Hiking with Kids (or attempting to)

"Children have a natural affinity towards nature. Dirt, water, plants, and small animals attract and hold children's attention for hours, days, even a lifetime." -Robin C Moore and Herb H Wong

Never have truer words been uttered. Unless, of course, that child has not napped enough. Or is hungry.

Or is just two years old and does not necessarily need a reason to just suddenly be in the worst mood ever, even if he was perfectly loving hiking just moments earlier. 

And, that my friends, is the joy and excitement of hiking with young children.

My sister and I decided to take advantage of one of the beautiful fall days a week or so ago and take her two children, PX (now 2.5 years) and B (10 mo) hiking. This was not the first time, by any means. In fact, PX has been camping with us even. He loves nature, he love playing in dirt, he loves adventures. But not this time. 

Let me paint a picture. 

We arrive at the Chubb Trail, near Lone Elk Park and as we get out of the car, PX requested to be carried. Okay, sure. We will carry you across the parking lot and to the trailhead. No big deal. B is already strapped to my sister in the Ergo baby carrier as content as can be. We also had the cloth Moby wrap shoved into my backpack in case PX decided he needed to be carried more during the hike.

Well, PX decided pretty darn fast that walking was not going to happen. At first, it was okay. Slow, but okay. He would take a few steps while holding my hand and then stop to pick up a leaf. He would take a few more steps and then stop to pick up an acorn. And then an even bigger acorn. And then just wanted to sit and play in dirt. We had many miles to accomplish and this was a snails pace. However, my sister was torn, saying that she did not want to discourage him from exploring the space around him. 

But then the amount of sitting was starting to out number the amount of walking he was doing, and it got to the point where he wasn't going to do it. And then he requested to be carried. I said, no problem! I was happy to take the Ergo and strap PX to my back, so my sister got B set up in the Moby wrap instead. 

PX and I were perfectly happy and comfortable as the hike went on. My sister and B, who is no small baby, were not so great. This beautiful Fall day turned into super sunny and nearly 90 degrees, and a good chunk of the trail had us going through prairie fields. No shade. Giant baby who was pressing into my sister's stomach. So much discomfort. 

We finally made it to shade and chugged some water. PX had his own bottle and I had brought my own bottle, but my sister did not have her own, so we shared. This would not have been an issue had the temperatures been less intense. To be fair, she had brought a bottle but had expected the trailhead to have some sort of facilities, and it does not. So be warned. Come prepared. 

My sister started feeling less overheated with the water and shade, but she needed to carry B in a different way. So, we switched carriers again and told PX he needed to do some walking.

(Let me interject at this point to say just a few weeks earlier we were at a farm area in Illinois and PX had done a 2 mile hike without being carried once, and that hike even had a few steep grades). 

So, he took a few steps. And then stopped. "Come on, take my hand, let's keep walking." A few steps. I want to go home, he said. "Well, we can't right now, we're hiking. Let's go." A few steps. I'm hungry. "Drink some water, come on, let's keep going." A few steps. 

Then, plop. No more steps. Just sitting. In the middle of the trail, with that look. That look that every toddler does when they are just done and there is nothing you can do about it.

Carry me, mommy. 

"Mommy is carrying B right now."

And this, dear friends, was the beginning of the end. At this point, we still had at least three miles more to go until we got to the car. There was no dragging him any farther. I threw him on my hip, finally, and kept walking. 

I'll save you all the dirty, slightly miserable details of making it back to the car (but note, for about a quarter of a mile, my super human sister carried both children), but eventually I had B strapped to me in the Moby and my sister had PX strapped to her back in the Ergo. B was as happy and content as can be. Her only issue the entire time is her being a bit big to be strapped to someone's front in the Moby. She kept leaning forward with her arms out, as if she was flying, and totally throwing off my center of balance. 

To be fair, I suggested this trail because I love it...not really thinking that when you do the entire thing, it is nearly seven miles long. A bit overzealous for carrying 25-32 lbs of child. 

But, we made it to the car, alive, albeit exhausted, frustrated and hot. Not to mention a bit hungry. PX was asleep by the time we made it to the highway, no surprise there. Perhaps not the best hiking experience ever, but I would rather have a poor hiking experience than no hiking experience at all. 

But, maybe that's just me. 

   

Katy Trail Riding: Part Two

So, this brings us to day three. 

Day 3. More matching outfits

One thing I forgot to mention regarding day two was the weather got rather hot as the day went on. And I am pale and sensitive and overheat easily. My body got angry about the heat before it got angry about the miles.

So, day three, we tried to be smarter about the heat. We knew we had a shorter day ahead of us (just about 50 miles for the day) but I did not need to make myself sick with the heat. Q discovered that drenching his shirt at the stops that had water helped cool him off, so I started doing that too. We both also kept towels wet around our necks to help keep cool. The week was not supposed to be a hot one, so of course with it being Missouri, that changed, and it got to 90 degrees. But hey. At least our outfits accidentally matched again.

It was so nice knowing we would hit our day's destination (Hermann) by dinner time. This is why next time I decide to do this, I want to try to keep the days to 45-55 miles. Not that I cannot handle the 70+ mile days, but it was much less stressful knowing we got to relax and enjoy ourselves later. This also meant we could take more breaks if we wanted to take a look at things we passed and not worry about wasting too much time.

What is the point of being out in nature if you don't get to stop and look at it for a bit? Plus, to be honest, it was nice giving my butt a break from being on the bike seat when we got to look at things along the way, like that giant rock. My inner thighs and booty were experiencing some nice bike butt.

You can't really tell from those pictures, but that rock was used to keep track of floods that had occurred in the past, since we were along the Missouri River. We saw many, many Lewis and Clark historic markers along the way. We did not pay much attention to those, however. 

We did pay lots of attention to all the animals and flora we saw. Q is one of those people who knows a bit of everything so he was tossing out random facts about things we saw or identifying certain plants. 

This was one of the lesser populated stretches. We would go many miles without seeing a single other person. We saw so few that we started keeping track of how many we did see. I was also getting to the point of mentally and physically exhausted so I was okay when we would go many miles without speaking. 

Starting to look a bit worn around the edges

We spend the night in Hermann, which is not one of the stops immediately off the trail. We veered onto one of the spur trails right before McKittrick to get there. This trail was only a few miles long, but I was not a fan of it. It included a bike lane along highway 63, which was just a large shoulder area. I am not a road biker, so this made me uncomfortable having semi trucks right next to me. You then go over a bridge to get into Hermann, and holy moly, that bridge almost killed me. I cannot even imagine having to bike that thing had it been one of our 70+ mile days. Patty even said when we drove the road that she would pick us up at the trailhead instead if we wanted because she did not like how it looked. But, we are stubborn and wanted to bike it to say we did.

Well, now I've done it and don't really need to do that again. Or, at least, next time I bike into Hermann I am going to at least drink some delicious Hermann wine once I get there. Every time we passed through a town known for their wine and I did not get to have any, I got quite sad...

But, we stayed at Hermann City Park, which we were able to find fairly easily navigating the not so busy streets of Hermann, Missouri. The campground really was just inside a city park, but it was nice and had a mix of RV/campers and tent campers. Plus, it had toilets and showers, so no complaints. We made delicious food and drank a little bit of wine Patty had brought with her and watched some movies in the RV. And I think I was asleep by 10 PM, which never happens. 

**

Day four I woke up and was not excited. I was sore. My back ached, my butt and thighs killed, my knees were stiff. That many miles so quickly on your body is just rough. And I knew we had another 75 miles to go.

We would stretch, but I am sure it was not enough for the amount of miles we were doing. Since about day two, my knees would hurt but once I got a few miles in, they would loosen up and be okay. 

Patty knew I was not really feeling it, so she put a little flower she found on my bike to cheer me up. Okay, by flower, it was really a weed, but it did make me smile.

Starting off Day Four, Not Matching...

So Patty drove us to the McKittrick trailhead and we hopped on our bikes and backtracked to where the Hermann spur was just to say we hit ALL of the trail and didn't miss anything. At that point, why not. We didn't think the trip was going to happen, and we managed to get back on track timing wise even with missing half a day, so we were going to make sure we got the ENTIRE thing.

And we're off!

We were entering the area that I knew a bit better. This was the day that I had heard of almost every town we stopped at, and had been to most of them even. This is also the stretch of trail that very few of the stops had water. We luckily knew this before starting the day, so we made sure to pack extra water and extra gatorade on our bikes. We also swapped out some bottles when we would meet up with Patty along the way. 

Final day Selfie

The previous days, Patty sort of did her own thing during the day and maybe met up with us once while we road, if at all. The last day she met up with us ever 10-20 miles. Partially because we hit an area of Missouri that she didn't know as many people to go bug, but also partially because I think she was a bit worried about us...she wanted to make sure we were feeling okay and hydrated and eating. 

Unfortunately, about 20 or so miles into the last day, my knee started massively acting up. It was no longer just feeling stiff but going away once I was moving that had been earlier in the trip. Now, every time I pedal down, a sharp, intense pain occurred in my right knee. At times the pain was so bad that I felt a bit sick to my stomach. I honestly was not sure how I could possibly finish the trail with it hurting so badly. 

We stopped in Augusta for lunch and I voiced my concern about finishing to both Q and Patty. Patty said there was no shame in me riding the rest of the way with her in the RV and stopping. I debated with myself during the whole break. On one hand, my knee really hurt and I did not want to do anything that could have done more serious damage. On the other day, this was something I had been wanting for years and I was too dang close to just stop. 

Resting and Stretching in Augusta

I decided to keep on going and as we continued on, I had moments where my knee got worse and other times that it felt better. I told myself to just take it each section at a time. I told myself to just make it to Weldon Springs. I made it there and then told myself I just needed to make it to Greens Bottom Road. I knew that area. I had walked that part of the trail with my sister when I lived in St. Charles. We were so close. And from there it was just a few miles to the big St. Charles stop. I knew St. Charles would be where Patty and Q's parents were waiting for us. If I made it there, it would surely be good enough.

Found the RV in St. Charles

Well, we got to the meeting spot in St. Charles and helped empty the RV of all of our stuff and loaded up Q's parents' SUV. This was our parting spot with Patty. The rest of the way we would have Q's parents to support us. I was still debating just stopping here. This is where the trail used to end, until fairly recently. Many people still consider this the end (or beginning, depending). But. We wanted the whole thing. 

It is a good thing I am easily talked into things. Q and Patty and Q's parents all convinced me that continuing on was the better option. And I am glad I did do those final 16 miles to Machens, even if Machens is seriously boring. 

Ten miles from the big St. Charles stop was Black Walnut, which is not even listed on the Bike Katy Trail map, but it is the closest parking lot to Machens. Machens did not even have its own parking lot. And unlike the other end (or beginning) of the trail, Clinton, it did not have water or flushable toilets.

Where Q's Parents waited for us

Those last three miles from Black Walnut, where Q's parents waited for us, to Machens seemed to go on forever. We were worn out and tired and just wanted to be finished. We wanted fast food. That sounds gross, I know, but we just wanted calories. The worst thing was knowing that once we hit the end, we had to turn around and re-do those 3 miles to get back to the car waiting for us in Black Walnut. 

That's it, Folks.

But really. I don't know what I was expecting in Machens, but this wasn't it. Clinton was so cute. Clinton made you pumped to be going on the trail. It had the old train cars and it had water to get you going and it just seemed like it tried. This was just...well, a let down. Don't get me wrong, I was really excited we did it. And I was super proud of us. And, I think since St. Charles is so cute and plays up the whole railroad thing, Machens feels like it doesn't need to. 

Final Selfie of the trip

We took some pictures and read the little bit of information that was posted at the stop and did our last bathroom break on the trail and then we turned around and headed back to the parking lot at Black Walnut. From there it was stretching and loading up our bikes to the car.

One thing I did not expect was how much my hands would hurt. We both wore biking gloves, but even still, we both experienced issues with our grips. By the end neither one of us could really hold onto the handle bars very well anymore. Q had issues with his hands for the following week or so after the trip. 

All in all, I am so happy we did this and I think we did incredibly well especially with starting late and not training as much as we (or, well, I) could have beforehand. Would I make changes next time? Oh, yes. Am I glad this trip worked out the way it did? Yes. And now I can proudly put my Katy Trail sticker on my car. Which, let's face it, is the whole reason I did this thing.

Kidding. Mostly...

A huge thank you to Patty for driving us around and dealing with us for these days. Thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Q for driving us to Columbia and picking us up on the last day...and feeding us much needed burgers. And THANK YOU to Q for agreeing to do this with me and for supporting me along the whole way. I would not have been able to do this without you.

So final count: 2 bikes, 3 friends, 4 days, and 253* miles. 

Not too shabby, if I do say so myself.

Remember: You're Always Welcome in Missouri State Parks

*The Katy trail is 237.7 miles and then the added miles we did along the trip added up to about 253 all together. 

Katy Trail: Riding Part One

(I am embarrassed to admit how long this took to finally write and post. I started writing it right after the trip, which was mid-May. I then had issues with uploading all the pictures onto the computer to get on the blog. And then I just...didn't write. So with much delay, I am posting this)

I am pleased to announce that my friend, Q and I survived the Katy Trail. 

Which, honestly, I am shocked. The trip almost didn't happen. This just goes to show that it does not matter how much you plan something out, sometimes life has other ideas.

My last post had our official plan. See it here if you would like. However, this plan ended up completely changing. Here's what went down.

Q's parents were nice enough to drive us to Columbia where Patty was meeting us with the RV. We were then to drive that evening to Clinton so we could start biking Monday morning. Patty made it to Columbia shortly after we did...aaand the RV died. Seriously. All the planning, all the training, all the anticipation, and the one thing we did not even consider could happen, happened.

The RV!

So we ended up staying the evening in Columbia, unsure if we would be able to get to do any of the trail and we were all in rather foul moods. What do I do when I am frustrated/angry/sad/stressed? Go to a park, of course. So Q showed me around and we walked around two nearby parks. One had cool exercise machines around a trail and I am pretty stoked to say I finally did my first ever unassisted pull up and chin up. 

Anyway, the RV got fixed Monday morning and we were able to get on the road to Clinton. Instead of getting to bike early in the morning, we did not get to bike until about 2:30 PM. Needless to say, our 70 mile day did not occur. We ended up only doing 37 miles, making it to Sedalia. 

We had to take before pictures!

I wish I could say that 37 miles was easy for me, but that would be a giant lie. I completely struggled with day one. Which freaked me out. If I struggled with just doing 37 miles, how the heck did I expect to do the up coming longer days?! I was also worried that Q, who spent more time on a bike than I did regularly would get super sick of my slow pace.

This stretch of the trail was sort of boring in comparison to other stretches. However, you do get to get to the "High Point" of the trail. Despite the Katy being more or less a flat trail (since it used to be a rail road track), there is some change in elevation. And when you are in the areas of just open land and fields and there is no shade in sight, you can feel that ever so slight up-hill feeling.

The very sunny high point of the trail

We did not know where we were going to stay the first night since our plan was not being followed anymore. We realized that Sedalia was as far as we would make it, so we started searching for RV options. We rolled into the Sedalia train depot (which was super adorable, by the way) and Patty was waiting for us. We saw a couple sitting outside their RV in the parking lot so Patty went over to them to ask where they were staying for the night. They said they got permission from the depot to just park there for the night, so we did the same. 

Tired. Worn Out. Happy to be off the bike. 

We Made it to Sedalia!

Despite day one being much shorter than we had originally planned, I was just excited we were even on the trail. I forgot how much harder the Katy Trail was compared to paved bike trails. I don't even know how many times we looked at each other the first few miles and just exclaimed our excitement and disbelief that we were actually on the Katy.

Our accidental matching outfits for day two

Day two we took off from Sedalia and made it to Hartsburg, making that day 72.5 miles. We ended up rolling into the last stop a few minutes past Sunset. The last few miles were awfully miserable; I was tired and sore (especially my thighs and bum) and the bugs were just ridiculous as the day went on. We did get to go through some tunnels and over many bridges that day, which meant some neat pictures. 

Q in a Tunnel

Resting on a Bridge

We rested at every trailhead, which ranged between 5 miles to 16 miles. The trailheads are located in the towns that the MKT Railroad had stopped in. Each trailhead looked like a mini train stop. I really enjoyed all the train details throughout the entire trip. Each rest time was about 10-20 minutes, depending on how long we had biked to get there. Sometimes on the longer legs we stopped after X amount of biking just to rest our bodies or hydrate. We also took about an hour break each day for lunch where we could eat, stretch, and rest in the shade. Lunch breaks were a God send, seriously. I think letting your body rest up and power up is insanely important in order to do the long days. And we had some 10-12 hour days of biking. 

And, let's face it. I was not in as good of shape as Q. He was so patient with me and we balanced each other nicely. I tried to bike quicker for his sake, and he slowed down for me. 

Once we made it to the first stop after Sedalia (Clifton City) we kept running into the same little groups of cyclists along the way. We would all end up meeting at each rest place around the same time. It was fun getting to talk to other riders along the way and hear their experience levels and advice. Some of them were doing it for the first time, like us, and were taking much more time to do it. Others had done this ten plus times before. But when we hit about 50 miles for the day, we lost all the people we had been meeting up with, because they stopped. We pushed on another 20+ miles.

Standing in the Rocheport Tunnel

Day two had the most beautiful stretch of the trail in my opinion, especially the Rocheport area. The above picture is me inside the Rocheport tunnel, which is one of the iconic stops along the Katy Trail. It is a beautiful tunnel. I loved all the aspects along the trail that made you think about the history of the trail and the importance of the railroad, and this tunnel just embodies that. 

Q decided we needed to go off the trail and go to the Big Tree which can be found just near McBaine, MO. This tree is 350-400 years old and is 90 feet tall. Talk about feeling tiny and insignificant. This is a sight that is definitely worth seeing and is just a quick ride away from the trail.

I just needed to hug it

Q snuggled up to it, too.

Needless to say, I am very happy we took the time to go look at The Big Tree. If/when I ride the Katy again, I will give myself more days to do it so I can do more exploring like this along the way. There is just so much to see!

Like I mentioned, we rolled into the last stop of day two as the sun was setting. That night we camped where we originally planned, a camp ground in Jefferson City called Binder Park. We stopped in Hartsburg, which meant the drive to Jeff City was a bit longer than we had planned, but we ran out of daylight hours to bike any more. We decided backtracking the next morning would be easier. We insisted in getting all the miles on the trail and not skipping any sections. 

Last Stop of day two

By the time we got to the campground, it was completely dark and we could not find the campground host. So, we just grabbed a nearby spot and got situated for the night. A shower had not felt that wonderful since I went 5 days without a shower when camping at Yellowstone National Park. Well, we found out in the daylight the next morning that we picked the handicap camp spot. And we apparently did not register correctly. Two strikes against us by the campground host. Luckily, Patty was able to get on his good side by talking to him about the movie RV and we told him we were mid riding the entire Katy and rolled in super late last night. He softened and ended up joking around with us...whew...

Okay this post just got super long so that is all for now and I will continue on in the next post with days 3 and 4 of our epic Katy trip!

Katy Trail: The Official Plan

Q and I have been discussing biking the Katy Trail for over a year now. Five or so months ago we decided we were officially going to do it this summer. Then we picked the actual dates (May 18-22). We started planning and training and now we are 3 days away.

Three days.

And I am in panic mode, I am not even going to lie.

What am I doing? Why did I think this was a good idea? 

My Bike.

Because. It is a goal of mine. This has been a dream for quite some time. Would I ever truly feel ready and prepared? No, probably not. Am I freaking out about feeling ill prepared for doing such long distances at a time? Yep. 

But, it is an adventure. And I will survive it, even if it isn't perfect. 

Here is our plan, so if you decide to ever bike the entire Katy, you have an idea. Also, props to Q for the plan's title. That is what he named our google document we have been writing information on. 

The Great Katy Trail Adventure
or, How I Destroyed My Legs in 240 Miles 

Pre Day- Drive to Columbia from St. Louis with bikes and supplies to meet up with Patty and the RV. Drive then to Clinton, Missouri and await the adventure to begin. Stay at Cozy Corner RV Park.

Now, since we are RVing and not tent camping, finding a place where the RV can park was a bit more difficult. That sort of dictated our miles each day. 

Day 1 (so first day of biking)- Bike to New Franklin and stay at the Katy Round House. We are starting the trip off with a bang and doing 75 miles. 

Day 2- New Franklin to Jefferson City where we will stay at Binder RV Park. This day is only 45 miles, which will be heaven sent after the killer first day. 

Day 3- Jeff City to Hermann where we will stay at Hermann City Park Campground. Again, we are only doing 45 miles this day. 

Day 4 (The Final Haul) is another whopper of a day with 70 miles. This is Hermann to Machens, which probably means backtracking to St. Charles. 

I know the milage seems wonky, but again we were limited by what places allowed RVing. We will have to just suck it up on those long days and take lots of breaks. And drink lots of water. No getting dehydrated.  

There are tons of amazing cafes and resturaunts along the trail (or so I have been told), but we plan on bringing our own food and picnic-style eating along the way. This means figuring out foods that are easy to travel, don't require much prep, and ideally does not need refrigeration. 

I posted on Facebook requesting food suggestions for when we are traveling and received many awesome ideas, most of which are from Courtney, who is currently hiking the ENTIRE Appalachian Trail on her own. Solo. You can check out her blog here. She has not updated it a whole lot, because shocker, when you are out in the wilderness you do not always have internet connection. However, I stalk her updates and photos whenever she does have a chance to post anything, and you should too. 

Once we for sure know what food we are bringing and the complete list of supplies I will share that as well so people can plan their own trips! 

Preparing for The Katy

My friend, Q, and I are riding the whole Katy Trail mid May. We are starting in Clinton, MO and riding West to East towards St. Charles. We plan on doing this in four days.

Originally we had hoped to camp the whole time in tents, but that would mean purchasing a whole lot of supplies that we do not currently own. I have a great 4 person tent, but it is super heavy and would not work with biking. Sadly, I do not currently own much in the ways of light weight camping gear.

Hotels and the great B&Bs that are along the Trail would cost us more than we are willing to spend, so we moved on to the next plan.

RVing. 

A friend of ours has a RV and the availability to act as our support team along the way, such as meeting us at trailheads, carrying our over night supplies to keep our bikes lighter, and being around in case of an emergency. I am very excited about this plan! I would love to someday actually camp the entire trail, but this works well for us for our first time. 

Once all the details are completely finalized, I will post the stops with the mileage, the supplies we bring, and other fun details.

I'd love to hear any and all suggestions from others who have made thia trek. I have beeb reading through the Bike Katy Trail website. 

I have been training all winter in the gym, but now the weather is FINALLY starting to be okay enough to train outdoors, so I have to get my butt in gear. 

I have been thinking about this for almost two years, and I can't believe it is finally happening!

Here Comes the Sun (doo da doo doo)

Today, my dear reader, Missouri had temperatures reaching the 60s. SIXTY. That is a freaking heat wave. And the sun was shining.

And I was working all morning.

Right? This can never happen when I am off work all day. No, those days are rainy or cold. I'm looking at you, upcoming Thursday with thunderstorms predicted. This girl cannot catch an outdoor break right now.

So I left work early. The level of stir crazy I have reached means I need to cram as much outside time in as quickly as possibly.

Apparently the rest of St. Louis was feeling the same way (and can you blame them?) because the Grant's Trail was full today. 

Oh, glorious non-snow covered trail 

My sister texted me that she and the kiddos did 2.25 miles today. So of course I had to do 3. This brings me to a whopping 9 whole miles since 2014 started. Ouch. I do have a lot more indoor miles under my belt, but who wants to count stuffy indoor miles in this challenge? Not I. 

However, I have been doing a lot of indoor miles to try to prepare for the Katy trip. I am itching for getting outdoors with my bike to start training that way. I have until the end of May to get myself in shape and ready for that. I fear that Q will kick my butt and I won't be able to keep up with him. Speaking of butts, all my reading and research has indicated that it doesn't matter how awesomely in shape you are if your bike seat is not comfy. I need to invest in some bike shorts, pronto. 

Today was a much needed boost for me. I feel better physically having spend even just a few miles worth of time outside. I am certain it was all in my head, but I was just imaging the vitamin D being soaked in by my body and I was so happy. I am just going to ignore the snow in the 10 day weather forecast for right now and revel in the fact that I got to be outside walking, in the sun, with just yoga pants, long sleeved shirt and a vest on. And I got hot. It was amazing.

Tomorrow I work in the afternoon so I am planning on hiking in the morning to maximize the outside time this week and to get more miles in to beat my sister! 

I am probably jinxing this weather by being so excited, but let's face it. Missouri is a fickle, fickle lady when it comes to her temperatures, so I will celebrate this as much as I can while it lasts. 

And I will be humming this song while I do so. 

Mid-Winter Waiting

I feel like this post should be sub-titled, "Praying for warmth again."

It is that time of year, folks. And this winter has not been kind. Today the temperature was in the 50s and I was trapped indoors all day long working. Tomorrow when I have the morning free, it will be 12 degrees. 12. That...is sick. 

This is what I cannot stand. The constant back and forth of weather. Feels like Spring one day. Eight inches of snow the next day. Sub-zero temps after that. Oh hey, 60 degrees.

No wonder everyone is sick. 

Since the last post I have managed to find a few decent weathered days when I had free time and the ground was not covered in snow to go hiking. One of those days was actually quite nice. It was in the 50s, sunny and not windy. The other one was only mid-30s but I decided that was good enough. After wind chills of negative degrees, mid-30s feels quite pleasant. Plus, its all about the layers! 

I have found a new favorite place to hike courtesy of one of my good friends at work. I have fallen in love with the Chubb Trail, which is located near Lone Elk Park. The trail also connects to Castlewood State Park. Both days I hiked here, I was there for close to three hours. It was not nearly enough time. I am itching to get back when I have no time restraints and can spend a good chunk of the day exploring.

Look at the beautiful Winter Sky

My adventure urges have been building up and getting rather intense lately. I need Spring to happen soon. Or for my body to learn how to handle the cold.

New challenges of 2014:

Race to 500 miles against the sister. Which of us shall make it there first?! (insert dramatic music here..)

Bike the entire Katy Trail at the end of May with my buddy, Q. 

Explore more, learn more, be active more. 

The big ol' 2013 Summer list fizzled because we may have been aiming a bit high with all the goals. This seems simpler and totally achievable. 

Bring it on, 2014. My Adventures await!