August 2011

NOTE: Pictures will be put up soon, I left my camera at my apartment.

Last minute weekend trip to Northwest Michigan w/ my parents between my days during my internship.

Lodging: Our dentists' cottage...hahah. Gorgeous place, good times hanging out w/ them (albeit a little awkward).

Food: Mostly cooked & brought from home by my mom. We hit a couple restaurants downtown including a mom&pop style one in a local hotel as well as an asian fusion deal across the street. We also went to a place that I want to say was called The Barrel or something like that by the dock for the ferry to the North & South Manitou Islands. Lastly, a breakfast & bakery shop also near the ferry.

Trails:

1. Private beach/sand dune/woods hike along Lake Michigan, showed to us by our dentist.

Total miles: about 4

Significant points: I tried to teach myself how to skip stones along the beach & failed miserably. Sad.

2. Pyramid Peak + loop trail connected to it

Total miles: about 4 again

Significant points: The dune at Pyramid's Peak is incredibly steep! The incline has to be at least 70degrees. It looks like a lot of fun to go down though & it takes you straight to Lake Michigan. Between the chilly weather & what I knew would be an arduous climb back, I wimped out. It's justified w/ a 'next time'

3. ? Loop trail

Total miles: ?

Significant points: My parents & I climbed up an extra dune off trail & kept going for about a mile or two up & down the shoreline.

4. Sand Dune hike

Total miles: 9

Significant points: This trail was a revisit from when my brother, dad, & I attempted to do this hike when I was 8. Back then, my brother got an allergic reaction & we headed back so it was nice to finally tie up that loose end. Sand is a lot more difficult to walk in than it seems- especially when it's one massive hill after another. I was sweating like crazy & got the worst farmers tan ever (backpack + tank top + sports bra line...fail) but it was definitely worth it. Sunny w/ a nice breeze going & took us straight to a pebble beach on the shore of Lake Michigan. Definitely worth the labored breathing & burning calves.

Etc: We didn't make any extraneous stops elsewhere other than taking a short walk around downtown & checking out their beach. Nevertheless, I'm extremely happy that we fit in four trails into three days, it had been forever since we had last hiked a decent trail & for more than one day- how I've missed it.

Lesson learned from this entry: never procrastinate chronicling our trips- I can't remember half of this stuff! Sorry.

The 'beginning'

This is my attempt to chronicle all the hikes/traveling my family has done from this point onwards as well as detail what we can collectively remember from the last 11 years of hitting the trails. Bear w/ me as I crank the dial back, it's going to be a long journey due to other obligations in life (:

A little bit of my family:

Awkward, unconventional, unique. Family of four- talented dad, expressive mom, lovable-in-the-oblivious-way brother, & me.

Though I know people will eventually read this (AKA you), this blog is more for me to remember everything because after a while, trips unfortunately start to blend together. That's not to say that I don't hope you can find some use in our experiences!

A little re-hashing from another blog post (but a lot more in depth, I've underlined a few key phrases so you can skip ahead as necessary, it's wordy):

I was on the phone w/ one of my good friends recently & he asked me why I like to hike so much when taking walks is more or less the same thing. I think my answer both surprised him & me- I've always told everyone who's asked how much I love to hike but never thought about the reason behind it until that moment. So this was my answer: when I take walks, I do it as a way to discover the area. I take in the surrounding scenes, make mental notes, explore, & involve myself in what I see. On the other hand, hiking is completely different. It removes you from our busy world of technology (if you so choose, that is) & allows you immerse yourself in a few things. There are three components to my passion for this seemingly pointless hobby- nature, mental, & physical; all great for the soul. It's beautiful & breathtaking to see the Earth the way it was before landscaping & settling- hiking offers a window into this world. In addition, it takes all the distracting elements of the suburbs/city & throws them away. On the trail, you can hear the quiet, broken only by an occasional greeting to a passing hiker or bird calls in the distance. In regards to mental, if you allow yourself, it's one of the best opportunities to get in touch w/ yourself again. As said earlier, we are a society always plugged in to a system through our phones, laptops, mp3s, tablets, etc. constantly running around making & breaking plans on the fly. Not only that but if you're like me, I try to keep in touch w/ friends & usually end up stretching myself out a little too thin. On the trail, it's only me, unplugged from modernity. Phone on silent, mp3 left in the car, no distractions. It provides a great environment for reflection & thinking. I'm able to think about whatever I want for however long I want w/o feeling rushed or guilty that I'm not spending that time doing something else. In short, it allows me to re-center my emotions & priorities. Lastly, physical. You are the boss, it's not about the people in front, behind, or next, it's about pushing your own boundaries.

It wasn't all rainbows & butterflies when our family first started hiking. As a grumpy 10 year old forced on a trail by my parents I didn't see the point or the beauty to seemingly trivial walks on a path, 'trees are great. They're also in my backyard, wow.' However, at some point I started to see things differently & that's when my love for hiking began.

I will now refer you to the Great Block of Text above if you ask me why I bother to hike, thanks for reading/skimming!