Camping and Maryland Heights Trail

Sorry for the delay in getting this posted. My brand new memory card decided to corrupt all the pictures on it, and Hubs diligently worked to save as many as he could. I lost some, but a lot were saved. But I am so excited to share this story with you! This weekend's hike was epic!

A lot of thought went into this hike. With a plethora of trails available to us in this area, it is always a challenge to choose one. Hubs and I have looked at tons of trails and each one gets filtered out for one reason or another. Too close, too far, not challenging enough, too challenging... I wanted to do something big. I wanted to be challenged. I wanted an adventure.

During my search, Harpers Ferry, WV popped up. I was instantly intrigued. There were so many trails to choose from, and so many things to do out there. We could drive out there Friday night and camp, then hit the trail early the next morning! I would have loved to start hiking Friday and camp out on the trail, but we have a bunch more equipment we need to invest in before we do that. Plus.. I don't know that I'm ready to get that familiar with the great outdoors.. if you catch my drift... I need to shore up my courage a bit.

Hubs, Littlest Cloudy, and I set out much later than intended. It was my fault, because all good weekend trips must have a shopping trip before hand! Helloooo REI! I love that store! When we finally arrived, our campground was breathtaking. River Riders's campground is situated right on the Potomac River, which was so peaceful. I couldn't imagine a more serene place to spend the night.

Photo Credit: Littlest Cloudy

Photo Credit: Littlest Cloudy

Surprisingly enough, we managed to set the tent up quickly and it didn't collapse on us! I was really proud of us! Three city kids braving the wilds of West Virginia and living to tell the tale, who would have thought?! 

Our tent is a cute little thing that our dear neighbors gave us as a wedding present. I'm ashamed to say it went untouched the first two and a half years of our marriage, but I promise you friends, it will be used until its death from here on out! It's so easy to set up, and its roomy! It's also very stylish, which in my opinion is the most important thing. If I'm going to do something, I'm going to do it in style! Unfortunately the picture of our tent was one of the pictures that did not survive.. I'll take a picture the next time we use it. 

One of the essential backpacking items we need (desperately!) are bedrolls. We've been looking at some online, reading reviews, and doing our homework on them but we haven't made the purchase yet. So for the weekend a friend graciously lent us his bedrolls. They are about as basic as you can get, and after a fitful night's sleep Hubs and I agreed that we would be getting nice ones before our next overnight adventure. It is a purchase well worth my sanity. 

The puppers did a great job in the tent! We brought their beds with us and had them sleep on one side of the tent (they were more comfortable than us!) and they hardly stirred after we told them it was bedtime. Of course, they were so (dog) tired from our exciting car adventure and watching us set up camp, who could blame them??

The next morning, our friends joined us in historic Harpers Ferry to start our big hike! I was overflowing with excitement. Mostly because we were about to hike. The really nerdy reason was because we were right where the Appalachian Trail comes through and I was seeing serious hikers for the first time. I had to restrain myself from asking one of them for a picture. Hubs and Littlest Cloudy would have been so embarrassed if I had done that... 

The Maryland Heights trail is actually a couple of trails that wrap up and around the mountain. There are cool things to see along the way, like Naval Batteries and cliff overlooks. The batteries are gone for the most part, but there are signs that talk about each location and the history behind it. 

This trail kicked my butt. Literally. I have never been sore like I am now after hiking a trail until Maryland Heights. Part of that was due to the new pack that we acquired on our shopping trip (another Flash 18), and the bladder that we got to put in it (a 2L Platypus) along with all of the gear you carry for a day hike. Mostly the soreness was from all the uphill hiking. At the highest point we climbed 1192 ft! It was such a work out!

Check out that view! This was taken at the cliff overlook during the first part of our hike. We stopped here for a while to rest and re-hydrate ourselves, and I couldn't help but take an annoying number of pictures =]

Photo Credit: Littlest Cloudy

Like the sparkly sunglasses?? I know that's the first thing you noticed!

When we continued on our way, we got up to the highest point to have lunch, and then it was all down hill from there! No, nothing bad happened. It really was all down hill after that!

Like I said, this trail kicked my butt. It was really difficult, but I'm glad we pushed through! You can park across the river in downtown historic Harpers Ferry at the Amtrak lot if you get there early enough. The lot is controlled by the National Park Service, so there is a fee to park (it was $10 when we went). If you strike out and don't find any parking there, you can park at the main visitors center across Highway 340 and they will shuttle you over. If you have dogs with you though, you'll want to arrive early enough to park at the Amtrak lot because pets are not allowed on the shuttle. 

Amtrak Station

To get to the Maryland Heights trail, you go across the Potomac on the footbridge. 

This sign points you to the footbridge

On the other side of the bridge, go left down the C&O Canal Towpath until you come to a bridge that leads across the canal (there is a sign that says Maryland Heights). The trail entrance is directly across from the bridge. 

Good footwear is a must. Poor Littlest Cloudy didn't have the right kind of shoes. She is fine, but it definitely slowed her down since she had to worry with foot placement. The trail is really rocky, and one misplaced foot could lead to an ankle injury (and then you couldn't wear heels for like.. weeks). We brought lots of water with us and I'm glad we did, especially for the pups. The climb was just as hard on them, and they were very thirsty. 

This trail was very busy. I think that was due to the fact that it was so close to the A.T. and because Harpers Ferry is a summer destination for a lot of people. Just watch out and be considerate of other hikers you meet. Remember that you are not the only one on the trail =]

We hiked a little over 7 miles, and it took us just about 4 hours. You can see a map of our trail on EveryTrail. Its really neat to be able to look at a GPS of our route after we've done it! 

After completing this trail I feel like I'm ready to conquer the world! Ok, maybe just the next difficult trail. One day though, I will hike the Appalachian Trail - and it will be glorious!

Thank you so much for visiting My Journey from High Heels to Hiking Boots! I'd love to hear from you in the comments section! You can also follow me by email at the top of the left hand navigation bar by simply entering your email address. Happy Trails!

Buzzards Rock - Butt Buster!

After not being able to hike this past weekend, Hubs and I were anxious to get our legs moving on the trail (the pups were pretty restless, too). Since we were going to have to go after work, we decided to go over to Patapsco State Park. As beautiful as Cascade Falls Trail is, I've hiked it several times and I wanted something new. Doing a bit of searching online I came up with Buzzards Rock Trail! It seemed perfect: a short trail that we could do after work, with just enough difficulty to get our blood pumping!

After a chaotic morning (trying to get ready for work and get my dogs out the door with me..... I need more coffee, please!), the thought of hitting the trail made my day much easier. It's amazing how in such a short amount of time hiking has become such a stress reliever for me. Even the summer heat couldn't keep me off the trail today! After work, while waiting for Hubs to get home, I convinced my sister, Littlest Cloudy, to come on the trail with us!

As you can see, Sprocket was ready to hit the trail! He's an impatient little bugger sometimes!

So off we started on our short mid-week hike. Patapsco is where I fell in love with hiking, and this trail proved to be just as wonderful! It started off going downhill towards the river and overtop of the train tracks (the tracks head through a tunnel built into the mountain side). We caught our first great view from on top of this tunnel!

My camera couldn't do the scene justice. I love looking at the lush tree tops. I'm standing on the edge of a small cliff where this picture was taken. There were some rocks that abruptly stopped and the drop was about 50 feet. Hubs said that it is often used by rappellers for practice. Pretty cool, huh? Maybe I've found a new thing.. "My Journey from Sanity to Rappelling." No? Yeah, I didn't think so!

While I was caught up in the beauty of the sight, my uber creative sister suggested I take this picture:

Sprocket photobombed us...

We continued on our way and met up with our friend, Number One, and the four of us joined together to hike the rest of the trail. 

After losing our way for a bit (you'd think I'd have learned my lesson on Gunpowder South), we found the trail again and looked up ahead to see what awaited us. Holy cow. What a hill! As our mouths were hanging open, a lady with her two dogs passed us and said "Yeah! It's a butt buster". No kidding.. I was so focused on actually making it up the hill in one piece, that I didn't get a good picture of the climb, but you can kind of see it from this one:

Getting up to the top was worth it. For one, my legs felt great! Have I mentioned how hiking has done wonders for my cellulite?? I am dead serious about that. It was also cool to make it to the top, because there was a cool rock/cliff that you could see the dam from.

You can just see it off in the distance (I was taking pictures with my cell, sorry for the bad quality). The coolest part though, was realizing we had just climbed up that high! We had been walking even with the dam below. My best guess is it was about a 400 ft climb! Butt buster, indeed!

That was part of the rock/cliff.

From the cliff.

So after we ogled the pretty view, we kept on walking (uphill!!) and didn't see much except trail. It was a great hike though, and if it wasn't for the Maryland humidity it would have been perfect. As the trail continued back up hill, I realized we'd be getting close to our car soon. Its amazing how much I've come to love long hikes, and so as we came to the clearing where the parking lot was I was feeling bummed it was over so quickly. But something people refer to as "Trail Magic" was working, and we came across this:

The sun was just starting to set over the gorgeous field. I particularly love the last picture!

I will never cease to be amazed at the treasures we have in our "back yard". I grew up right around the corner from this part of Patapsco Sate Park and never realized how lucky I was! And since I persuaded my sister to come along on this hike I've officially converted my first fellow High Heels Lover to hiking boots! I have to say that I'm rather proud of myself *muahaha*! Watch out, my friends -- I'm coming for you next!

I've got a great trip planned for this weekend! I'm so excited to share it with you when we get back! Did you notice the new button on the left side of my page? I got an EveryTrail account and I can now track our trails with GPS to show you how we went! You can see Buzzards Rock Trail here!

Have you taken the first step to hiking? I'd love to hear about it if you have! 

Thank you so much for visiting My Journey from High Heels to Hiking Boots! I'd love to hear from you in the comments section! You can also follow me by email at the top of the left hand navigation bar by simply entering your email address. Happy Trails!

The High Heels Side of Life

I'm sad to say that this weekend I won't be able to hike =[. However, it's for a good reason and I'd like to tell you about it!

This summer, Hubs and I are going on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic! The trip is a collaborative effort consisting of multiple churches and about 20 missionaries. Every year, Youth For Christ/Project Serve (if you click the link and watch the video, you'll see both Hubs and I!) sends 3 groups of missionaries to a church in the little town of Pimentel. The mission groups run medical missions providing families with the only medical care they'll see until the group returns, construction projects that maintain the church facilities, make necessary repairs to homes in the area, and build homes for residents that are living in tin shacks, and lastly the missions groups run Vacation Bible Schools that often see 300-400 children between the ages of 1-15.

The cost of the trip is built so that a large portion from every missionary is given to the church in Pimentel, which uses that money to run a school, MIVA, on the premises. MIVA is free to the children, and they are given what is often their only meal for the day.

Hubs and I have been to the Dominican Republic several times with this particular trip. In recent years we haven't been able to go, so we are really looking forward to going again. Every year, raising the money to go is a struggle, but somehow (by the Grace of God) it all comes in. Which brings me to the reason for my post!

This Saturday June 16, my band Beautiful Tragedy will be performing at a coffee house fundraiser to help the team raise money for the trip. The coffee house is going to be awesome! I've organized another two bands to join ours in playing, there will be people who've been on the trip speaking about their experiences, and coffee and baked goods! I'd like to invite you out to join us, if you're in the area!

Saturday, June 16
Elkridge Fire Hall
6275 Old Washington Blvd
Elkridge, MD 21075
Click Here for more information.

We are selling tickets, since it's a fundraiser. All the ticket info is in the link, and how to get advanced tickets if you don't want to buy at the door.

I'll be there in my heels, of course =] Probably shiny black ones.. or maybe my animal print ones since I'm going to wear my red pants... Or I could wear.... Oh! Sorry, back to the blog..

I would *love* it if you could come out and support a great cause! Your ticket purchase will make it possible for a missionary to go on the trip, which will give money to MIVA to keep kids eating and in school, which will give them the necessary education to grow up to be productive citizens. Your ticket purchase will bless that missionary by allowing them to see what life is like outside of America and instill in them a sense of value for life, it will allow them to bless the Dominicans by carrying much needed household supplies, clothes, and school supplies that a lot families can't afford to buy. And lastly, your ticket purchase will bless YOU, and give you the satisfaction of being a willing participant in the Great Commission and God's plan for you:

¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 

I look forward to seeing you on Saturday! It's going to be a great event!

MIVA Dominican Republic 2007

Thank you so much for visiting My Journey from High Heels to Hiking Boots! I'd love to hear from you in the comments section! You can also follow me by email at the top of the left hand navigation bar by simply entering your email address. Happy Trails!

Hiking News - Inspiration

Earlier today while I was online, I stumbled across a story of two U.S. students who were hiking in New Zealand. They were just heading into the wilderness for a few days to study for finals and relax a bit, but a series of sudden rain storms and a snow storm, caused them to be stranded in the woods for 9 days!

The amazing part of this story is that they made it out alive. Walked themselves out, even! They were prepared enough to stay alive in the event of an emergency. It's a lesson that all hikers need to learn. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

You can read the entire story here. I am truly amazed by this resilient couple, who's quick thinking saved their lives.

As Hubs and I get closer to our first overnight hike, I often worry that we don't know enough of the basics to survive in an emergency. We are both quick on our feet and can be resourceful when necessary, yet I wonder how does one prepare for the unknown? After all, my expertise is finding that pair of BCBG shoes for $20, not wilderness survival!

The ISurvival Supply blog has some great tips that we can all learn from. It offers tips on food choices to first aid kits. Take a look and read for yourself. Even if you're not a hiker, these are good tips in the event of any emergency. So if you've been procrastinating putting together your emergency house hit, now I've taken away one more reason!

This couple has inspired me to think about trail survival. Even a day hike could go horribly wrong if you are unprepared. After this weekend's episode of not knowing what my trail looked like, I'm not taking silly chances again. I hope you don't, either.

Thank you so much for visiting My Journey from High Heels to Hiking Boots! I'd love to hear from you in the comments section! You can also follow me by email at the top of the left hand navigation bar by simply entering your email address. Happy Trails!

Rock Scrambling and Gunpowder South

Last week, I mentioned in my post that we were probably going to hike the Torrey C. Brown rail trail this weekend. However, when I woke up Saturday morning, I decided I wanted to do something much more challenging than the rail trail. I have no doubt that the rail trail is wonderful, but after the week Hubs and I had, we wanted something that would tire us out completely. After some looking around online, we decided to hike the Lefty Kreh Fishing Trail, also known as the Gunpowder South Trail.

From what I could read online, it looked like a circuit hike along the river. I was unable to find trail maps specifically of that trail to view online, but I thought "how bad could it be?". I read reviews from people who'd hiked a combo of Gunpowder South and others with each one extolling the beauty and serenity of the trail. It couldn't be too bad, after all it was a circuit, right? Wrong. 

So off we went to Hereford. We found the parking area with little trouble. The Gun. South Trail is marked with a White Blaze. None of the trails were marked with signs from the parking lot, so after talking with some people we found our way to it. We picked up the trail where it crosses another, so we decided to head left up the hill. After climbing for a little while we started to head down the other side where we met the river which flowed lazily by. The trail stuck with the river the whole way after this point, which was just fine by me! I love hiking along the water.

The river would have been perfect for a serene canoeing or kayaking trip. There were a few rough spots that gave some excitement, but for the most part the river just flowed by without a care in the world. Every once in a while a fish would jump, or you'd see a fisherman standing quietly swing his line back and forth. Peaceful is the best word I can use to describe it.

After a while we broke for lunch, where we planted ourselves on a rock on the river bank. It was the perfect place to take off my boots and dip my feet in the water! The dogs couldn't have been happier to sit on the warm rock and to drink from the cool (cold) river. Plus, we got to enjoy a fantastic view.

When we started back on the trail, it became decidedly smaller the longer we walked. If we came across others on the trail, we'd have to stand in the tall grass on one side of the trail (which made me really nervous considering our tick episode not that long ago!). A lot of the trail on the river side had been eroded, and as such we had to be careful about our footing. There were several times when our feet slipped out from under us.

When I had been researching this trail, there were some comments about "rock scrambling" that I had seen online. Yet after an hour and a half on the trail, I hadn't seen any evidence of it. I began to despair, which was silly of me (never doubt a hiker!), until we finally came across the rocks. O.. M.. G.. For serious.

Awesome, right? 

Ok, so we didn't actually climb that, the trail went up and around, but a girl can pretend right??

In all seriousness though, it wasn't easy. The hills were steep and the ground was slick in some places which caused a couple of misplaced steps. We encountered rocks like this for the rest of the journey, which I grew to love despite my fear of losing my balance. I was taking risks, something I hadn't done before like this unless you count the risk of buying a pair of shoes without trying them on first (perish the thought!). 

At one point, the trail went up into the hills again. I was chattering on to Hubs about something (probably my absolute need to get another pair of heels for work), when he shushed me suddenly with the wave of his hand. Obviously I was a little miffed, after all wasn't my need for shoes important to him?! When I expressed my displeasure, he shushed me again and pointed up ahead. I peered around him and saw an incredible sight: Bambi! A little fawn had lost her way from Mama and was following the trail! I had never before seen a fawn so close. So what did I do? The same thing any good high-heel-loving-turned-hiking-boot-wearing girl would do. I whipped out my camera.  "Error! SD card unreadable".. I was crushed, and Bambi had frolicked away.

Up ahead, I could hear the sound of rushing water. In little time we came to the source of the sound: Prettyboy Dam. It was so awesome looking!

I had never been so close to a rushing dam like that before. It reminded me of when I went to see Niagara Falls with my family and we rode the Maid of the Mist. I remember the mist soaking everything! But feeling the water spray on your cheeks after a long hike is refreshing! Now, if only we could find how the trail circuits we'd be in shape!

After walking up to the top of the dam and crossing the bridge, we determined I must have been incorrect about the circuit since we could find no evidence of it. I was a little more than embarrassed that I had misread the reviews I'd found online. After two and a half hours of hiking, we turned around to head back the way we came.

I learned some lessons from this hike, which in the end is the important thing. I learned to always do thorough research on a trail and be sure to know what kind of route it should take. I learned that my dogs don't like swimming in ice cold water and I can't say I blame them! And I learned that when your husband tells you to stop talking about the new shoes you want, you should probably listen to him so you don't miss the treasure up ahead.

It was a hike of firsts. I hope I never stop having hikes with firsts. There's nothing so incredible than doing something you've never done, or learning something you didn't know before.

Some trail notes:

1. This trail often intersects with other trails. Keep an eye on the trail blaze to make sure you are following the correct one or you will get lost.
2. This is not a circuit. I repeat: This is not a circuit. (If anyone can find a trail map, I would love to see it)
3. Be alert for fisherman carrying their fishing poles on narrow portions of the trail
4. Wear good shoes, preferably boots to protect your ankles. The rock scrambling was awesome, but could be dangerous if you're not careful.

And lastly, I'll leave you with the rest of my pictures from the hike!

I look terrible in a hat, don't I? Too bad I need it to keep my part line from getting sunburned.. Ahh the fashion sacrifices you make for the things you love..

Thank you so much for visiting My Journey from High Heels to Hiking Boots! I'd love to hear from you in the comments section! You can also follow me by email at the top of the left hand navigation bar by simply entering your email address. Happy Trails!

Lost Pond and Overcoming Fears

Last weekend on the spur of the moment, Hubs and I decided to hike. After looking around online to figure out where we wanted to go, we decided on Lost Pond trail in Gunpowder Falls State park. After a much needed Starbucks run, we arrived to find an incredibly crowded park. I couldn't believe how many people were there! There were bikers, kaykers, canoers, walkers, families, creepers *shudders*.. just kidding, no creepers!

We walked down to the trail from the parking lot, and I was awestruck by the view! Unfortunately, I was so awestruck that I forgot to take a picture.. the entire hike. FAIL! However, you can take my word for it that it was absolutely stunning! The trail runs along Gunpowder River almost the entire way. Towards the end it splits off uphill and affords you a breathtaking view of the rapids. Hubs and I stood there for a while just taking it all in, with me secretly being annoyed that I forgot our towels... (camera, towels.. how else could I fail? ugh!)

The trail was really, really crowded before it splits. We often stood to the side while bikers passed, or people with fishing poles came by. I was happy with how the dogs did in the midst of this crowd, though. Before this, Cocoa was barking her head off at anyone we met on the trail! This experience seemed to calm her down and make her realize that she doesn't own the trail. I couldn't figure out where all these people were walking to until we got to the trail split. The river had these great big rocks that caused the rapids and in the midst of all the rushing water a still pool had been created where people were swimming. It was amazing! 

When we made it back to Lost Pond, once again, I was taken aback by the rugged beauty of this place. The name Lost Pond came about because this trail is overtaken by lush plant life. As the plant life flourished, the pond dried up and you are left with a great big circle of plants. It was a sight to see! And when we go back I promise I will take pictures!

The trail goes around Lost Pond and deep into the woods, and then swings back towards the river. There are many little, easy to cross streams that make their way down to join in with the river. However, there was one stream that was about waist deep. The opposite bank was elevated about 5 feet from where we stood. I had no clue how my dogs were going to cross. I had no clue how I was going to cross! My husband is a quick thinker, though, and he climbed up on a log that (conveniently) crossed the stream at an upward slope. The dogs were none too happy, but after some coaxing they walked all the way across. I was thrilled with myself for walking across! This is something I would have pitched a fit about before I started hiking, but now I feel like a champion for facing my fears and doing something I never thought I could do!

Picture it: Elle Hiett - Master of the Trail, Log Crosser Extraordinaire!

A little much, do you think?? 

At any rate, I did feel like I'd come a long way in the short time I've been hiking. Overcoming a challenge felt good not only because I didn't think I could do it, but also because Hubs and I did it as a team, romantic, right?

I think our hike was about 4 miles total. It was a great workout!

P.s. I would normally link to the Gunpowder Falls State Park website, but their site has been hacked. If you decide to search for it, please be careful =]

Thank you so much for visiting My Journey from High Heels to Hiking Boots! I'd love to hear from you in the comments section! You can also follow me by email at the top of the left hand navigation bar by simply entering your email address. Happy Trails!

Clothes and Trails and Events, Oh My!

When I decided I wanted to start hiking, I knew my wardrobe would need some additions. As I mentioned in my first post, all of the clothes in my closet are organized by type. I have a decided lack of anything that's suitable to hike in, unless you count my Calvin Klein jeans.. which I don't cause they're too nice to hike in! And I couldn't imagine hiking in jeans anyway, just imagine how sweaty and gross you'd be.. eww.

I knew I needed something different than my athletic pants too, at least until I learned the ropes of hiking. So Hubs and I set out to REI to see what we could find that would work. After ogling all the fun stuff, I found a pair of convertible pants. These are the kind of pants that you can unzip the legs just below the knee to turn them into shorts. Nifty, right? I took a look at the price tag and my heart dropped.. I knew it was out of our budget. I decided that another store must have something similar, and off we set on a wild goose chase.

Several stores later, we ended up at Dick's Sporting Goods. Eureka! We found a pair in my size on sale for around half the price of the others. However, they hadn't passed the fit test yet. Being the clothes lover that I am, they had to fit right in the caboose before I would give them a thumbs up, because I refuse to look like a man on the trail. I'm going to hike in style so help me!

You'll be pleased to know that they fit me well. I couldn't find the exact ones I purchased to link here, but the style pictured above is almost exactly the same. I like them because they're so light weight, and and they breathe well. They also accommodate movement really well, so climbing isn't restricted, although I haven't scaled any cliffs.. Yet. I ended up buying a size larger than what I wear normally, so keep that in mind if you order some.

After hiking they were filthy! But they washed really well. All the dirt and mud stains came out without a problem, but I think in the future I'll line dry them because they did shrink slightly (or maybe it was me getting bigger..). Even so, they stretched right back out when I started moving around in them.

After raving about them to my husband we had to get him a pair, too. We haven't hiked yet since we got them, so I'll let you know if he doesn't love them once we're out on the trail again. You can find a similar style by clicking the picture below =]

Our next hike is probably going to be at the Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail this weekend, which looks really cool! Check out the link when you get a chance!

And speaking of this weekend, did you know that Saturday is National Get Outdoors Day? This Saturday National Parks will be fee free! Check out the link to find out what events are happening in your area!

What's your favorite way to spend time outside? I'd love to hear about it!

The Shenandoah Valley

My husband and I have been married for 3 years. Our anniversary was at the end of May, and so we decided to spend the long weekend at my uncle's vacation house in the Shenandoah Valley. In my still euphoric love-hiking state, I asked my husband if we could spend that weekend day hiking various trails around our little slice of heaven. He happily agreed, and we set off to do my favorite thing: shopping!

We determined that I would need a pair of hiking boots (Yay! Shoes!), and I eagerly started researching online to find the best pair. I found them. I fell in love with them. I showed them to my husband.

The Keen Targhee II Mid Hiking Women's boot. Perfect for protecting ankles from twists, nice looking (hey, it isn't pink..) and from what I'd read online very little (if at all) break in time. I was ready to go to REI and buy them. My husband was not. 

He's a very practical man, and often has to talk me out of jumping into things head first. I often talk him into jumping in head first. We balance each other well. In this instance, he was talking me off the ledge. While these boots are probably a fantastic boot, he convinced me to buy something less expense until we're sure that we really do, in fact, like hiking. So.. off we went to Bass Pro. Can you tell I was feeling enthusiastic *insert snarky face, here*?

I don't personally have anything against Bass Pro, I just really, really don't enjoy going into that store. Mostly because of the dead animals staring at you, partly because it makes me uncomfortable to be around all that... manliness.. However, for my husband's sake, we went. I purchased a pair of hiking boots.

The RedHead McKinley Hikers for Ladies. I have to tell you, I was very sad that they weren't more stylish. However, I can tell you from four hikes, that they are very comfortable and I haven't had any blisters from them! So, while they might not be the most attractive shoe in the world, they definitely serve their purpose well.

Next, we needed a day pack. I left hubs in charge of this, since he would most likely be carrying it. He and I are similar in our need to research everything before we buy, and after doing quite a bit of looking he settled on the REI Flash 18 Pack.

This pack was really great! It holds a lot of stuff, and as first time hikers we definitely over packed. The elastic down the front is awesome for using carabiner clips, and for clipping our dogs poopy bag dispenser to the pack (for convenient bag dispensing). There's a slot for a hydration bag, if you want to use that. We decided to take Nalgene bottles instead, but for longer hikes I can definitely appreciate the convenience of a hydration bag.

We went to Walmart and bought the few other things we thought we couldn't go hiking with out. A first aid kit, water purifying tablets, a waste shovel, ponchos, and a collapsible bowl for our pups to drink out of. Then, we loaded up our car with a weekend full of food, clothes, hiking gear, buckled the dogs in, and off we went to the Shenandoah Valley

The dogs weren't too thrilled with the long car ride, but when we finally got to The Hut, which is way more than a hut, I promise (Hey, I may like hiking, but I'm still a girly girl), they ran around the yard like little crazy monsters. It was so incredible to see them in such a carefree state. We have a fenced-in yard, which I'm so grateful for, but being out in the middle of nowhere (ok, not nowhere, but 30 minutes to the closest Walmart!) and having the freedom to let the dogs just be dogs was heart warming.

Saturday, after lounging around the first part of the morning, we headed out to see what adventures awaited us on the land surrounding The Hut. We packed lunches, laced up our hiking boots, harnessed the dogs, and off we went. We climbed up a part of the mountain (ok, so it was a large hill..) that is right behind The Hut, and found a beautiful view!

You can't see little Cocoa very well, but she's between hub's legs. We walked around the land for a few hours. Crossed a stream, hiked where there was no trail, which totally freaked me out (I was for sure we were going to get lost) and then headed back to The Hut. After we ate, we promptly passed out for 2 hours. WOW hiking takes a lot out of you! We had so much fun hiking around though, and the dogs were loving life.

Later that day, we headed over to North Mountain Vineyards. SO CUTE! They had free tastings for most of their wine selection, live music, and a great atmosphere! I really enjoyed their Apple Wine, yumm! After our tasting, we sat out on their porch listening to the music, and eating cheese and baguettes! It was a perfect afternoon for our anniversary!

The view from their porch

The next day, we decided to head over to Shenandoah National Park and hike Dickey Ridge. See a map of the trail here. We ended up not reading the posts correctly and hiked to Mile Post 8 (about 3-3.5 miles from where we parked), which is where the trail intersects with Sky Line Drive (much further than intended). But it was all worth it for this view:

Where we stopped to eat lunch. This trail had a lot of up hill walking. It definitely challenged Hubs and I, and the dogs were totally zonked when we got into the car to head back. For my first real hike though, I loved every second of it. Plus my legs felt so toned afterwards! If you have never hiked before, and are not in great shape, I would recommend starting with some hikes that are mostly flat land, with little incline. I was amazed at how hard the incline was for me, and I'm not that out of shape. Even though the park was crowded, the trails were not, and we only came across a few groups of day hikers while we hiked. It took us about 4 hours to hike from the Dickey Ridge Visitors Center to Sky Line Drive and back.

A word to the hopefully wiser than us: The ticks were awful! Our poor pups had so many ticks on them, and they came back with terrible fleas. Bug spray that deters ticks is a definite must when hiking this trail, and if you're hiking with Fido be sure to bring some flea bath with you. Even though our dogs are on a flea preventative it took us a week to shake them, and we still have a pesky few that won't die. I found 3 ticks on me, 2 that day and 1 the next. Be sure to monitor the area where your ticks were found, to look for a rash. Lyme disease can be harmful if not treated. The girly side of me had a mini freak-out when I found the ticks on me, but luckily Hubs was there to save me from the icky things! I guess that's the price of hiking, huh? Maybe I'll find better ways to help prevent ticks from getting on me as we venture more into hiking. 

Does anyone have any suggestions about fleas and ticks? I'd love to hear them or anything else that you'd like to add! Thanks for reading!

My First Hike

I have a confession: I'm about as girly as they come.

I can't wash my dishes without gloves, because I don't like touching the caked on food, dried on coffee bits, and I especially don't like picking up the food scraps

I have to keep my house clean, otherwise I become incredibly stressed out

My closet is organized by item type: Short sleeved shirts together, long sleeved shirts together, skirts hung by length, then pants. Dresses have a separate rack and are organized by function, such as work dresses, casual dresses, etc

Getting dressed in the morning is a production, often with multiple outfits discarded till the one that "fits my mood" is found

But my weakness in the girly factor are my shoes. I love my shoes. Putting on shoes is my favorite part of getting dressed. You can take a good outfit, pair it with the right shoes, then BAM! Practically perfect in every way.

Why am I telling you this? Because I have another confession. This girly girl has discovered hiking, and I love it.

It all started when I asked my dad if he wanted to go to the park one sunny afternoon in early spring. We often take our dogs to the park together, my dad has one fur-baby, and I have two.

Those are our pups before they got groomed. Fuzzy! The little two are mine =]

When I asked my dad about going to the park, I had thought we'd stick to the nice paved trail under a canopy of trees, leisurely strolling along chatting. Boy, was I in for a surprise that day. My dad took us to a different section of the park than normal, to a trail called Cascade Falls. A dirt trail. In my nice sneakers. And my dogs, with their fuzzy, dirt attracting fur. I was not too thrilled.

I kept my not-so-happy comments to myself though, and off we set on the trail. We set a moderate pace, the goal being to exercise my pooches since they spent their day lounging around while I was at work. When we came to the first creek crossing, I thought my dogs would balk, refusing to get their precious little feet wet. Honestly, I was thinking about my precious little feet in my sneakers. Imagine my surprise when my dogs, who absolutely loathe bath time, happily splashed across the stream like they'd been trail dogs all their lives.

As we walked further on the trail, I was astounded by the beauty that I could find so close to home. I didn't realize that my home town had so much gorgeous nature to offer. Even more astounding was how much I was enjoying the walk. I used to just enjoy nature at a distance, from well manicured parks and benches. However, this walk dramatically changed my view on spending time outdoors. After climbing hills slick with the previous nights rain, and watching my dogs wade in the little streams and creeks, I fell in love with the idea of hiking. 

When we got back to my husband's car, which I had borrowed for the day, the dogs were a muddy mess (I could just hear him saying "You put muddy dogs in my car?!"), but even the thought of a filthy car that I would need to clean before my husband saw it couldn't put a damper on seeing my happy, muddy dogs gratefully collapse onto the bench seat utterly exhausted from their adventure. It took some elbow grease to get those dogs (and the car!) clean, but it was well worth seeing them so happy. 

I went home and raved to my husband about how wonderful it was and how much the dogs enjoyed it. He smiled indulgently at me, patiently listening to every minute detail of our "hike", but even after all this gushing I think he was still taken aback when I said I wanted to do it again. And that is exactly what we did. 

This blog will follow my journey from high heels to hiking boots. I hope you enjoy reading it =]