‘take-a-hike’ challenge day-1 keyword: beginning
Every day I feel is a blessing from God. And I consider it a new beginning. Yeah, everything is beautiful. —Prince Join in the fun, be inspired, get involved, post your status update and don’t forget to tag our growing hiking community #blissfulhikers Walk on and have fun! ♥️Anita Hike and Blissful Click here to follow. Click here to support and receive […]
June ‘take-a-hike challenge’
Hey Blissful Hikers, get out your Fitbits…NOT! Instead, let’s inspire each other by making this June more about the en-counter not the step-counter. Here’s how we’ll do it – each day of the month, I’ll pick a keyword as a topic for the day’s walk. Describe how this word resonates with you by posting a […]
post thru-hike gear wrapup: Therm-a-rest NeoAir Xlite
Quick, what is the most important activity on a thru-hike? If you answered, “Hike,” give that reader a Kewpie doll. But, indulge me just for a sec, and let’s rephrase the question just a little. To hike, you need to be strong and focused, and to get there, you need to be well fed and […]
post thru-hike gear wrapup: Icebreaker T
Except for extra pairs of socks, undies and camp clothes that double as layers on cold days, there’s really no such thing as a “change of clothes” when thru-hiking. So when it comes to deciding what to wear, you better choose wisely. I purchased a Smartwool long sleeved shirt to take on the Te Araroa. […]
post thru-hike gear wrapup: Columbia OutDry ex-reign rain jacket and pants
If you’re going to be outdoors for any significant amount of time, you are going to eventually get wet and if you plan to walk the Te Araroa, you will get very wet. I always carry sturdy rain gear on my thru-hikes. I know it’s a cardinal sin in the ultralite community, but on the […]
password: bluebell
One Thursday in spring, bluebells explode into a sea of color like a holy shrine at Carley State Park, MN.
To: Mark Weatherall, Chief Executive of the Te Araroa Association
Kia ora, Mark. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me by phone on that cold, blustery and rainy day last March as I holed up in Otautau after an upsetting encounter with an aggressive male tramper. Your calming voice and sensible advice helped me complete the trail in Bluff full […]
Flower Power at Nerstrand Big Woods or: how I learned to say “Cutleaf Toothwort” without giggling
Jack Peaks Out Beauty of Spring Caped Crusader Anemone Fields Flying Nuns Toothy Grins Small Rare Precious Wild Blue Petal Grace
post thru-hike gear wrapup: La Sportiva Akyra mountain running shoe
You might recall that it was one year ago, while hiking the Coast-to-Coast and aliloop-of-the-lakes in England, that I became a true believer in using trail runners for backpacking. It turns out this is not just a fling. We’re talking full-on love affair made to last for the long haul and that’s because for the […]
spring song
The volume’s turned up on muddy trails at Minnesota’s William O’Brien State Park and my ears open to the music of early spring.
