Windy morning turns into a beautiful day.

This morning when we got up it was cold and the wind was howling through the neighborhood.  Little snow & ice pellets were mixed in with the wind.  It sounded like someone was throwing small pebbles against the house when a big gust would hit.  I thought for sure this morning hike was going to be brutal. 

  

We left the house about 8:45am and headed toward Southwestern Michigan College.  Charlie, Cam and I planned to stop and pick up a few friends, Ron, Tyler, and Nate, along the way…I am sure they were sitting in their respective homes wondering why they had agreed to join us for today’s hike based on the weather they woke too.  About thirty minutes before meeting up with Ron he even texted me and asked, “Still going???” – to which I replied, “Coach says, there is never bad weather…just bad dress”.  It took us about 45 minutes to get to the College…but during that time the weather decided to shift in our favor. 


By the time we started our hike the sun had come out and the wind had died down…providing us the chance to enjoy 8 miles of lightly snow covered trails.  After about an hour into our hike…having adjusted to the quiet of the woods…we started to see and hear the wildlife around us.  It seemed like over every hill we climbed we would see a few deer trotting away over the next rise or grazing on an adjoining hillside.  The rabbits and squirrels were also quite busy…flashes of grey and light brown against the white snow as they darted off the pathway when we turned a bend in the trail.

After the hike, when we got back to the Student Activity Center, a few of the group headed on their way while the rest of us enjoyed a nice lunch by the fireplace and chatted about various things.  Thanks to the change in the weather it turned out to be a beautiful hike on the SMC Roadrunner Trails today.

 

An Urban Hike...

Saturday, January 21, 2012

What a beautiful, sunny winter day.  We started our journey about 10:10a and headed out on a scenic tour of downtown Benton Harbor, Michigan and then crossed the river and continued our trek through the streets of St. Joseph, Michigan, before turning off the road and hiking a few miles along the frozen beachfront of Lake Michigan.  Charlie shared that although he appreciates Urban Hiking he prefers the quiet of the woods.  I have to agree with him…many times in the woods during deer season I have thought there is nothing more satisfying than listening to the music the dripping of melting snow makes as it falls from the tree branches above and dances across the forest below…but urban settings also have many beautiful things to share…you just have to open yourself to the different tune that the city sings.

Today’s lesson…Ever hear about the sheep that all ran off the cliff…each following the one in front of it right off the edge for no reason at all???  The hiking group was approaching a busy four lane roadway.  The first few members of the group sensibly checked for traffic and ventured across the roadway…but to my amazement the rest of the group continued to follow suit…never glancing at the approaching vehicles or checking to see if it was safe.  I shouted out “Stop” which caused many of them, just stepping out into the roadway, to pause, look-up, and notice the fast approaching vehicles.  Later, I shared with Charlie the story about how sometimes, when we are in a group, we lose touch with the importance of maintaining our own independent perspective of reality and if not careful could end up like the sheep in the story that follow their friends off the cliff because they stopped attending to their individual reality and just followed the group.  He got the point…a wonderful learning opportunity for us both.

Charlie and I chatted for the remainder of the hike about all kinds of different things and before we knew it we had covered the 8 miles and were back at The Livery having completed our first official Urban Hike at about 12:25p.

Hoping it's gonna be a little warmer for tomorrow's Urban Hike...

Packing some gear...getting ready for tomorrow's Urban Hike.  We're shooting for 8 miles.  We're gonna start at The Livery Brew Pub in the Arts District  of downtown Benton Harbor and meander through St. Joseph and Benton Harbor along the lake shore and through several parks and near the new world class golf course at Harbor Shores.  If all goes well maybe we may rehydrate at the Livery following the hike.  I'm sure they have some great hot chocolate.

Primal Living in the Modern World...

It’s all about embracing the whole of the world just outside our doors – and journeying into it with new eyes and an open mind.

As I was doing some research for Charlie’s and my next hike I stumbled across an excellent resource on Urban Hiking.  According to the author, urban hiking first garnered major attention with the story of Dan Koeppel as told in the famous Backpacker article.  Through his own explorations through L.A.‘s Echo Park and Silver Lake areas, Koeppel designed an elaborate urban trek connecting staircases in the city.  In all, Koeppel’s trek included nearly 5,000 steps as well as forays into intimate neighborhood nooks and unexpected natural havens. With the Backpacker article, the L.A. Times follow-up, and Koeppel’s own website detailing his adventures, urban hiking took root as a movement.

Here’s the link to a site definitely worth checking out…especially if you think there’s nowhere to hike around where you live...or if your just not a nature type.   Read more at: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/urban-hiking/#ixzz1jiaYsdJH

Slipping and sliding all the way…

Brrrrr...it was cold Saturday.  Charlie’s and my first hike went quite well…and neither one of us ended up with any frostbite.  Due to the 8 inches of snow they decided to take an alternate route that kept us on the roadway.  Although, with the frozen rain that collected before the snow fell I am not quite sure the trails would have been any more treacherous.  A few fellow hikers had a neat little item called a Yaktrax® Walker Snow & Ice traction device, that run about $25.00 a pair.  You just slip these over your shoes or boots and “BAM!” you’ve just turned your treads into snow tires.  Personally, I think the snow laden trails would have probably kept us from slipping and sliding just fine.  

We clocked onto the trail at 10:10am and headed south down Cherry Grove Road.   We turned east when we hit Peavine Road and trekked five miles down to just before Lindy’s Restaurant and then made a u-turn and headed back. 

I would be in trouble with Charlie if I didn’t state that he finished at 11:48am while I didn’t clock in until 11:52am.  I’ll have to remind him that it’s not a race.  The little stinker was 100 yards in front of me for the whole hike.  That’s what I get for stopping to take a picture…and the damn camera battery was dead anyhow.  I’ll have to remember to take a drive back down that way tomorrow after work.  There was an old red barn, tucked in behind some trees, that made me think of Lorie a couple of miles into the hike.

Afterwards, Charlie and I grabbed our sack lunches and sat by the big fireplace at the Student Resource Center and chatted about dogs, money and stuff.  You know, he really is developing into a pretty neat young man.  We’ll see how it goes next weekend.  Ever heard of an “Urban Hike”?  Not quite sure what that is…but maybe I’ll leave the Camo Bonnie Hat at home for this one...

Friday, January 13, 2012

Looking forward to my dad's and my first 7 mile training hike tomorrow.  Of course we just got 6 inches of snow and predicted temperatures at 22 degrees for tomorrow...but as coach says, "There is no bad weather...just bad dress". Going to go lay out my gear now.

Thought...

Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe.  ~Anatole France