 on this trail. Definitely a first for us. There was an outhouse at the trail, in the campsite and then in the backpack campsite.

Weather & Trail Conditions: We could not have asked for better weather today! It was bright and sunny throughout the entire journey. Also, I believe it was 60 degrees! It’s a HEAT WAVE!! The trail itself was gentle and rolling. We enjoyed that it had pleasant ascents and descents dispersed throughout our experience. One thing to note – it was SUPER windy at the high point!

Trail Food: Dog Turds, Suckers, Fun Dip, Twizzlers and Almonds.

Highlights:

  • Joey – Seeing the Pelicans!
  • William – Hiking (this kid is good at sucking up to mom lol!)
  • Mom & Dad – We also enjoyed seeing the Pelicans but our favorite part was all of the laughter today!

Last night we pulled the kids aside separately to discuss our options for hiking today. We showed them pictures of two trails and gave them brief descriptions of the trails. We then asked them to choose which trail they wanted to tackle. Both chose Glacial Lakes State Park. William really wanted to go on this trail because he and I had recently driven out there attempting to hike but we were thwarted by torrential downpours, so he wanted to give it another shot. Joey chose this one because we would be able to get another Hiking Club password. Whatever works!

We had a bit of a time crunch today because it was Grandpa Goober’s birthday and he was coming to our house to celebrate!

  • Why do we call him Grandpa Goober? Well both Grandpa’s are Steve and Joey used to get confused about who we were referring to when she was younger. So she decided that we would call them by their pets’ name. Dad’s dad is Grandpa Goober:)

That being said, we had an early start to the day. We managed to hit the road by 7:30 AMand we were at the Trailhead by 9:20 AM. The kids enjoyed playing video games on the drive (we hardly ever let them play so when they get to do it, it’s a real treat – also a good incentive for the longer hiking drives). Mom and Dad rocked out to music and listened to Dad’s podcast.

Today Glacial Lakes State Park was having an Easter celebration that was scheduled to start at noon, so we wanted to make sure we kept a good pace to sneak out of the park before the crowd arrived. Before we headed out we decided to use the “corta potty” (Joey’s term for restroom), just in case. After we finished our business we had to use hansitizer (William’s version of hand-sanitizer).

We hit the trail and soon discovered that the park rangers had already set up the scavenger hunt! Unfortunately, we did not remain on the scavenger hunt path for long – this would have been awesome for the kids.

The first portion of the trail went around the lake. William and I knew from our last trip out that the lake had a fishing dock and beach – we plan to come back when it is warm! Dad really enjoyed scaring William during this time. William would hide from Dad on the trail but then Dad would sneak up on William and Rawr! He screeched and giggled each time:)

The lake was gorgeous and right away we encountered several hills – something we really enjoy. We also found a couple of boardwalks. I’ve said it before and I will say it again, kids enjoy ANYTHING with water. I am pretty sure that if I had not been watching Joey closely, she would have “accidentally” stepped in the water.

William dubbed himself Blaze today and enjoyed dashing ahead of everyone. Again, we had no worries about him running ahead of us.

After we got to the top of another hill we found a bench that overlooked the lake. This park really likes to put benches at the tops of hills, we saw several! We also found what we think might be a cactus? Dad even poked it with his finger to see if it was sharp…it was.

Then the dreaded words came…William told us he had to poop. I managed to convince him that he could wait and that it would not be that long of a hike. This is not to say that he did not instruct me to take the “shovel” out of my pack, dig a hole, and let him let it rip.

We found another boardwalk and an outdoor theater of sorts that had a fire pit. Dad was serenading us with popular songs but sneaking the words poop and pee in place of actual lyrics. This had the kids rolling! We also heard a Woodpecker and spent several minutes searching for where it was – no luck.

Soon we reached the campground and there was a potty! SCORE! Dad accompanied the long pooper (aka William – he takes FOREVER to go) to the potty, while Joey and I scoped out the campsites. We found a few that looked promising and decided to check them out at home later.

Back to the trail! We decided we needed a little extra fuel in our engines at this point. Dog Turds it was! They were actually chocolate covered almonds from Mexico but the turds added another layer of fun. At this point we were hitting the prairie. The rolling hills were absolutely gorgeous!

William enjoyed pointing out holes that he found in the trail and speculating whether they were from a snake or a mouse. Joey found a line across the trail, which of course we had to examine.

William soon had a tantrum #1 because I would not carry him. Seriously kid? He sat down in the middle of the trail and refused to move…so we continued on without him. He let us get just out of sight before getting up and heading in our direction. After he caught up to us he sat down again and I attempted to catch tantrum #2 in action but apparently this is really funny and he laughed and moved on. Strange child, he clearly takes after his father. Next we handed out treats (this is something we do frequently – sugar makes them happy and gives them a little rush…win, win right?). William made a Lucky Charms Shooter out of his sucker. This was a pretty cool shooter, as it would shoot marshmallows everywhere!

I need to tell you that we saw so much poop today! We saw big poop, small poop, white poop, black poop, brown poop, light brown poop – you name it! We joked about the size of the butt that must have made each poo! It also became a fun game to name the poop either Joey or William. For the remainder of the hike, you would hear “There’s another William!” or “Look, I stepped on another Joey!”. Yep, we will forever be super mature.

After the prairie we entered a heavily wooded area. I am sure that this is absolutely beautiful during the summer. We soon came across a backpack site! YES! We found our summer camping destination for this park! It was secluded and blocked off from all of the wind. We will be reserving this site soon and I highly recommend checking it out. I think the sign said it was about a 1/2 mile walk from the parking lot. William decided that he wanted to go home, grab our gear and come back to camp today!

We raced along looking for the password. At this point we have 27 passwords and know that they are always located near a scenic point, so we knew it had to be coming soon. The kids were pumped and racing right along. William entertained us by discussing the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus team – don’t ask, I do not think I could adequately describe this partnership if I tried.

Soon we reached the High Point of the park – 1,352 feet above sea level. Not bad for Minnesota! It was VERY windy at the top of the hill (check out Joey’s hair) but it felt great. We also found the password.

We were off again and back into the heavily wooded area. Both kids raced along, giggling and pushing one another on.

We picked up pieces of litter we found along the way and speculated as to how it found it’s way into the park – were people purposefully in their destruction or was it an accident? William created passwords that Joey and I needed to repeat before he would let us continue on the trail. William also informed us that the “Caution” signs were silly, stating “See, I just run down the hills.” Mr. Chatty Catty also speculated as to how he might make his way into the middle of a downed tree that we found. Joey just listened and shook her head.

Soon we encountered something amazing. Two Pelicans took to the sky right in front of us! We watched, completely mesmerized for several minutes.

Shortly after the lake we came across another boardwalk and Joey chose a piece of straw to be a farmer. Of course William had to follow suit and chose a piece of straw (I would call it grass) for himself. Once he figured out Joey’s was bigger, he had to chose something a bit more manly.

I really cannot begin to express how beautiful this park is! The sounds were really cool. We could hear crickets, frogs, geese, ducks, etc. and they were deafening!

Dad began picking on William incessantly at this point. Each time he gave him a jab, William pouted and Dad laughed maniacally. Dad also found a long piece of prairie grass (5 feet give or take) and began poking us and trying to tickle us. William laughed, my allergies flared, and Joey giggled. Funny thing is, Dad played with this poker for nearly 10 minutes without issue – he gave it to Joey and she broke it under 10 seconds! Joey also finally “accidentally” slipped into the water…of course.

William took the lead as Blaze again and Joey and I enjoyed talking away back to the car. The egg hunt had been setup by the time we returned and the kids REALLY wanted to get at the eggs! We promised them next year.

It was a GREAT day! William pooped out on the way home:)

Burning Question: How do you pick a trail?

I usually start with an app called All Trails. This lets me look up the various trails listed in a particular location. I also use REI’s Hiking Project for this purpose. Both apps share pictures of the trail, reviews, descriptions, difficulty ratings and mileage. Very helpful.

I also like to the at the MN DNR’s website for state parks. I calculate the time to travel and the reward likely. The reward for us is the views, the challenge (we like harder trails if possible – the kids might not always agree but during those times we give them more sugar). We also like state parks because it gives us something new and chance to earn a password and stamp.

I also purchase Falcon Guide books for various areas that we plan to travel to. These books have been by far the most valuable hiking books in library thus far.

That is it for this week! Please comment if you have a burning question or suggestion for the blog. We appreciate any kind of feedback we can get. Until next time!

Banning State Park – Sandstone, MN 04/14/2019

Miles:  We hiked for 3 miles today, taking three different trails.  We hiked the Quarry Loop, Hell’s Gate and High Bluff trails.

Toddler Perspective:  After inquiring with parents that want to get out hiking with their kids, I decided to add this section to the posts.  Here we will discuss helpful things to know about a trail when hiking with a toddler or young child.

  • Running Wild – Feel free to have the kids run wild and free on the Quarry Loop and High Bluff trail.  The river is close in some areas but there were not any areas where we were concerned that they might take a digger and fall to their doom.  Now Hell’s Gate is a different story.  We had a strict hand holding policy for many portions and kept them within an arm’s length for the rest of the time.      
  • Terrain – Quarry Loop and High Bluff trails had gently sloping hills that wound this way and that throughout the journey.  High Bluff had a portion marked “Caution” but it was just a steeper hill down, nothing to be overly concerned with.  We have previously hiked these trails during the summer months and know that it definitely has uneven terrain and you could trip and slip but again nothing major.  The snow was a little slick today.  On Hell’s Gate we scrambled up and over boulders, crossed streams, and walked along several ledges with fairly steep drop offs.  I would not recommend bringing young children here unless you are prepared to watch them closely and help them out quite a bit (there are actually signs at the trailhead warning parents not to take young children on this trail).
  • Bugs or Pests – Thank you snow – nothing yet!  During our previous hike here we did not have any issues with mosquitos, ticks, or other creepy crawlies that might make the journey less enjoyable.
  • Plants – Moss, moss, moss!  There was still a thin cover of snow so we didn’t get a good look at the various plants this park had to offer today.  Previously, we did not encounter any poison oak or ivy.
  • Bathrooms – The bathrooms (marked men and women) are located at the trail head.  They were clean and in good working order.  Note, by bathrooms I mean that they have outhouses.

Weather & Trail Conditions: It was about 41 degrees out and sunny when we put our boots on the trail. It remained sunny throughout our journey and we enjoyed soaking up the rays! When we started the trail had nice crunchy snow but by the end the snow had started to melt and it was a mix of water and snow. The snow itself was perfect for snowballs! More about that later.

Trail Food: Gummy Bears, Licorice, Wasabi Almonds, candy from from the Wisconsin Dell’s, Peach Rings, Twizzlers, and Cinnamon Toast Donuts! William thoroughly enjoyed getting the treats ready for today.

Hiking and Passport Club: We got a stamp but we already had the password.

Highlights:

  • Joey: Seeing the rocks!
  • William: Throwing snowballs at Dad!
  • Dad: Hitting William with a snowball, Hell’s Gate, and hitting Joey with a snowball.
  • Mom: The icicles and Hell’s Gate.

Joey was at a sleepover last night which left William in charge of preparing the snacks! Boy oh boy did he relish in this responsibility. It was quite challenging narrowing his multitude of chosen snacks down into package that could fit in my pack. But we did it!

The road into the park was littered with potholes! Last summer we took a trip to Colorado and traveled a road that would not allow us to go more than 5 mph and even at that speed we knocked our heads on the windows more than once. This road was not that bad but it certainly brought back fond memories!

This was our third time at this park and our second trip on the Quarry Loop and Hell’s Gate so we were prepared for all that Hell’s Gate had to offer us. BUT last time we went it was during the summer. This trip we found that the river was quite a bit higher and moving fast! We did see a couple of brave souls out in kayaks.

Our first stop today was to the bathroom (always a good idea to convince the kids to try even if they say they do not have to because inevitably they will need to go sooner or later). I found it interesting that the outhouses were actually labeled for “men” and “women”. I do not think that I have seen this elsewhere in our journeys. Joey enjoyed reading about protected flowers and how it is against the law to collect or pick any flowers in a state park. She also read about why dogs must be on a leash and the various dangers an unleashed dog could encounter. Yep, they had reading material in the outhouse.

Well folks we were off to the races after the bathroom break! William dashed off shooting people with shells that he had imagined up last night on our midnight walk. The first half of the Quarry Loop showcased a multitude of large rock formations and an interpretive trail that talked about the history of the quarry. The kids enjoyed looking at the landmarks on the self guided tour but were not as interested in reading the actual signs. The had the itch to continue on and explore!

We came across a bridge that had a stream flowing beneath it. Of course we had to stop and of course William had to throw a stick in. Whenever there is running water, William MUST stop to throw something in.

Around this time, the kids were starting to warm up and wanted to take their jackets off. That was OK by us but we told them that they needed to carry their jackets on their own. Commence William tantrum #1. Carrying his own jacket was WAY too much to ask of him. But with some quick thinking we were able to get his jacket tied around his shoulders and BOOM Captain Weinershnitzle (trail talk) was born! Joey dubbed herself Captain Kittens (shocking I know). They were off to the races again.

They ran across the trails, laughing and giggling away. We soon came to large rock formations and stopped to admire the majesty. There were several icicles formed down the rocks. We could hear the water running down but it was hard to spot exactly where the water was coming from. At this point, we also found a cool “cave” that was explored and “ooo’d and ahh’d” over.

Dad began throwing snowballs at the kids, which only scooted them along faster on the trail. Many laughs as Dad’s snowballs would fall short of their target or come perilously close to his chosen victim. Soon we reached the turn around point of the loop, which was also the start of the Hell’s Gate trail.

Let the fun begin! During the summer this was a somewhat challenging portion as we often had to lift the kids up and over boulders, while balancing carefully so as to not fall ourselves. Today the slippery snow added to the fun. We instituted a hand holding policy for various points and commence William tantrum #2. He did NOT need to hold anyone’s hand. Well, I might have let him slip and fall and he might have changed his mind.

This part of the trail is my favorite. It is absolutely gorgeous! The trail climbs over large boulders, scales “cliff” lines and is quite close to the racing river. You even get to see some potholes in the rocks!

The kids were both troopers as we traversed this section of the trail. There were definitely a few times when you could tell they were nervous but with Mom and Dad’s outreached hands coming for them, they were able to persevere.

William went with Mom.

And Joey went with Dad. In looking at our photos, Dad is clearly better at remembering to take them and I now realize I have to try to get more shots.

Along the flatter portions we walked in a single file line with Dad leading the way and Mom heading up the rear. Dad does a good job finding the right path to take and I do my best to wrangle the kids.

The icicles on this portion of the trail were INTENSE! I mean there were icicles that formed an actual wall, were taller than Dad or I, and even icicles that formed icicles coming out of the ground from the hanging icicles melting. This was definitely a favorite for the kids. They even broke some off to taste test…

There is also this awesome “rock island” towards the beginning of Hell’s Gate that in the summer you are able to cross a rock path to get to. Last time we were here we actually had our lunch on the rock island. Unfortunately, with all of the melting snow the water was far too high and moving far too fast to even attempt to get to the rock island. And also unfortunately, we did not get a picture.

Too soon we realized that we had actually gone farther than the end of the Hell’s Gate trail and decided to head to the High Bluff trail before looping back to finish the Quarry Loop. It was time for the much anticipated Cinnamon Toast Crunch donuts!

This trail was smooth and easy going. Many times William raced ahead and we could not see him. We would call out to him and he would stop and wait until we were in view and then take off again. Joey and I discussed our upcoming 6 day trip on the Superior Hiking Trail. She is still astonished that she will see Canada and hike 55 miles. That is sure to be an adventure and we have a lot of hiking to cram in to prepare! Eventually we came across a hollowed out tree that the kids could fit inside of!

We also spotted three white tailed deer in the woods! So cool! It is hard to see from these pictures but if you look close, they are there.

William also found a pine cone that he turned into a “shooter”.

And we all giggled at the CAUTION sign on a hill. We wondered if we were in for some fun but it was a piece of cake. Joey commented that people should go out to Colorado or Montana to know which trails actually need a caution sign…uh oh what have we created? And William said that people should just run down it like he did.

At this point we were back on the Quarry Loop but had to retrace our steps to finish the loop. William was quite disappointed and commence tantrum #3. Dad to the rescue. He might have told a little white lie, saying that if we went the other way we would just have to do the Hell’s Gate part of the trail. William quickly changed his tune and Dad began firing snowballs at the kids. The race was on!

Dad tried so hard to get Joey but always just missed her. William was not so lucky.

This portion of the loop was really cool because it had standing structures from the 1800’s that the kids could explore.

Cutting Shed

Power House. People actually used the sand or clay to write their names on the walls. We did go down to explore the house but it was far too muddy to make it inside. Joey and I also discovered deer droppings…woohoo!

Rock Crusher

We rounded out our trip by discussing the treats that we would get from White Castle. At the end of the loop we found stairs created out of large slabs of rock. Very cool but when you add a nearly 40 pound weight (William) to your endeavor it was a little challenging.

We had come to the end of the trail but it was not the end of the fun!

Now remember all day Dad had been trying to pelt Joey with a snowball but had failed miserably. Rewind about 45 minutes – Joey has to poop (told ya, someone always has to go). There is no where to go so she had to wait to get back to the trailhead. While in the outhouse Dad made a snowball and wait in silence. We were afraid William would spill the beans once he caught on to Dad’s plan but he was a good partner in crime. The unsuspecting Joey opened the door of the outhouse and THWACK, Dad finally made contact!

The parking lot was quite muddy and our boots are all currently drying on our boot dryer. We enjoyed getting out of our boots and relaxing on the way home. Another wonderful day!

Burning Question: Here I will feature a question asked by a reader and do my best to provide an answer. This post’s question is “How do you teach your kid to poop in the woods?”

Well we try not to have our kids poop in the woods whenever possible. But there have been times (especially at high altitude and on backpacking trips) where this is inevitable. Joey, or Combo, is especially impacted by the high altitude and will often need to stop. We basically showed them how to squat and told them “let it rip”!

We also discussed the proper way to relieve yourself out in the woods (I learned this technique hiking with my church at Camp Christikon in the mountains of Montana).

  • Get at least 200 feet from the trail, campgrounds, or sources of water.
  • Dig a hole at least 7 inches deep (we call this the digger run).
  • Do your business.
  • Pack out any toilet paper used. We keep a spade, toilet paper, wipes, and a plastic bag for garbage in our pack at all times. Joey has her own toilet pack because of the frequency that she needs it and it makes it so she can relieve herself faster.
  • Cover your waste with dirt and place a rock over the pile.

Well that is it for this week. If you have any burning questions that you want answered please comment! I have a list that I have gathered but would love more! Thank you for joining us on our journey today. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!

Devil’s Lake State Park – Baraboo, WI 04/03/19

  • Distance – We were shooting for 4.7 miles but I am thinking that we were closer to 6 miles today…oops!
  • Weather & Trail Conditions – Today was absolutely gorgeous! We made it to around 55 degrees today!! We enjoyed the sun all day. It was pretty windy on the bluffs but there was not a moment where we could complain! The trail was dry at first and towards the end we met some serious mud! My foot actually got stuck in a deep mud puddle…but that just added to the fun!
  • Trail Food – Gummy Bears, Peanuts, Almonds, Nerds, and Chocolate!

We did not know if we would make it out to the trail today but Dad made the last minute decision to head out and boy were we glad he did! We started the day off with going to Urgent Care to diagnose William with Swimmer’s Ear….poor kid always comes down with something when we go to the Wisconsin Dell’s. BUT he still manages to have fun! Attitude is EVERYTHING!

The bluffs at Devil’s Lake State Park were absolutely gorgeous!

And the lake was incredible! It was pretty cool to see the ice and water interacting together.

We spent most of our time today finding fun rocks. We discovered that most of the rocks had a pink shade, which Joey really enjoyed! William had fun picking out fun rocks and running them to Joey. The kids also enjoyed finding the “caves” and various nooks and crannies to explore.

Devil’s Doorway was another fun side trip on the trail!

The trail today was a perfect blend of steep uphills, rocks, boulders, and flat portions that we could race our “motorcycles” on. Honestly, the more diverse the trail the better for us.

Another fun discovery today was SAP from a tree! Joey quickly discovered that I was right and you probably should not stick your fingers in the sap because it was super sticky!

Now most of the time we are pretty careful with our route finding…not today. Maybe it was Spring Break fever, maybe it was the scenery, maybe it was just our bad but somewhere along the way we discovered that we were WAY off trail. Let the fun begin! We had to do some serious route finding and trail picking to find our way back to that elusive black dot (car) on our GPS. Yes this was challenging. Yes Joey was afraid we were going to get in trouble because we had to travel on a closed trail. BUT yes we did find our way back to the car. We gave the kids some serious praise for keeping a “mind open” as William said and a positive attitude. We made it and this was just another fun part of the journey. **We did bribe the kids with some serious chocolate and playing in the mud to keep spirits high.

Today was wonderful. The sights, the time together, the fun finding our way home and the amazing views made for another spectacular experience. That is what it all comes down to for us. Experiences make up our essence as a family. We strive to find the fun in the mundane; the beauty in what is around us; and the joy in just being with one another. Hiking and time in the outdoors checks all of these boxes for us.

To round out another great day on the trail we had to stop for Ice Cream and it was super yummy!

I should mention that I have a favorite Podcast and they may have had an episode about Baraboo WI. We checked out the sights and paid the Podcast tribute:)

Ferry Bluff – Near Sauk City, WI 04/02/2019

  • Distance – around 3 miles
  • Weather & Trail Conditions – Today it was around 30 degrees most of the hike. It was overcast and we did have some snow showers. The trail was in great shape! We loved that it had several portions that were steep and somewhat challenging, but also portions that were flat so we could really rev our engines!
  • Trail Food – Peanuts (aka “gas”), Jerky, Gummy Bears, and Nerds!
  • MN Hiking Club & Passport – Nada…we are in Wisconsin!

Today we went to Ferry Bluff, which had just opened up! The trail is closed from November 15th through March 31st to protect wintering Eagles. And we could sure see why!

Upon arrival to the trail we could see some major flooding (seeming to be quite the norm as of late). We warned the kids to stay close to the trail and we were off! William and Joey took off right away as they were testing out their new “motorcycles”…VROOM!

The beginning portion of the trail was pretty easy – a gradual upward slope that was well defined and actually had some stairs. The kids were in great spirits and just kept running along.

Once we made it to the top we found a sheer drop off and cliff with amazing views. We were not able to see too far out because of the fog but we could imagine that the views on a clear day would be endless! We stared out at the landscape, admiring the beauty.

Eventually, Joey and I heard a thump, thump, thumping and looked up to see Eagles! They were so close we felt like we could almost reach out and touch them!

Joey enjoyed touching the sand – it was very soft and smooth and she found that it was easily molded into whatever shape she could dream up. We also noticed that there were two different colors of sand – white and yellow, both equally soft and smooth. Joey was also excited to point out “sandstone”.

At this point we thought we were done because this was the end of the trail on “All Trails” but we noticed another trail leading up and thought “why not?”. We were off again! This is where the trail got interesting and we did need to hold hands to make sure the kiddos did not take a digger down the bluff.

We found some garbage (unfortunately) on the trail – we picked it up and packed it out. We had a long discussion about maintaining trails and always making sure to leave the trail in better condition than we found it. Joey also told me all about the size of Eagles’ nests – apparently they can be bigger than a car! We also had to gas up with some peanuts to continue on our way:)

At this point the kids were really tearing the trail up. The trail had leveled out and they were racing along, leaping over downed trees like they were nothing!

We had speculated that we were going to end up on a bluff we had viewed from the trails end and we were right! At the end of the trail (true end this time) we were greeted with more spectacular views and another steep drop. Again we took in the views, but it did start to snow, so we decided we should not enjoy the scenery for too long.

We were off again, this time discussing what we would put in a treasure chest. William told me that he wanted a stick, leaves and magic grass! I decided I wanted to put fudge in and William chimed in that we would need ice too so the fudge would not melt. Dad said he wanted to put Groot in our treasure chest:)

Joey was definitely the leader on the way back and we had to reign her in several times so she would not get too far away from us. She is certainly coming into her own! As William and I were navigating the trail, I spotted a feather and called out to Joey to wait up. I gave William the feather and he rushed off to show Joey. Turns out it was an Eagle feather! Joey loved it and was quite sad to find out that she could not bring it home.

William wanted to take a picture of a rock that he found so he could remember it forever. We have discussed on several occasions that we take pictures and not nature so others can enjoy the trail as we found it.

William decided he wanted to Blaze at this point and took off like a bullet! He rushed down the bluff and was one speedy guy! At several points the kids were so far in front of us that they looked like little specks. It really warms our hearts to see them enjoying the trail as much as we do.

At the end of the trail Dad had fallen behind a bit and the kids discussed making Dad fall asleep early tonight and putting shaving cream in his hand and then tickling his nose (they got this from Young Sheldon). I informed them that they would be all on their own if they decided to pull this one!

On the way back we were able to admire the bluff we had just hiked and even saw some Herons! It was another wonderful and we have more in store for tomorrow! Stay tuned!

Fort Ridgely State Park – Fairfax, MN 03/23/2019

  • Distance – 2.8 miles
  • Weather & Trail Conditions – Today was absolutely gorgeous! It 50 degrees and sunny…we could not have asked for better weather! The trail itself was interesting to say the least. We experienced it all today – paved, snow packed, snow that you sunk into thigh deep, water (lot’s of water), “stream” crossings, prairie, and mud!
  • Trail Food – Gummy Bears, Skittles, Almonds, and White Kit Kats.
  • MN Hiking Club & Passport – Well Mom biffed it and forget the passport at home, but we would have gotten another stamp! We did get a password…BOOM!
  • Trail Talk – How to survive a zombie apocalypse and pretending an Eagle apocalypse was coming:)

This park was absolutely gorgeous! To be honest, I picked this park because the state’s website did not make it out to look like anything special so I thought it would be a good one to check out in the winter. I was WRONG! This park was host to several different types of terrain, great views, and a multitude of Eagles. The kids especially enjoyed looking at the Eagles and pretending the Eagles were going to attack us, so of course we had to run for our lives!

I knew that the snow was melting but I guess I did not expect so much water everywhere! Today we crossed more streams (formed by the melting snow) than any other time out on the trail. At one point I fell through the snow and into ankle deep freezing water. Thankfully my liner socks kept me warm throughout the rest of our adventure.

We had a lot of fun trying to maneuver our way around and/or over the water. This included jumping, carefully chosen paths, breaking off chunks of snow to use as a stepping stone, and just going for it and taking the hit (getting soaked). Whichever way we chose, we had fun! I do not know what it is about water, but the kids sure do love getting wet! Even though the water was freezing cold, there was not a single complaint from the little people. Dad even had to dump out William’s boot because it was so soaked with water!

The Fort Ridgley Creek looked more like a river today. We really liked the campground, as it had several campsites along the creek, which would be awesome to fall asleep to. We plan to reserve a campsite for this summer! In case you were wondering, campsites 37 and 38 looked especially appealing. They had more privacy than most of the sites, the restroom and trail were close by, and they were still right by the water. Stay tuned, we might have another post about this park!

Dad did not enjoy falling through the snow, but the kids and I thought it was a blast. We laughed, slipped, slid, and fell for a good 10 minutes. I am pretty sure the kids tried to fall, but they had a blast! I am not going to lie, I was giggling like a little school girl.

The favorite from today’s hike was the fun with snow! William thought it was especially funny to ask Mom or Dad if he could hold our hand, then when we grasped his little hand we were greeted with a big fist full of snow. Of course this would make him laugh like mad because he pulled one over on us. He did this numerous times.

We also had snowball fights and races. At one point, Mom decided to put snow down William’s pants – he was not pleased. BUT he later learned that he could do this to Dad too. Well he would ask Dad to stop and not look – guess what happened next? Yep, snow down Dad’s pants. Dad was a good sport and let William do this several times. William also informed me that you had to put “hub caps” on your motorcycle (we were pretending to ride fast motorcycles) for the hills because of course they would make you go faster.

We found a leaf today that was see-through – very cool! William and Joey also became pro’s at spotting deer prints and poop (the deer poop was EVERYWHERE). Joey found a piece of bark that had a crazy design in it from worms of some sort. Again we found a few places where an animal of some sort had met it’s unfortunate demise. William also found a great walking stick but quickly decided this would slow him down too much, so it was discarded. Last but not least, a pretty feather. One thing that I have learned, is that the more that you can point out to your kids on the trail, the more they appreciate the hike. Before you know it, they are spotting fun and interesting finds before you! This has also helped to keep them motivated when in low spirits because you never know when the next big find will be!

It was surprising because this park had it all on the trail. There was one hill that was actually a good hike! Then there was prairie walking and a paved trail. The change in trail and scenery certainly kept us on our toes!

Today was wonderful! Dad travels a lot for work and this is the first we have all been together in a couple weeks. We needed this. Spending time in nature and connecting as a family is what we do best. I am so thankful for the time that we get to spend together on the trail. It warms my heart and fills my spirit.

Crow Hassan Park Reserve – Rogers, MN 03/09/2019

  • Distance – 2.6 miles
  • Weather & Trail Conditions – Today was absolutely gorgeous! We were able to hike in 34 degree weather!! This was certainly a welcome change to the cold and snowy conditions we have had lately. The trail was packed and littered with snowshoe and cross country ski prints all over. There were some parts that were less packed and we did sink into the snow, maybe knee deep. We were happy to discover that it was not nearly as windy as we thought it would be. In the trees we felt almost nothing!
  • Trail Food – We are still rocking the Gummy Bears! We also had a few skittles and home made trail mix (peanuts & chocolate covered raisins).
  • MN Hiking Club & Passport – None today
  • Trail Talk – Poop, animal prints, and who will win the races and snow ball fight?

Today called for a blizzard (yet again), so we made sure to hit the road early. We also chose to not drive too far, just in case the weather took a turn for the worse while we were out. We had planned to take a different trail today but the entrance to that side of the park was closed, so we changed plans. That is one thing that I have learned on the trail, you have to be flexible because you never know what will come your way. Hiking is far more fun when you are able to not hold dearly to your expectations and just take what comes, enjoying each unforeseen moment.

Today we saw several different types of animal tracks – raccoons, deer, dogs, mice, and birds. Of course we had to stop and examine each one. Joey decided that she really wants to get a book about identifying Minnesota animal tracks, animals, birds, etc. I guess we have a new mission! I am hoping to find a laminated pamphlet of sorts so she can carry it in her pack for easy reference. We shall let you know how the hunt goes!

There was also an abundance of fecal matter on the trail today. We saw dog poo, horse poo, unidentified poo, you name it! At one point, I asked William if he thought the poo would make a good filling for Donuts…he did not! But laughter did ensue! It was especially interesting to see all of the grass in the various types of poo. We had fun trying to figure out exactly what the animal had eaten by the remains left on the trail. Towards the end of the trail we even found the remains of a crime scene – an animal had met it’s unfortunate demise on the trail…

Of course we had more blue shells, red shells and green shells shot at one another during a round of Mario Kart hiking. For some reason, this is a favorite. I guess it is fun to shoot pretend shells and watch your hiking partner fall over? The snow was perfect for snowballs and the kids really enjoyed throwing the snowballs at Dad. I am thankful that I was just an innocent bystander for this; however, I was used as a human shield a few times:)

Joey found a particularly cool stick and used it as a hiking staff for at least a mile. She joked that it was her very own Light Saber! I have learned that hiking staffs are very fun for kids, but they really slow you down. Usually we try to avoid the use of hiking staffs for the kiddos, but in the winter it is a whole different story. We don’t do big miles so time doesn’t really matter. We will get there when we get there. When we are hiking up a mountain, we know that we have a time limit and better get there by a certain time to avoid the mid-afternoon storms, so we have try to to keep the kids at a faster pace.

The park itself was gorgeous and I would certainly recommend checking it out. There were several twists and turns, ups and downs, and really pretty scenery. The prairie vistas and rolling hills were absolutely gorgeous against a blanket of white snow. The trail was not all that well marked and I am glad we had a GPS to keep us pointed in the right direction – this has saved us on more than one account. We do keep a compass with us but it is nice to be able to see your location on a map of the trail.

I cannot be sure, as the trail was covered in snow, but I am pretty sure that I read reviews stating that this is a paved trail, which is all the more reason to go in the winter. We are not a huge fan of paved trails, there is something far more satisfying about getting your shoes in the dirt versus the everyday (and somewhat mundane) paved path. But with the pavement hidden away in the snow, it was awesome!

We all have trail names. Dad is Blaze because he is always cruising on ahead. William is Biff, because well he biffs it a lot! We actually bought him a pair of sturdy finger-less gloves to wear in the summer because he falls so often and is constantly tearing up his poor palms on the gravel and dirt. Joey is Combo for reasons I do not think I can explain (she might read this someday and I still want her to like me!). I have been given the lovely name of Ripper because well…I might be somewhat gaseous and I might laugh like a little school girl when it happens. Today was no different and William yelled out with glee “Ripper strikes again!” Always a running joke and always good for a laugh. You’re welcome!

Today we did have several meltdowns. There were complaints of being tired, wanting to be done and back at the car, angry that a sibling pushed the other over, etc. While bad moods and tantrums are inevitable at times, it is what you do with them that counts. You can choose to let someone else’s bad mood influence your own, or you can make the best of it and continue on. I am happy to report that our kids are getting much better at melting down, picking themselves up and turning their day around (even if they have to do it several times – as was the case today). On the bright side, there were moments where the kids decided to cheer one another up and support one another. Moments like these are cherished. The best part was William yelling “If it was easy, it would just be called THE WAY!” Gotta love that kid!

The trees at this park were especially cool and I wish that I would have gotten more pictures of them. There were massive trees, hallowed out trees, trees with fungus, spider looking trees…you name it.

Getting out in nature and on the trail is a passion for our family and a great stress reliever. I cannot begin to tell you how many times hiking has grounded me and brought me back to being me. I am so happy that we make a point of sharing this with our kids and teaching them to enjoy the simplicity of being in nature. Also, the hiking community is awesome. The people are friendly and down to earth. It is hard to describe the feeling until you actually experience it. When we returned to the car today a fellow hiker stopped us and asked us where he could go for the best elevation. We had a short conversation but it felt familiar, comfortable, and genuine. Again, it is hard to explain but when you find your people, you find your people:)

This is the first year that the kids have been old enough to be able to get outside and hike in the snow and man am I glad! The winter gets to be far too long when we are cooped up inside – this year especially! I have been hiking in my regular hiking boots and my feet have been happy as a clam because of my liner socks (random thought but important to note – Liner socks are AWESOME).

That is all from this adventure. Stay tuned for more! If you have any suggestions, comments, or questions, please let us know. We are new to this blogging world and appreciate any kind of feedback you might have. Thanks for reading!

Lake Maria State Park – Silver Creek Township, Minnesota 02/24/2019

  • Distance – 2 miles
  • Weather & Trail Conditions – It was 12 degrees out and the sun was shining bright! Today was quite windy and some areas of our beautiful state had blizzard warnings! The trail was mostly packed, which made for a pleasant trip.
  • Trail Food – Still rocking the Gummy Bears! We also had peanuts, Jolly Ranchers, and Combos.
  • MN Hiking Club & Passport – We were not able to get the password today because the part of the trail containing the password was open only to skiers, but we still had fun! We were able to get our passport stamped though! 28 passport stamps so far!
  • Trail Talk – Mario Kart hiking, paper books versus books on your phone, leaves, sounds, and strange patterns in the snow.
  • Gear – standard (pack, water, first aid kit, knife, multi tool, warm clothes, and treats of course)

Today a large portion of our state had blizzard warnings and we were unsure how the weather would be on the trail. We were pleasantly surprised to find that all of the trees blocked a good majority of the wind! It was still a bit chilly but quite enjoyable.

We decided to do a short trail, just in case the weather was not on our side. Lake Maria State Park was absolutely gorgeous. Large trees surrounded us as we strolled along.

William came up with a new trail game today. Our family enjoys playing Mario Kart together, so we brought it to the trail. We pretended to shoot red shells, blue shells, and green shells at each other. Mushrooms and stars helped scoot people along that were running out of steam. Bananas were helpful when we needed to slow someone down. It was especially fun pretending to get knocked off the trail and race to the end!

Joey loved looking at the different leaves that were scattered about. We were able to find one that was the size of my hand and others that were somehow still green!

Today we discovered that the insides of Combos can actually freeze! Crazy right? Our water also ended up freezing on us and we now know that we need to keep taking small sips of water in order to avoid the big freeze. We will not make that mistake again!

A thoughtful discussion of whether paper books or reading books on your phone, tablet, kindle, etc. was a better experience. We collectively decided that it is far more satisfying to hold the book in your hand and read – the smell of the books is an added bonus.

The park had several signs scattered throughout the trail and the kids enjoyed looking at the pictures of the birds and then trying to find said birds on the trail. Today we did not have so much luck with the birds – I think it was too cold and windy. But it was fun looking. We always try to have a scavenger hunt of some sort, as this gives our kids a mission of sorts.

The trees were really impressive. At one point on the trail, Joey was walking with me and Dad and William were a little distance behind. Joey and I heard a loud CRACK and THUD! We looked all around trying to find the source and decided it came from the trees swaying back and forth in the wind. We did not say anything to William or Dad but funny enough, they stopped in the same spot to look at the same trees, citing hearing the same sound!

It was pretty cool to see how the snow covered the trees and how some of the trees had actually formed an arch over the trail. Pointing out cool trees, plants, rocks, leaves, etc. is always fun.

Snow was constantly being flung from the trees, which resulted in getting pelted by nature’s snowballs and some pretty cool imprints on the ground. Of course we needed to stop to examine several of the imprints, pointing out shapes and how some imprints looked like various animals or people. Trying to figure out which animals made which tracks was also enjoyable and we took pictures of several of the tracks to research later. We are hoping to get good at identifying animal tracks eventually!

So why does your nose run when it is cold outside? It would make sense the runny goo in your nose would freeze or become thicker (it worked for the Combos and water) but no, we were constantly sniffling and wiping our noses. Joey and I debated this topic for several minutes. Somehow, many of our trail discussions center around bodily functions…

Today was another spectacular day and we are certainly ready for spring and more adventures! Until then, we will make do and find adventure wherever we can.

Until next time!