My Journey from High Heels to Hiking Boots

Day Dreamin' - Calvert Cliffs

2013-06-11T15:28:00.002-04:00

While I'm stuck in the concrete jungle, I'm dreaming about open air and beautiful skies.

Check out the great pictures on this EveryTrail Trip by bcoffe from Calvert Cliffs. Hubs and I have that on our "To Hike" list, but haven't had a chance to get there yet. One day... =]

Picture from The Fossil Guy

Beautiful, right?

So if you're stuck inside when you'd rather be out, just look at this picture and day dream with me!

Thank you so much for visiting My Journey from High Heels to Hiking Boots! Like me on Facebook and share with a friend! Now get out there and hike! Happy Trails!

Loudoun Heights Trail

2013-06-09T19:16:00.001-04:00

Well a very overdue hello!! I should have known that the blissful every weekend hiking of last summer could not be done this year as well. We had so much fun last summer, and we neglected some things that need to be done (like a house to finish remodeling).. So while I'm stuck indoors more often than I want to be this summer, I'll be day dreaming of our wonderful hikes from last year.

We haven't totally wasted the beautiful weather, though! Over Memorial Day, we went up to Harpers Ferry and hiked Loudoun Heights Trail! We had a fantastic time just the two of us with the pups. It was a bit overcast, but not enough to diminish this view:

We camped at a really great campground called Brunswick Family Campground. It was really inexpensive, and they were pet friendly! Not staying on the trail, but sometimes you have to compromise. But to make up for it, we had a gorgeous view of the water.

If you get to Harpers Ferry early enough, there is great parking immediately after crossing the Shenandoah (on the right). Parking was $10 which gives you a 3 day pass, so if you want to hike in and camp for a couple nights you can do that. From that parking lot, you head up towards Highway 301, and walk across the bridge. While we were admiring the rivers, we met a little friend.

I was most excited about the fact that Loudoun Heights follows the Appalachian Trail for about 1 mile! And of course, I had to document my reaction on first walking on the AT!

Loudoun Heights is a difficult trail. I would not recommend this trail if you have trouble with walking long distances up hills. The first mile and a half or so we climbed around 900 feet! After that there was not much significant elevation change. There are several great overlooks along the way, and when you get to the final overlook, it's a great place to stop for lunch or to take a rest. The pups certainly enjoyed it!

Harpers Ferry is one of our favorite places to run away to. I love looking at the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers converging, meandering around (..ok, grabbing ice cream..) in Historic Harpers Ferry, and being in a place that is so peaceful. It's soul renewing!

Thank you so much for visiting My Journey from High Heels to Hiking Boots! Like me on Facebook and share with a friend! Now get out there and hike! Happy Trails!

Still Alive After All These Months!

2013-02-05T08:34:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone!

I just wanted to quickly update and let you know that Hubs and I are still alive! I know it's been forever, and while I have a lot of reasons for that, I won't bore you with them. We haven't been able to do any hiking since my last post, with the exception of hiking on New Years Eve. We went up to Gunpowder Falls Sate Park and did a short 5 mile loop up there.

It was coooooold, but so nice to spend a few hours on the trail. Once the weather gets a bit warmer, we'll be back to hiking more often. We still need to invest in a lot of gear before we go overnighting in the winter (like the right tent, sleeping bags, thermal wear, and winter jackets and booties for the pups), so only day hikes until it's a bit warmer.

So, until my next post, here's a picture from New Years Eve:

Thank you so much for visiting My Journey from High Heels to Hiking Boots! Like me on Facebook and share with a friend - You know you want to ;] Now get out there and hike! Happy Trails!

So You Want to Start Hiking - Picking Out a Trail

2012-10-09T21:50:00.001-04:00

It's been a couple weeks since my last post, and what a crazy couple week's it has been! I always forget how busy the fall season is with events, deadlines, classes, and get-togethers, not to mention prepping the house for the upcoming holiday season! Whew!

Unfortunately in the midst of this super busy time, only a small portion of that has been spent on the trail. I've been so looking forward to hiking this fall season, to see all the beautiful leaves and colors of nature. Which brings me to announcing my 3 part series..

So You Want to Start Hiking?

First of all, let me be the first to say "AWESOME"! Hiking has provided me with so many hours of enjoyment and time for reflection. There's nothing better than sitting on top of a beautiful vista and thinking about life (or escaping from it). It's a great thing to do with your special someone, family, and friends. It builds community, and it gives you a sense of yourself and what you can handle.

But where do you start? If you're not an outdoorsy kind of person, how do you find out where to go, which trails are best for beginners, or even what to take and how to dress (which was obviously a big one for me =P)?? These questions plagued me when I first thought about hiking. Maybe that seems silly, but it's true. If you're like me, a thorough plan is imperative. That's what I hope this series will help you do.

As a beginning hiker, the first thing is to select your trail. Selecting your trail will give you an idea of what else you'll need to have with you. In the Maryland/Virginia/Pennsylvania area, we have a plethora of parks and trails. I am truly grateful for that. If you happened to read my first post, you know that my dad took me on my first trail (and that I wasn't prepared for hiking!). So when Hubs and I set out on our first hike, we went right back to that same trail, and since it's my favorite we tend to go back to it all the time.

When picking out a trail for your first hike, it's easy to be super excited and think "I'm going to scale this mountain and hike 10 miles in 4 hours!".. Ok, so that's a lot of an exaggeration, but you get my point. Take it easy. It's better to spend an hour or two on a short trail and learn what your body can handle, than to kill yourself the first time and never want to hike again.

How does one find a trail to hike? If you aren't familiar with parks in your area, or you don't know of any trails, don't worry! There are resources available to help you find trails. Below are some of my favorite.

Everytrail - This is a great resource where users upload trails that they've hiked, including maps and photos. Some even post complete trail guides. Most are free. If you've never hiked before, use a trail guide - it will have the best information about blazes and what to look out for.
Mid-Atlantic Hikes - If you're in the MD/VA/PA/WV area, this is a great resource. Not only are the guides fantastic, but you will find maps, GPS files, and even restaurant suggestions for after the trails. I highly recommend this website.
Gorp - Another great website to find hikes in your area. It uses an interactive map to help point you to great trails.

There are many other great sites out there that can point you to local trails. This weekend is a great time to get outside, as the trees will be hitting their peak colors in many areas! There's something magical about being outside when the weather is turning towards fall, and the leaves are brilliant shades of reds, golds, and oranges!

For those of you who are hikers, how do you find your trails? What websites do you use/recommend?

Where are you headed this weekend?

Next up: What to bring with you on a day hike.

Thank you so much for visiting My Journey from High Heels to Hiking Boots! Like me on Facebook and share with a friend - You know you want to ;] Now get out there and hike! Happy Trails!

Dreaming of Changing Leaves and a New Wardrobe

2012-09-21T21:20:00.000-04:00

WE INTERRUPT THIS REGULARLY SCHEDULED BLOG POST

FOR AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:

I discovered Polyvore today. Be afraid..!

Fall is here! And of course, since its a change of season I must have a new wardrobe. That's the way it works, right?

Right????

Ok, so not so much. A girl can dream though!

These are my fall must haves for an overnight hike. I love the sweater particularly!

Fall Hiking Must Haves by kerry-hiett featuring flower jewelry

Ok, carry on!

Thank you so much for visiting My Journey from High Heels to Hiking Boots! Like me on Facebook and share with a friend - You know you want to ;] Happy Trails!

Cascade Falls - A Family Hike

2012-09-18T22:09:00.001-04:00

Photo Credit: Sarah Maier

As I said in my last post, we had family visiting last week. Momma Cloudy and Fort Cloudy were both in from out of state. We all had a fantastic week visiting together, and ended it off with a 6 mile family hike. After many late nights and lots of extended family get-togethers, it was nice to have a day out enjoying nature with just us. We loaded up the dogs and headed off to hit the trail.

We hit up our favorite haunt, Cascade Falls and Buzzards Rock trails, and enjoyed the first signs of fall heading our way. The weather was perfect - sunny, with just a touch of cool in the air. Momma Cloudy had hiked Cascade Falls with us before, but Fort Cloudy had not. So we all enjoyed leisurely hiking in the cool weather with the dogs. We stopped often to take pictures or to enjoy a particularly nice view. We laughed, we chatted, we spent time together. That's what made this hike so special to me. I was able to spend time with my favorite people doing my favorite thing - hiking.

Too often, family gets caught up in the hectic pace of every day life and we think "Oh, I can just catch up with her later". But when does "later" really come? If your life is like mine, it never seems to. I find myself continually playing catch up with important things, or making phone calls I've been meaning to make forever. Email overflows your inbox, text messages sit unanswered, and feeling overwhelmed is normal. The reality of life is that we don't know if we'll have a later. Stop putting things off for the future. Have you been meaning to call your brother, but just never seem to have time? Stop reading this. Right now. Seriously! Go call him! Let the people in your life who are important to you know that they're important.

I say all this because I think that hiking is a great way to connect with your family. Not only are you away from the distractions of life (TV, phones, email.. yeah you get the picture), but you're working towards a common goal, which builds camaraderie. You don't even have to be a great hiker to enjoy it. There are a plethora of trails available to us in our local parks. It could be 1 mile, it could be 50 miles. The distance doesn't matter. What matters is that you step out with your family and say to them "The most important thing to me right now is to spend time with you". Well meaning words can't take the place of deliberate actions.

So, are you ready to hit the trail with your favorite people yet?

Photo credit: Sarah Maier

My next post is going to be about finding local trails, and what you need to take with you for a day hike. There's so many great resources available, and local parks to explore! Join me, and get outdoors!

Thank you so much for visiting My Journey from High Heels to Hiking Boots! Like me on Facebook and share with a friend - You know you want to ;] Happy Trails!

The High Heels Side of Life: Crab Feasts and Family

2012-09-10T14:03:00.001-04:00

No hiking this weekend because my family is in town. But I think having our last crab feast of the season makes up for it.

Just sayin'

Thank you so much for visiting My Journey from High Heels to Hiking Boots! Like me on Facebook - You know you want to ;] Happy Trails!

Big Schloss Overnight Adventure

2012-09-03T22:02:00.000-04:00

Labor Day has certainly not been very laborious for Hubs and I. We've been recovering from our first overnight backpacking experience! I'm happy to report that we didn't get lost or attacked by wild animals! And Hubs hung a bear bag! It was a great weekend, but totally exhausting.

A friend recommended we go down to Big Schloss in VA. It's in the George Washington National Forest. After reading the fantastic reviews from multiple places online, we decided to give it a go. I'd been searching for a good place to do a group weekend hike, and this place seemed perfect! So Hubs and I packed up after work on Friday to scout it out for a group hike next month.

We followed a trail guide from MidAtlantic Hikes again. Just like the last one, it did not fail us. It was simple, concise, and clear. On the trail guide, there were many suggestions of places to camp out for the night, which were very handy. Props to MidAtlantic Hikes on another great guide =].

The fun (hah!) background story to this is that Hubs and I were unable to arrive as early as we planned. In fact, we pulled into the park shortly before dark, and rushed to the first camp site to get set up as quickly as possible. Once we had the tent all set up, it dawned on me that we would be doing the entire hike in one day.. 11.5 miles.. with 25lbs+ on our backs.. O..M..G..

But on the plus side, look how cute our tent was!

So the next morning we packed up and hit the trail. The first part of the hike was the hardest, as it was mostly uphill, but overall the hike wasn't too bad. We enjoyed the quiet of the woods together with the dogs. There were very few hikers on the trail, probably because of the clouds that seemed to be threatening rain at any moment. We had some great views, and I'm really proud of us for hiking so far.

The first overlook we came to.

Big Schloss (we didn't climb it this time)

So, while everything might not have worked out as planned, it was the perfect trip for our first overnight adventure! We're looking forward to the next one in a month. Next time we'll actually climb up Big Schloss to see the view. I've heard its spectacular!

After 11.5 miles in one day (another record broken!), you can imagine how tired we've been. The pups are still a bit worn out, too. So while the bathroom is calling out to be scrubbed, I must admit that I'm comfortably tucked into my bed snuggling with my doggies. And after such a weekend, I don't feel bad about it for one second.

Been on any hikes recently? What did you do this Labor Day? I'd love to hear all about it =]

Thank you so much for visiting My Journey from High Heels to Hiking Boots! Happy Trails!

Hiking News - A Photo Op Isn't Worth Your Life

2012-08-28T12:31:00.000-04:00

A very tragic story came out of Denali National Park this weekend. A hiker was killed by a grizzly bear while taking pictures of it.

To read the whole story, click here.

It's important to supply yourself with knowledge before you head into the woods. Read up on the wildlife you can expect to encounter while on your trip. Keep your food and personal hygiene products in a bear bag at night, and read these tips here for what you should do if you encounter a bear. Also, remember the 7 P's: Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance - and in some cases can save your life.

Pulled from Wikipedia

Summer Clearances are Oh So Sweet!

2012-08-26T16:39:00.003-04:00

The REI Summer Clearance sale started Friday. I had a whole long list of things I wanted to look at for our first overnight hike. First on the list was to get fitted for a pack. Needless to say I was pretty excited when Hubs said that today would be a good day to head over there.

I love REI. There's so much to look at, and so many cool gadgets, it's easy to get sucked in and want to buy everything. If you couldn't tell, I'm a huge impulse buyer. Hubs balances me well because he contemplates every purchase before he makes it. We make a good team. So of course before we headed to REI, he's researched a whole bunch of packs, bed rolls, and tents. Shopping informed is a great idea.

I tried on a bunch of packs, wanting to make sure I got one that was as comfortable as possible. REI will stuff them with weight for you, so you can get an idea of what it will feel like on the trail. The associate that helped us was so patient, moving the weight back and forth between packs for me. After a lot of deliberation, and walking around the store with weighted packs, I decided on the REI Flash 52.

We have loved our Flash 18s. They've been a perfect little day pack, with just enough space to throw what we need in. So it seemed like a natural progression to move to the larger Flash. It fit me well, particularly around the neck. I discovered as I tried packs on, that my short torso makes fitting through the upper back/shoulders/neck difficult, but we found that the Flash 52 adjusted well to fit me, and gave me the most room in my neck.

While we were talking to the man who was fitting me, we mentioned, our Flash 18s and how much we've used them. He suggested using it as a bear bag! You can put all your food and hygiene products in there, and then string it up in the trees. What a fantastic idea!

We also got an REI Lightweight 1.5 Women's self-inflating bed roll. It's insulated against the ground temperature, and provides more cushion than a traditional foam bed roll. I'm excited to use it for the first time!

I feel like a real hiker now, guys! I'm so excited!

Thank you so much for visiting My Journey from High Heels to Hiking Boots! Please take a moment and like me on Facebook. Happy Trails!

Susquehanna State Park and Breaking Records

2012-08-24T20:34:00.001-04:00

9.9 Miles.. Our longest hike ever! To some of you, that might seem really, really lame. To Hubs and I, it's huge! We finally broke our record of longest hike! It seemed that we kept getting stuck in a 5-6 mile range, fearful that if we went too long or too far we wouldn't have enough [fill in excuse here] to go that long. Maryland Heights was the exception at over 7 miles. Now all excuses are gone, nullified, void! We know we can hike that long, we know the pups can hike that long, and I'm still living off the adrenaline!

Last week a certain *cough* friend *cough* of ours was supposed to hike with us (love you!!). We arranged our trip so that we could go on Sunday with her, and then she bailed.. lame, right? Ok, ok! Not lame! She was sick. We decided to stick to our original plan of a Sunday hike, and after church we loaded up the dogs and headed to Susquehanna State Park. We followed an awesome trail guide from Midatlantic Hikes. It was so well put together and thought out! The trail guide wound us around the park, following the Susquehanna River for a bit, and then heading off into the hills. The trail guide says it's 8.7 miles, but our GPS recorded us at 9.9 (see my EveryTrail map). The guide was written in 2006, so it's possible that the trails have changed a bit since then.

Grist Mill, where you pick the trail up

We had a fantastic hike, and saw a lot of cool nature things! There were a lot of deer. A. LOT. OF. DEER! It seemed like every time we turned around there was another deer and fawn, or deer and fawns, or deers and fawn.. you get the picture (no bucks, sorry!).

Deer hiding in the tree

We also got to see some trees that looked (to me) like they'd been woodpeckered (yes, I do enjoy making words up) to death!

I did some research (I Googled), and all of these type of holes in the tree came up for woodpeckers. If I'm wrong, let me know in the comments! Share your knowledge, people!

We saw beaver damage:

But sadly, no beavers.

We also saw this:

And we have no idea what it is.. Do you?? Hubs tried to figure out where the wire goes to, but it gets pretty overgrown there and we didn't want to disturb nature. Leave no trace, and all. While we were checking this out, the dogs were getting restless..

And we saw some berries (again, please share your knowledge. Google failed me).

The coolest part of our hike was walking through a field. It was amazing. One minute you're trekking through the woods, wondering when is this hill going to END! and then BOOM, you're in a field.

As the hike continued through the woods, there is an old stone wall that weaves its way around. The trail crosses it a few times. You see it mainly as your on Old Farm Trail. The history in this area is palpable. I loved every second of it!

The longer our hikes get, the less I am able to do them justice in a post. There were so many adventures from this day that I want to share, like Cocoa learning to eat an apple!

Or the really awesome, really old White Oak we saw. This tree has a special sign pointing hikers towards it.

And even the super cute red mushrooms! I wonder how many power ups those are good for in Mario???

But then, I haven't even mentioned the river or Old Flint Tower or the rail road tracks!

I guess you'll just have to go see for yourself! It really is something!

By the end of the hike my feet were sore. I couldn't wait to rip my boots off. However, I'm happy to report that I still haven't had a blister yet! I'm sure I've just jinxed myself, but it's worth saying that these boots have been pretty awesome. I think that I'll be getting some gel inserts for our next adventure, though, because my feet have never hurt so bad in my life. I live in high heels. That's saying something.

Hubs and I are getting closer to our first overnight hike! We're heading to REI this weekend to start looking at gear. Y'all know shopping is my favorite thing, and I smell a sale! The Baltimore market REIs are having their end of summer clearance this weekend, so if you've been looking for an excuse to go, you're welcome!

Thank you so much for visiting My Journey from High Heels to Hiking Boots! Please take a moment and like me on Facebook. Happy Trails!

Hiking News - Broken Ankle but not a Broken Spirit

2012-08-20T12:03:00.000-04:00

Hubs stumbled across a story about a 21 year old girl who was hiking with a friend in Wyoming recently. After they saw a gorgeous sunset, they started towards their intended campsite. On the way, they came across a deep trench - 6ft wide and 8ft deep. As Lexi attempted to jump across she slipped, fell, and broke her ankle (pretty severely).

As her friend rushed off to get help, she made a video to try to keep herself positive and to take her mind off the pain. It's pretty awesome! Take a look!

Keeping your fear at bay is so important to be able to survive in an emergency situation. Whatever situation you find yourself in, take a deep breath, let go of the "what ifs", and allow yourself to think in terms of survival.

And like I seem to be saying quite a bit - Always be prepared!

Way to go, Lexi!

Thank you so much for visiting My Journey from High Heels to Hiking Boots! Please take a moment and like me on Facebook. Happy Trails!

Wolf Rock - Catoctin Mountain Park

2012-08-15T20:48:00.000-04:00

All last week I was singing "On the trail again! I just can't wait to get on the trail again"! Saturday we finally did! Due to problems with our GPS logger, I'm unable to show you a map of what were we hiked =[ but I imagine in the not too distant future we'll be back up at Catoctin Mountain. It was just that beautiful!

We set out intending to do 8-Mile Loop. Unfortunately, the 'bugs' we thought we avoided from the Dominican Republic picked Saturday to bite us, so we only did about 3.5 miles of 8-Mile Loop. Believe me, nothing is worse than trying to push through a hike when you stomach is screaming "NOOOOOO!!! Stop moving!!" However, we're both feeling a lot better now, and we're hoping that our energy will be back up for this weekend's adventures!

So, on to the good stuff!

Catoctin Mountain is so incredible! The area that we hiked in was rocky, and there are large rock formations jutting out of the mountain. It's so cool!

We started our hike from the visitors center heading towards the Park Headquarters. If you do this, pay careful attention to the trail. Catoctin does not blaze the trails, and we ended up getting a little lost when the trail made a sharp turn to the left that we missed.

You'll know you missed it when you come across this big "rock field"

If you see this, turn around. DO NOT go down the hill like we did.. oh my were we lost..

On the trail, we came across some Fairy Houses! I first saw a Fairy House when I was in Maine for the summer with a friend. I love coming across them! They're so whimsical looking =]

I have no idea why people make these (or should I say fairies?), but they're really neat to look at!

As we were walking up the mountain, we were feeling pretty out of it. So we stopped for a minute to rest up. The dogs were none to happy.

Can't you just see in Cocoa's eyes "COME ON, Mom! I want to keep moving!"

And really, who can resist those eyes? So keep moving we did.

The best part of the hike was obviously Wolf Rock. I've heard people say that they were unimpressed, or that the views weren't great, but I think it's amazing! You have to do a bit of rock scrambling to get to it, but it is so worth it. We stopped there for a long while to eat lunch and just to enjoy nature.

Cocoa decided to take a nap while we were eating lunch =]

Sprocket laid down, too.

And of course, I couldn't just sit there for too long. I had to go explore the rocks! The formations were so neat, and some of the splits were really deep. I'm sad to say I noticed a lot of trash at the bottom of the crevices. If you're hiking, please remember to pack out your trash. Let's not ruin the beauty of our trails for others.

After we were done hanging out on Wolf Rock, we headed back to the trail. The trail was really busy! I couldn't believe how many groups of people we saw! A lot of the groups had children with them, too. I was really excited to see so many families out enjoying the day with their kids.

Of course all the rain that we've gotten recently left it's imprint on nature. Anyone know about mushrooms? I know zilch.

There were mushrooms all along the trail, but this double mushroom was definitely the coolest.

Even though it was a short hike, it was so nice to get outside and get moving! There's something about being outside on the trail that speaks to my soul. It's peaceful, invigorating, and so awe inspiring to see God's beautiful creation. It preps me for the long week ahead, and helps me relax from the week I just had. There's nothing like sitting under the trees on a sunny day =]

I have to leave you with this adorable picture of the pups. They were all tuckered out after our hike =]

I hope you had a chance to get outside last weekend. Been anywhere fun recently? I'd love to hear about it =] Feel free to leave a comment here, or on Facebook. And when you get a chance, please pop over to Facebook and Like my page.

Thank you so much for visiting My Journey from High Heels to Hiking Boots! Please take a moment and like me on Facebook. Happy Trails!

The High Heels Side of Life - Missions Work

2012-08-08T19:17:00.003-04:00

Hi Everyone! Did you miss me?? I sure missed all of you!

Hubs and I have just gotten back into the country from the Dominican Republic. Remember a couple months ago when I posted about a fundraiser for our missions trip? Well we've just returned from the trip late last night! What an incredible experience it was!

In a city called Pimentel, we support a church/school ministry called MIVA - Ministerio Infantil Viva el Amor. This year, the trip was a special Anniversary Celebration for 15 years of MIVA. Hubs and I were part of a 20 person team from the Baltimore area, and we were lucky enough to be there during the celebration week. Every day was filled with activities and work projects and the whole trip was such a blessing for all involved!

After a long day of traveling on July 30th, the team dove right into working. The construction team worked on assembling a stage that would be used throughout the week's events, and the VBS team started organizing supplies. Tuesday was filled with more organization and VBS prep, with the construction team moving on to more projects. Throughout the week, the construction team replaced all of the mechanical pieces in the toilets throughout MIVA, cleaned the fence line from overgrowth, rewired a church member's house, repaired the generator used when the city has no electricity, built a back drop to be used during Friday night's rap competition, and built stands that the church could use as "lemonade stands".

Wednesday was perhaps my favorite day of the trip. MIVA held a special Olympic Games day, where the children of Pimentel could participate in Olympic style games. The day was kicked off with a Torch Race through the city, and had perhaps 75 people running through the city by the time it reached the final pass-off location.

The white flags are the front of the Torch Race line heading towards our pass-off location

Kids running at the front of the Torch Race

The race started at the outskirts of the city, and finished as we all ran into MIVA.

After the Torch Race, the kids broke out into groups to do the games and the Americans went out to help them! I got assigned to go with the dodgeball group, and I had fun entertaining the kids that weren't playing at the time!

In the afternoon, the older kids did a scavenger hunt through Pimentel, and we got to run with them as they completed their tasks at each location! I spent a lot of time running around trying to keep up with them! Wednesday was an awesome day!

Thursday and Friday we did VBS. The kids got to do a craft (that they could take home with them), play games, and hear a bible story. During the lessons, the kids learned about Nehemiah rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. After the lesson was complete, the kids "built" a wall of gratitude to God, to thank Him for what He's done in their lives.

I brought the fabric home with me and I will quilt it to look like bricks, then next year I'll take it back down there and give them the finished wall.

Thursday night MIVA brought in two comedians for a special show, and they had over 1000 people in attendance! Friday night there was a rap competition where the youth from Pimentel competed in an "American Idol" fashion (with judges). After the competition a popular rapper in the Dominican gave a performance. What an incredible experience! It was so powerful to see the young people show up in such numbers!

Saturday was the day we'd all been waiting for: Celebration Day. People from all over came to celebrate MIVA's 15 year anniversary, and I've never seen the church so packed! All these people walked through the streets praying over families, businesses, parks, and many other things. Then we all gathered back at MIVA to release the balloons. Around 1500 balloons were released into the sky, each with a message inside: Jesucristo es el Senor de Pimentel - Jesus Christ is Lord of Pimentel!

It was such a sight to see! The atmosphere was electric!

Every time Hubs and I go down to work with these people, we come back feeling so blessed. It was spirit renewing to see old friends, to see the smiling faces of the kids while they were playing games, and to work together as one body of Christ regardless of language barriers. I love the people of Pimentel, and MIVA is like a second family. If you have any questions about the work we did, I would love to answer them for you. Feel free to leave a comment here or on Facebook.

Thank you so much for visiting My Journey from High Heels to Hiking Boots! Please take a moment and like me on Facebook. Happy Trails!

P.s. I'm super excited to tell you that Hubs and I are back to hiking this weekend! I promise a blog post featuring a new trail will be up before the weekend is over!

Hiking News - The Naked Rambler

2012-07-18T09:38:00.002-04:00

I couldn't keep this one to myself. Have you guys heard about the Naked Rambler? Apparently, he roams the UK sans clothes, and is repeatedly arrested because of that. Well, now he's a free man (in more ways than one)!

Image pulled from BBC News

Check out BBC News for the full story.

So, if you're planning any hikes across the pond, you might want to avert your eyes should you come across someone who's taken "back to nature" a little too seriously!

Thank you so much for visiting My Journey from High Heels to Hiking Boots! I'd love to hear from you in the comments section! You can like me on Facebook and follow me by email at the top of the left hand navigation bar by simply entering your email address. Happy Trails!

Hiking Will Knock You Off Your Feet!

2012-07-11T18:56:00.001-04:00

It had to happen eventually. That moment that we all try our hardest to avoid. One moment you're walking along enjoying the creek and watching your dog enjoy the creek. The next moment you're on the ground, staring at the sky through a cloud of pain.. How did you get there? Why is everyone huddled around and looking at you? And what is that thing poking you in the back?

This weekend's hike was supposed to be easy-peasy. Momma Cloudy was in town for Independence Day and she had told me how much she wanted to come hiking with Hubs and I. So Papa Cloudy, Momma Cloudy, Hubs, Sprocket, Cocoa, Buster (Papa Cloudy's furbaby), Dolly (Momma Cloudy's furbaby), and I went off to Patapsco. In case you were counting: yes, that is one dog per person. Since we've had some record breaking heat we thought that an easy hike to the river, followed by swimming, would be delightful. All was going according to plan until we got out of the car, and then it turned into a crap-shoot.

I've hiked Cascade Trails often enough. You'd think I'd know my way around, wouldn't you? Apparently I was incorrect thinking that all the little trails off the road led to the trail head. That was my first mistake. Having too much pride to admit that I'd made a mistake was my second mistake.We hiked along the creek because I just knew that it had to lead us to the trail around the bend.. or maybe it'll be just around the next bend.. You get the picture. I had promised Momma Cloudy that we would be going on an easy hike, but so far it was proving to be rather difficult. Trees were down across the stream, debris had collected into piles that we had to maneuver around. The next thing I know, I'm sprawled out across the creek -- water filling my shoes, a rock sticking into my lower back, and a little dazed from the pain.

I was lucky not to have seriously injured myself. Well, maybe luck didn't have as much to do with it: I was prepared for a hike. Hubs and I have our Flash 18 Packs that we take on all our hikes. Often this is because we are carrying our food and water, first aid kit, dog gear, towels, etc. This time it was purely from a weight loss perspective. I knew we wouldn't be on the trail long, but I filled up my Platypus Water Bladder anyway to give my pack some weight.

I was also carrying a water bottle for Momma Cloudy, a Gulpy for the dogs, and a few other things.

By the way, I love my Gulpy. It's so convenient for the dogs because it stores the water and bowl together, no muss no fuss.

Why did I carry all this? Because carrying the weight burns more calories. Caloric considerations aside though, it ~~probably~~ definitely saved my upper back and head from some serious injury.

I was also wearing my hiking boots. I mention this because hiking boots are designed to protect your ankles from twists, scrapes, and the like. Wearing my boots on this short hike prevented me from twisting or breaking my ankle when I fell. I'm glad I did, because even with the protection of my boots, my ankle was a little sore.

You never know what you're going to encounter when hiking (even on trails you know) and being prepared for as many situations as you can be will save your life (or your back and ankles). So to summarize - packs save backs, boots save foots (and ankles) =D

Even though I fell and am still feeling the effects of that fall, it was a great hike! What hike isn't great? Ok.. aside from that poor hiker who broke his leg then had to save his rescuer.

I'll leave you with some pictures from our hike =]

Buster and Dolly

Buster and Poppa Cloudy

Dolly and Momma Cloudy

Patapsco River

I had to blow this picture up so you could see it, so please excuse the image quality. We saw another deer!

Right after the doe came a little fawn, but she was too quick for me to catch on camera!

If you haven't had a chance to yet, head on over to Facebook and like my page! I post interesting articles, volunteer opportunities, and other fun things in addition to blog updates!

Cascade Falls, Buzzards Rock, and a Sister Hike

2012-07-07T08:32:00.001-04:00

My little sister is the coolest. She's amazingly creative, fun to be around, and one of the most beautiful people that I know - inside and out. And she loves to hike! Earlier this week, we took a sister hike over at Patapsco State Park. We decided to see if we could hike from Cascade Falls trail head on Landing Road over to Buzzards Rock trail head on Hilltop Road. It took a little coordination with cars, but it was really fun!

To see our trail guide visit my EveryTrail page.

When we hiked this it was still only a couple days after last weekend's storm. There were a few trees down along the trail. Mostly all of the smaller debris had been cleaned up. The trees were just waiting for a chain saw.

Photo Credit: Littlest Cloudy

Amazing how big strong trees can snap like twigs in high winds, isn't it? After we played Limbo with the trees, we crossed the stream several times until we came to the name sake of the trail: Cascade Falls.

Photo Credit: Littlest Cloudy

Stream along the trail

Photo Credit: Littlest Cloudy

Cascade Falls

I love this little pool. It's perfect to wade in and cool off on a hot summer day, or just to cool your feet after being in your hiking boots! As you can see, Sprocket is loving it =]

When you get to the falls, you cross over the stream on the rocks to follow the trail. Be careful! The rocks can be very slippery! We had to help the puppies across because they were scared to jump across the rocks.

When you get to the second trail head, you can either continue to the left on Cascade or you can be crazy like Littlest Cloudy and I and go down towards the road and across the Swinging Bridge towards Grist Mill trail.

Photo Credit: Littlest Cloudy

On the other side of the bridge you follow Grist Mill trail to the left until you come across a small tunnel with a stream running through it. Go through the tunnel (it's not scary, I promise!) and Buzzards Rock is immediately on the left. The butt buster part. YES! Tone those glutes!

Buzzards Rock has become one of my favorite short hikes. The loop is only a couple miles long, so you can loop it a couple times or you can combine it with other trails (like we did). Its a moderate to difficult hike in parts, but it works all those.. chocolate donuts.. off your butt.. I know, you would never eat those awful things. Me neither.. honest.. (Ok! So I like my donuts!)

If you're following along with our trail guide, you can see that we stopped at the parking lot on Hilltop Road. If you want to challenge yourself more, you could easily continue on Buzzards Rock until it meets Grist Mill trail where you'd take it to the left if you're having a good time, take it to the right if you want it to feel fine.. Oh sorry (I don't listen to the Spice Girls, what are you talking about?)! Take a left on Grist Mill and follow it up to the Swinging Bridge, then cross the road back to Cascade Falls which you'd take the loop on the right and eventually make it back to your car on Landing Road! Crazy, right? That would make this hike about 5 miles.

Littlest Cloudy and I were walking this trail quickly because dark was rapidly approaching, so it only took us about an hour. I can honestly say though that when I have more time I'm going back and hiking the full loop.

On a different note, Mid-Atlantic Off Road Enthusiasts are doing some awesome work with trail clean up from the Derecho! If you have some time to help them, check out their calendar to see when you can help out! Taking care of our trails is really important, and these guys are doing a great service to all of us who enjoy them!

Stop on over and like MJTHB on Facebook!

McKeldin Area Derecho Damage

2012-07-02T23:17:00.000-04:00

Friday night, we had the mother of all storms. It was a rare thunderstorm that had a huge wind system move in right before it. The winds were hurricane strength, breaking trees in the area like twigs. Then the lightening started. I've heard friends say that the sky was light as day because of all the lightening. This storm system is called a Derecho. Accuweather.com posted a story about this weekend's storm, if you'd like to read more about it.

Hubs and I came through the storm no worse for wear. We didn't lose one branch off our trees. We were lucky. Most areas were littered with downed trees and power lines. Most lost electricity. Some lost water service. The Governor declared a state of emergency, and what did Hubs and I do? Hiked, of course!

Well.. we tried to hike. Since we didn't have any problems from the storm, we didn't think to listen to the news about other areas of the state. So off we set to Patapsco State Park's McKeldin Area, where we planned to hike about 8 miles. Ever since I joined Everytrail.com I've been itching to try the McKeldin Area full day hike of about 16 miles, but we haven't had the nerve to do it. This weekend, Hubs and I were going to try half of it. At 8 miles it would be our longest hike.

What we saw when we pulled into the parking lot was destruction. Trees were down all over, power lines were haphazardly tangled in the branches.

As we continued along the trail, there were more branches and trees down, sometimes to the point that we had to weave our way through them. We knew that the park service had their hands full with many trails, so we did what we could. Any branches that we could pick up between the two of us we moved off the path.

In addition to the tree debris, the trail was very muddy and the storm water had changed the river to a sad brown.

I am absolutely astounded at the raw power of nature. This trip left me in awe of how dangerous nature can be, and how deadly it could be for an unprepared person.

As a result of the storm damage, we ended up only hiking 2 miles. Tree scrambling is not nearly as fun as rock scrambling!

**Hubs looked at the GPS tracker and realized it cut off half way through our hike. He thinks we hiked about 6 miles total**

I would like to go back and hike this trail again (just maybe not right after a storm!), because the trail map promised some awesome sights to see along the way. I love a hike with a view! But even all the storm damage couldn't keep us from finding delight in this hike. We came across a young deer that bounded right across the trail! And this time, my camera did work!

You can see her in the middle of the picture, worrying about whether we were going to come after her.

We also crossed over train tracks (be aware that these are active tracks), and saw this beautiful tunnel.

No, I did not get close enough to take a better picture. I'm too much of a scared-y cat!

I'll leave you with a picture of these awesome geese, that are totally ballin'. They laugh in the face of danger!

There's more to come later this week so be sure to check back! Littlest Cloudy and I set off together and she's got some beautiful photos to share with you all!

Thank you so much for visiting My Journey from High Heels to Hiking Boots! I'd love to hear from you in the comments section! You can also follow me by email at the top of the left hand navigation bar by simply entering your email address. Happy Trails!

P.s. Ever made homemade chicken broth? I hadn't till last night cause I was so sure it would be too time consuming. Well thanks to Kelly at The Complete Guide to Imperfect Homemaking I made it for the first time - and it's awesome! Mosey on over and see for yourself =]

Camping and Maryland Heights Trail

2012-06-24T22:12:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the delay in getting this posted. My brand new memory card decided to corrupt all the pictures on it, and Hubs diligently worked to save as many as he could. I lost some, but a lot were saved. But I am so excited to share this story with you! This weekend's hike was epic!

A lot of thought went into this hike. With a plethora of trails available to us in this area, it is always a challenge to choose one. Hubs and I have looked at tons of trails and each one gets filtered out for one reason or another. Too close, too far, not challenging enough, too challenging... I wanted to do something big. I wanted to be challenged. I wanted an adventure.

During my search, Harpers Ferry, WV popped up. I was instantly intrigued. There were so many trails to choose from, and so many things to do out there. We could drive out there Friday night and camp, then hit the trail early the next morning! I would have loved to start hiking Friday and camp out on the trail, but we have a bunch more equipment we need to invest in before we do that. Plus.. I don't know that I'm ready to get that familiar with the great outdoors.. if you catch my drift... I need to shore up my courage a bit.

Hubs, Littlest Cloudy, and I set out much later than intended. It was my fault, because all good weekend trips must have a shopping trip before hand! Helloooo REI! I love that store! When we finally arrived, our campground was breathtaking. River Riders's campground is situated right on the Potomac River, which was so peaceful. I couldn't imagine a more serene place to spend the night.

Photo Credit: Littlest Cloudy

Surprisingly enough, we managed to set the tent up quickly and it didn't collapse on us! I was really proud of us! Three city kids braving the wilds of West Virginia and living to tell the tale, who would have thought?!

Our tent is a cute little thing that our dear neighbors gave us as a wedding present. I'm ashamed to say it went untouched the first two and a half years of our marriage, but I promise you friends, it will be used until its death from here on out! It's so easy to set up, and its roomy! It's also very stylish, which in my opinion is the most important thing. If I'm going to do something, I'm going to do it in style! Unfortunately the picture of our tent was one of the pictures that did not survive.. I'll take a picture the next time we use it.

One of the essential backpacking items we need (desperately!) are bedrolls. We've been looking at some online, reading reviews, and doing our homework on them but we haven't made the purchase yet. So for the weekend a friend graciously lent us his bedrolls. They are about as basic as you can get, and after a fitful night's sleep Hubs and I agreed that we would be getting nice ones before our next overnight adventure. It is a purchase well worth my sanity.

The puppers did a great job in the tent! We brought their beds with us and had them sleep on one side of the tent (they were more comfortable than us!) and they hardly stirred after we told them it was bedtime. Of course, they were so (dog) tired from our exciting car adventure and watching us set up camp, who could blame them??

The next morning, our friends joined us in historic Harpers Ferry to start our big hike! I was overflowing with excitement. Mostly because we were about to hike. The really nerdy reason was because we were right where the Appalachian Trail comes through and I was seeing serious hikers for the first time. I had to restrain myself from asking one of them for a picture. Hubs and Littlest Cloudy would have been so embarrassed if I had done that...

The Maryland Heights trail is actually a couple of trails that wrap up and around the mountain. There are cool things to see along the way, like Naval Batteries and cliff overlooks. The batteries are gone for the most part, but there are signs that talk about each location and the history behind it.

This trail kicked my butt. Literally. I have never been sore like I am now after hiking a trail until Maryland Heights. Part of that was due to the new pack that we acquired on our shopping trip (another Flash 18), and the bladder that we got to put in it (a 2L Platypus) along with all of the gear you carry for a day hike. Mostly the soreness was from all the uphill hiking. At the highest point we climbed 1192 ft! It was such a work out!

Check out that view! This was taken at the cliff overlook during the first part of our hike. We stopped here for a while to rest and re-hydrate ourselves, and I couldn't help but take an annoying number of pictures =]

Photo Credit: Littlest Cloudy

Like the sparkly sunglasses?? I know that's the first thing you noticed!

When we continued on our way, we got up to the highest point to have lunch, and then it was all down hill from there! No, nothing bad happened. It really was all down hill after that!

Like I said, this trail kicked my butt. It was really difficult, but I'm glad we pushed through! You can park across the river in downtown historic Harpers Ferry at the Amtrak lot if you get there early enough. The lot is controlled by the National Park Service, so there is a fee to park (it was $10 when we went). If you strike out and don't find any parking there, you can park at the main visitors center across Highway 340 and they will shuttle you over. If you have dogs with you though, you'll want to arrive early enough to park at the Amtrak lot because pets are not allowed on the shuttle.

Amtrak Station

To get to the Maryland Heights trail, you go across the Potomac on the footbridge.

This sign points you to the footbridge

On the other side of the bridge, go left down the C&O Canal Towpath until you come to a bridge that leads across the canal (there is a sign that says Maryland Heights). The trail entrance is directly across from the bridge.

Good footwear is a must. Poor Littlest Cloudy didn't have the right kind of shoes. She is fine, but it definitely slowed her down since she had to worry with foot placement. The trail is really rocky, and one misplaced foot could lead to an ankle injury (and then you couldn't wear heels for like.. weeks). We brought lots of water with us and I'm glad we did, especially for the pups. The climb was just as hard on them, and they were very thirsty.

This trail was very busy. I think that was due to the fact that it was so close to the A.T. and because Harpers Ferry is a summer destination for a lot of people. Just watch out and be considerate of other hikers you meet. Remember that you are not the only one on the trail =]

We hiked a little over 7 miles, and it took us just about 4 hours. You can see a map of our trail on EveryTrail. Its really neat to be able to look at a GPS of our route after we've done it!

After completing this trail I feel like I'm ready to conquer the world! Ok, maybe just the next difficult trail. One day though, I will hike the Appalachian Trail - and it will be glorious!

Buzzards Rock - Butt Buster!

2012-06-20T20:55:00.001-04:00

After not being able to hike this past weekend, Hubs and I were anxious to get our legs moving on the trail (the pups were pretty restless, too). Since we were going to have to go after work, we decided to go over to Patapsco State Park. As beautiful as Cascade Falls Trail is, I've hiked it several times and I wanted something new. Doing a bit of searching online I came up with Buzzards Rock Trail! It seemed perfect: a short trail that we could do after work, with just enough difficulty to get our blood pumping!

After a chaotic morning (trying to get ready for work and get my dogs out the door with me..... I need more coffee, please!), the thought of hitting the trail made my day much easier. It's amazing how in such a short amount of time hiking has become such a stress reliever for me. Even the summer heat couldn't keep me off the trail today! After work, while waiting for Hubs to get home, I convinced my sister, Littlest Cloudy, to come on the trail with us!

As you can see, Sprocket was ready to hit the trail! He's an impatient little bugger sometimes!

So off we started on our short mid-week hike. Patapsco is where I fell in love with hiking, and this trail proved to be just as wonderful! It started off going downhill towards the river and overtop of the train tracks (the tracks head through a tunnel built into the mountain side). We caught our first great view from on top of this tunnel!

My camera couldn't do the scene justice. I love looking at the lush tree tops. I'm standing on the edge of a small cliff where this picture was taken. There were some rocks that abruptly stopped and the drop was about 50 feet. Hubs said that it is often used by rappellers for practice. Pretty cool, huh? Maybe I've found a new thing.. "My Journey from Sanity to Rappelling." No? Yeah, I didn't think so!

While I was caught up in the beauty of the sight, my uber creative sister suggested I take this picture:

Sprocket photobombed us...

We continued on our way and met up with our friend, Number One, and the four of us joined together to hike the rest of the trail.

After losing our way for a bit (you'd think I'd have learned my lesson on Gunpowder South), we found the trail again and looked up ahead to see what awaited us. Holy cow. What a hill! As our mouths were hanging open, a lady with her two dogs passed us and said "Yeah! It's a butt buster". No kidding.. I was so focused on actually making it up the hill in one piece, that I didn't get a good picture of the climb, but you can kind of see it from this one:

Getting up to the top was worth it. For one, my legs felt great! Have I mentioned how hiking has done wonders for my cellulite?? I am dead serious about that. It was also cool to make it to the top, because there was a cool rock/cliff that you could see the dam from.

You can just see it off in the distance (I was taking pictures with my cell, sorry for the bad quality). The coolest part though, was realizing we had just climbed up that high! We had been walking even with the dam below. My best guess is it was about a 400 ft climb! Butt buster, indeed!

That was part of the rock/cliff.

From the cliff.

So after we ogled the pretty view, we kept on walking (uphill!!) and didn't see much except trail. It was a great hike though, and if it wasn't for the Maryland humidity it would have been perfect. As the trail continued back up hill, I realized we'd be getting close to our car soon. Its amazing how much I've come to love long hikes, and so as we came to the clearing where the parking lot was I was feeling bummed it was over so quickly. But something people refer to as "Trail Magic" was working, and we came across this:

The sun was just starting to set over the gorgeous field. I particularly love the last picture!

I will never cease to be amazed at the treasures we have in our "back yard". I grew up right around the corner from this part of Patapsco Sate Park and never realized how lucky I was! And since I persuaded my sister to come along on this hike I've officially converted my first fellow High Heels Lover to hiking boots! I have to say that I'm rather proud of myself *muahaha*! Watch out, my friends -- I'm coming for you next!

I've got a great trip planned for this weekend! I'm so excited to share it with you when we get back! Did you notice the new button on the left side of my page? I got an EveryTrail account and I can now track our trails with GPS to show you how we went! You can see Buzzards Rock Trail here!

Have you taken the first step to hiking? I'd love to hear about it if you have!

The High Heels Side of Life

2012-06-14T10:21:00.000-04:00

I'm sad to say that this weekend I won't be able to hike =[. However, it's for a good reason and I'd like to tell you about it!

This summer, Hubs and I are going on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic! The trip is a collaborative effort consisting of multiple churches and about 20 missionaries. Every year, Youth For Christ/Project Serve (if you click the link and watch the video, you'll see both Hubs and I!) sends 3 groups of missionaries to a church in the little town of Pimentel. The mission groups run medical missions providing families with the only medical care they'll see until the group returns, construction projects that maintain the church facilities, make necessary repairs to homes in the area, and build homes for residents that are living in tin shacks, and lastly the missions groups run Vacation Bible Schools that often see 300-400 children between the ages of 1-15.

The cost of the trip is built so that a large portion from every missionary is given to the church in Pimentel, which uses that money to run a school, MIVA, on the premises. MIVA is free to the children, and they are given what is often their only meal for the day.

Hubs and I have been to the Dominican Republic several times with this particular trip. In recent years we haven't been able to go, so we are really looking forward to going again. Every year, raising the money to go is a struggle, but somehow (by the Grace of God) it all comes in. Which brings me to the reason for my post!

This Saturday June 16, my band Beautiful Tragedy will be performing at a coffee house fundraiser to help the team raise money for the trip. The coffee house is going to be awesome! I've organized another two bands to join ours in playing, there will be people who've been on the trip speaking about their experiences, and coffee and baked goods! I'd like to invite you out to join us, if you're in the area!

Saturday, June 16
Elkridge Fire Hall
6275 Old Washington Blvd
Elkridge, MD 21075
Click Here for more information.

We are selling tickets, since it's a fundraiser. All the ticket info is in the link, and how to get advanced tickets if you don't want to buy at the door.

I'll be there in my heels, of course =] Probably shiny black ones.. or maybe my animal print ones since I'm going to wear my red pants... Or I could wear.... Oh! Sorry, back to the blog..

I would *love* it if you could come out and support a great cause! Your ticket purchase will make it possible for a missionary to go on the trip, which will give money to MIVA to keep kids eating and in school, which will give them the necessary education to grow up to be productive citizens. Your ticket purchase will bless that missionary by allowing them to see what life is like outside of America and instill in them a sense of value for life, it will allow them to bless the Dominicans by carrying much needed household supplies, clothes, and school supplies that a lot families can't afford to buy. And lastly, your ticket purchase will bless YOU, and give you the satisfaction of being a willing participant in the Great Commission and God's plan for you:

¹⁸Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

I look forward to seeing you on Saturday! It's going to be a great event!

MIVA Dominican Republic 2007

Thank you so much for visiting My Journey from High Heels to Hiking Boots! I'd love to hear from you in the comments section! You can also follow me by email at the top of the left hand navigation bar by simply entering your email address. Happy Trails!

Hiking News - Inspiration

2012-06-11T22:19:00.000-04:00

Earlier today while I was online, I stumbled across a story of two U.S. students who were hiking in New Zealand. They were just heading into the wilderness for a few days to study for finals and relax a bit, but a series of sudden rain storms and a snow storm, caused them to be stranded in the woods for 9 days!

The amazing part of this story is that they made it out alive. Walked themselves out, even! They were prepared enough to stay alive in the event of an emergency. It's a lesson that all hikers need to learn. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

You can read the entire story here. I am truly amazed by this resilient couple, who's quick thinking saved their lives.

As Hubs and I get closer to our first overnight hike, I often worry that we don't know enough of the basics to survive in an emergency. We are both quick on our feet and can be resourceful when necessary, yet I wonder how does one prepare for the unknown? After all, my expertise is finding that pair of BCBG shoes for $20, not wilderness survival!

The ISurvival Supply blog has some great tips that we can all learn from. It offers tips on food choices to first aid kits. Take a look and read for yourself. Even if you're not a hiker, these are good tips in the event of any emergency. So if you've been procrastinating putting together your emergency house hit, now I've taken away one more reason!

This couple has inspired me to think about trail survival. Even a day hike could go horribly wrong if you are unprepared. After this weekend's episode of not knowing what my trail looked like, I'm not taking silly chances again. I hope you don't, either.

Rock Scrambling and Gunpowder South

2012-06-10T23:17:00.001-04:00

Last week, I mentioned in my post that we were probably going to hike the Torrey C. Brown rail trail this weekend. However, when I woke up Saturday morning, I decided I wanted to do something much more challenging than the rail trail. I have no doubt that the rail trail is wonderful, but after the week Hubs and I had, we wanted something that would tire us out completely. After some looking around online, we decided to hike the Lefty Kreh Fishing Trail, also known as the Gunpowder South Trail.

From what I could read online, it looked like a circuit hike along the river. I was unable to find trail maps specifically of that trail to view online, but I thought "how bad could it be?". I read reviews from people who'd hiked a combo of Gunpowder South and others with each one extolling the beauty and serenity of the trail. It couldn't be too bad, after all it was a circuit, right? Wrong.

So off we went to Hereford. We found the parking area with little trouble. The Gun. South Trail is marked with a White Blaze. None of the trails were marked with signs from the parking lot, so after talking with some people we found our way to it. We picked up the trail where it crosses another, so we decided to head left up the hill. After climbing for a little while we started to head down the other side where we met the river which flowed lazily by. The trail stuck with the river the whole way after this point, which was just fine by me! I love hiking along the water.

The river would have been perfect for a serene canoeing or kayaking trip. There were a few rough spots that gave some excitement, but for the most part the river just flowed by without a care in the world. Every once in a while a fish would jump, or you'd see a fisherman standing quietly swing his line back and forth. Peaceful is the best word I can use to describe it.

After a while we broke for lunch, where we planted ourselves on a rock on the river bank. It was the perfect place to take off my boots and dip my feet in the water! The dogs couldn't have been happier to sit on the warm rock and to drink from the cool (cold) river. Plus, we got to enjoy a fantastic view.

When we started back on the trail, it became decidedly smaller the longer we walked. If we came across others on the trail, we'd have to stand in the tall grass on one side of the trail (which made me really nervous considering our tick episode not that long ago!). A lot of the trail on the river side had been eroded, and as such we had to be careful about our footing. There were several times when our feet slipped out from under us.

When I had been researching this trail, there were some comments about "rock scrambling" that I had seen online. Yet after an hour and a half on the trail, I hadn't seen any evidence of it. I began to despair, which was silly of me (never doubt a hiker!), until we finally came across the rocks. O.. M.. G.. For serious.

Awesome, right?

Ok, so we didn't actually climb that, the trail went up and around, but a girl can pretend right??

In all seriousness though, it wasn't easy. The hills were steep and the ground was slick in some places which caused a couple of misplaced steps. We encountered rocks like this for the rest of the journey, which I grew to love despite my fear of losing my balance. I was taking risks, something I hadn't done before like this unless you count the risk of buying a pair of shoes without trying them on first (perish the thought!).

At one point, the trail went up into the hills again. I was chattering on to Hubs about something (probably my absolute need to get another pair of heels for work), when he shushed me suddenly with the wave of his hand. Obviously I was a little miffed, after all wasn't my need for shoes important to him?! When I expressed my displeasure, he shushed me again and pointed up ahead. I peered around him and saw an incredible sight: Bambi! A little fawn had lost her way from Mama and was following the trail! I had never before seen a fawn so close. So what did I do? The same thing any good high-heel-loving-turned-hiking-boot-wearing girl would do. I whipped out my camera. "Error! SD card unreadable".. I was crushed, and Bambi had frolicked away.

Up ahead, I could hear the sound of rushing water. In little time we came to the source of the sound: Prettyboy Dam. It was so awesome looking!

I had never been so close to a rushing dam like that before. It reminded me of when I went to see Niagara Falls with my family and we rode the Maid of the Mist. I remember the mist soaking everything! But feeling the water spray on your cheeks after a long hike is refreshing! Now, if only we could find how the trail circuits we'd be in shape!

After walking up to the top of the dam and crossing the bridge, we determined I must have been incorrect about the circuit since we could find no evidence of it. I was a little more than embarrassed that I had misread the reviews I'd found online. After two and a half hours of hiking, we turned around to head back the way we came.

I learned some lessons from this hike, which in the end is the important thing. I learned to always do thorough research on a trail and be sure to know what kind of route it should take. I learned that my dogs don't like swimming in ice cold water and I can't say I blame them! And I learned that when your husband tells you to stop talking about the new shoes you want, you should probably listen to him so you don't miss the treasure up ahead.

It was a hike of firsts. I hope I never stop having hikes with firsts. There's nothing so incredible than doing something you've never done, or learning something you didn't know before.

Some trail notes:

This trail often intersects with other trails. Keep an eye on the trail blaze to make sure you are following the correct one or you will get lost.
This is not a circuit. I repeat: This is not a circuit. (If anyone can find a trail map, I would love to see it)
Be alert for fisherman carrying their fishing poles on narrow portions of the trail
Wear good shoes, preferably boots to protect your ankles. The rock scrambling was awesome, but could be dangerous if you're not careful.

And lastly, I'll leave you with the rest of my pictures from the hike!

I look terrible in a hat, don't I? Too bad I need it to keep my part line from getting sunburned.. Ahh the fashion sacrifices you make for the things you love..

Lost Pond and Overcoming Fears

2012-06-07T23:15:00.002-04:00

Last weekend on the spur of the moment, Hubs and I decided to hike. After looking around online to figure out where we wanted to go, we decided on Lost Pond trail in Gunpowder Falls State park. After a much needed Starbucks run, we arrived to find an incredibly crowded park. I couldn't believe how many people were there! There were bikers, kaykers, canoers, walkers, families, creepers *shudders*.. just kidding, no creepers!

We walked down to the trail from the parking lot, and I was awestruck by the view! Unfortunately, I was so awestruck that I forgot to take a picture.. the entire hike. FAIL! However, you can take my word for it that it was absolutely stunning! The trail runs along Gunpowder River almost the entire way. Towards the end it splits off uphill and affords you a breathtaking view of the rapids. Hubs and I stood there for a while just taking it all in, with me secretly being annoyed that I forgot our towels... (camera, towels.. how else could I fail? ugh!)

The trail was really, really crowded before it splits. We often stood to the side while bikers passed, or people with fishing poles came by. I was happy with how the dogs did in the midst of this crowd, though. Before this, Cocoa was barking her head off at anyone we met on the trail! This experience seemed to calm her down and make her realize that she doesn't own the trail. I couldn't figure out where all these people were walking to until we got to the trail split. The river had these great big rocks that caused the rapids and in the midst of all the rushing water a still pool had been created where people were swimming. It was amazing!

When we made it back to Lost Pond, once again, I was taken aback by the rugged beauty of this place. The name Lost Pond came about because this trail is overtaken by lush plant life. As the plant life flourished, the pond dried up and you are left with a great big circle of plants. It was a sight to see! And when we go back I promise I will take pictures!

The trail goes around Lost Pond and deep into the woods, and then swings back towards the river. There are many little, easy to cross streams that make their way down to join in with the river. However, there was one stream that was about waist deep. The opposite bank was elevated about 5 feet from where we stood. I had no clue how my dogs were going to cross. I had no clue how I was going to cross! My husband is a quick thinker, though, and he climbed up on a log that (conveniently) crossed the stream at an upward slope. The dogs were none too happy, but after some coaxing they walked all the way across. I was thrilled with myself for walking across! This is something I would have pitched a fit about before I started hiking, but now I feel like a champion for facing my fears and doing something I never thought I could do!

Picture it: Elle Hiett - Master of the Trail, Log Crosser Extraordinaire!

A little much, do you think??

At any rate, I did feel like I'd come a long way in the short time I've been hiking. Overcoming a challenge felt good not only because I didn't think I could do it, but also because Hubs and I did it as a team, romantic, right?

I think our hike was about 4 miles total. It was a great workout!

P.s. I would normally link to the Gunpowder Falls State Park website, but their site has been hacked. If you decide to search for it, please be careful =]

Clothes and Trails and Events, Oh My!

2012-06-06T08:04:00.000-04:00

When I decided I wanted to start hiking, I knew my wardrobe would need some additions. As I mentioned in my first post, all of the clothes in my closet are organized by type. I have a decided lack of anything that's suitable to hike in, unless you count my Calvin Klein jeans.. which I don't cause they're too nice to hike in! And I couldn't imagine hiking in jeans anyway, just imagine how sweaty and gross you'd be.. eww.

I knew I needed something different than my athletic pants too, at least until I learned the ropes of hiking. So Hubs and I set out to REI to see what we could find that would work. After ogling all the fun stuff, I found a pair of convertible pants. These are the kind of pants that you can unzip the legs just below the knee to turn them into shorts. Nifty, right? I took a look at the price tag and my heart dropped.. I knew it was out of our budget. I decided that another store must have something similar, and off we set on a wild goose chase.

Several stores later, we ended up at Dick's Sporting Goods. Eureka! We found a pair in my size on sale for around half the price of the others. However, they hadn't passed the fit test yet. Being the clothes lover that I am, they had to fit right in the caboose before I would give them a thumbs up, because I refuse to look like a man on the trail. I'm going to hike in style so help me!

You'll be pleased to know that they fit me well. I couldn't find the exact ones I purchased to link here, but the style pictured above is almost exactly the same. I like them because they're so light weight, and and they breathe well. They also accommodate movement really well, so climbing isn't restricted, although I haven't scaled any cliffs.. Yet. I ended up buying a size larger than what I wear normally, so keep that in mind if you order some.

After hiking they were filthy! But they washed really well. All the dirt and mud stains came out without a problem, but I think in the future I'll line dry them because they did shrink slightly (or maybe it was me getting bigger..). Even so, they stretched right back out when I started moving around in them.

After raving about them to my husband we had to get him a pair, too. We haven't hiked yet since we got them, so I'll let you know if he doesn't love them once we're out on the trail again. You can find a similar style by clicking the picture below =]

Our next hike is probably going to be at the Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail this weekend, which looks really cool! Check out the link when you get a chance!

And speaking of this weekend, did you know that Saturday is National Get Outdoors Day? This Saturday National Parks will be fee free! Check out the link to find out what events are happening in your area!

What's your favorite way to spend time outside? I'd love to hear about it!