Girls Who Hike

Hey Everyone!

I am back from yet another great, any by great I mean the first half was awesome, and the second half I was just ready to be done. At one point I thought “and people do this for fun?” Then I reminded myself why I was out there.

I had mad respect for the women who can hike 10+ miles in a day, and those who go backpacking, at which point they section hike long trails or even through hike trails like the PCT and the AT. That takes mad endurance.

I would love to be able to work up to having the endurance to hike the whole 7.2 mile trail of 10 falls in Silver Falls state park as well as section hike parts of the PCT and John Muir trail through the Sierra in Northern California. I would also love to do the hike at Lake Louise to the Lake Agnes Teahouse.

I keep watching some of friends hiking adventures as well as vlogs from other women hikers like Cat Gregory, who have helped inspire me to get back into hiking and that I do enjoy hiking and being out in nature.

I am pretty much still in the newbie stage, where a 3.37 mile hike has more than kicked my butt at mile 2.

If I let the whole Trail – 1, Erica – 0, and the whole my boots are still in the process of being broken in get me down, then I will for sure give up I my dreams and not get into shape and not build up the endurance I need to make my dreams of hiking certain trails happen.

I don’t expect to through hike the PCT in the shape I am in. I know that I need to keep doing these smaller hiking and mastering them and continue building on the progress I am making.

I had also taken Winnie the Pooh and Tigger with me on this adventure. I had considered leaving them home but ended up taking them.

Today had turned out to be a beautiful day, which is why I went out for a hike today. I went back up to one of my favorite spots – Mt Talbert. Coming down from the summit trail, I decided to go the long way back all the way around the mountain to get to the parking lot where I left my car. This added an extra mile and a half to my hike and a lot more ascending. On the route I usually do, once you have come off the summit, it’s pretty much all down hill from there. Going the other way on the park loop after doing the summit, and then going back the west ridge trail means descending and then ascending half way up the mountain again a couple more times before you get to where the summit trail takes off from the west ridge trail. Once I was back to that split it was all down hill from there. I will be doing that route again in the future, but I think I will have to start earlier in the day and not wait until the heat of the day, in the middle of the afternoon.

Breaking in new Hiking Boots

Hey Everyone!

Today was just one of those days where I just needed to get outside and get moving. It also helped that I have new hiking boots I am trying to break in.

I went for a roughly two mile walk, to get a feel for my new boots and how they wear, and the areas that rub and are blister prone. I did end up with a blister on the back of each of my legs from where the top of my boots were rubbing. Even with socks on, I got blisters. I also have a couple of spots that it also wouldn’t hurt to use moleskin on in the future.

I also noticed that with the fatigue fighter foot beds and socks that have a little padding on the bottom, my toes were pretty squished. I am going to try going for a walk a little later in the week with a pair of regular thickness socks and see if it is any better, as I really don’t want to pull out the insoles and go without them. Though if it ends up being taking out the insoles or potentially losing a toenail, I will ditch the insoles, as the boots felt fine without them when I tried them on.

I am feeling like I won’t be having the issues that I did with my old pair of (cheap) boots, with my heels slipping around and my feet sliding forward in the boots causing blisters on the side of my heel.

I am definitely hoping I can get these boots broken in, sooner rather than later. I would love to be building my endurance back up and be able to take on longer and more challenging hikes.

Now that I am home and cleaned up, I also put some blister bandaids on my blisters and trying to drink more water.

Time for new Hiking Boots?

Hey Everyone!

I bought my first pair of boots a few years ago, and I have never really liked them. Once I have actually been wearing them hiking, I quickly realized how bad of a fit for me.

The last time I went hiking in them, I was left with the biggest blister on the side of one of my heels, and my feet were constantly sliding forward in the boots as I hiked down hill.

So my point is, is that it is time for new hiking boots, so I can get back out hiking and enjoy it.

I am still looking at hiking boots and brands. I am definitely staying away from the super heavy boots that are meant for mountaineering and such. I am not there yet.

While I am leaning more towards Danner boots, as they are a local brand and well made I am open to other brands. Merrill Moab boots are out as that is why I currently have and I am replacing them. I am looking for something with good support and stability, as well as durability.

I am definitely wanting to get back in to hiking and working my way up to some more intense hikes, and I need my boots to hold up and last more than a season.

Ready for New Adventures

Hey Everyone!

I know I mentioned in my last post, that I love this part of the country, which is 100% true, I do love it here. At the same time, I am ready to move. I don’t want to move super far away, but I am wanting to move somewhere that would open up more adventure opportunities that are in the Rocky Mountain region, yet also near an international airport. 

Living where I am, we have old company owned lumber mill towns that have been Demolished, and are not open to be explored. 

I am wanting to go and explore the old gold and silver towns, and towns of the Old West / Wild West history. I am always looking for new content to write about and post pictures of for you all. 

While I love this part of the country, I can only go back to the same places so many times before it is redundant, and boring for all of you, as well as for me. 

I will keep you all updated when things and the details fall into place and a move takes place. 

Places I want to go Hiking

Hey Everyone!

I have done a bit of hiking here in Oregon, and I really want to go hiking other places as well. I have begun a list of places I want to go hiking in. Some of the hikes I want to go on will also include camping, which is totally fine by me.

• Garden of the Gods – Colorado Springs
• Trail of Ten Falls Loop – Silver Falls State Park – Oregon
• Alaska
• The Scottish Highlands
• Short 2 – 5 day hikes in the Sierra Nevadas, along the PCT
• Somewhere in the Colorado Rockies
• The Grand Canyon
• Monument Valley – Arizona
• The Great Smoky Mountains
• The Adirondack Mountains
• The Peak District – UK
• Lake Louise – Alberta

This is not a complete list, it is just the beginning. I know I want to do more hiking than what I have listed here. The places I have listed above are just the places I currently know that I want to go hiking at.

As I do more hiking, and go on more adventures I will for sure be keeping you all updated.

If you all want to see more pictures from my adventures than what I post here on the blog, be sure that you have liked my Facebook page, as I will be posting pictures, and updates and all that kind of stuff there, that I may not necessarily post here on my blog.

#campingbrain

Hey Everyone!

I had finished up a pair of wool socks today. After I had washed them, I put them on their blockers, and had taken them outside to the deck to attach the blockers to the line, to give them some time outside to dry, and help keep the wet sheep smell out of the house. I don’t mind the wet sheep smell, but others that I live with don’t particularly care for it – they are city folk through and through.

As I was out on the deck rigging a system to attach my sock blockers (with the wet wool socks on them), I noticed that someone in the neighborhood was having a fire – I could smell it. I love the smell of a camp fire or fire in the fireplace. That smell really made me want to get out and go camping, and be able to sit around a campfire after a long day hiking, or doing some sort of outdoor activity, and relaxing while smelling the smell of the fire, and warming up while listening to the crackle and pop of the fire.

A campfire is inviting and comforting. It brings people together. There is something about sitting around a fire in the evening, after all the work and the activity of the day is done, and having a warm drink (like tea or hot chocolate), and winding down. The smell of the campfire, always makes me want to be outside, and spending time outdoors adventuring and exploring.

For me, there is more to life than sitting inside all the time, at a desk, and spending my life confined to the indoors, all the time. I don’t mind wintering indoors, but at the same time, even in the winter, we still get some really nice, cold but clear days, and on days like those I love being outside, enjoying the winter day.

I would love to have a career, where I have some versatility and flexibility, where I don’t have to spend 40+ hours cooped up in an office. I am the kind of person who would be willing to do a certain amount of indoor, office-y stuff that would have to go along with the being outside stuff.

Back to smelling the fire someone was having – it made me long to be out camping, and sleeping out under the stars, away from the hustle and the bustle of city life.

While the smell of a campfire is one of my top five smells, I think my #1 smell, that I absolutely love is the scent of a camp fire mixed with the salty sea air of the beach (particularly those in Oregon).