It’s the day I’ve been waiting for; Carver will be hiking this week. After being sidelined by a rather unfortunate box jumping incident at CrossFit, Carver has received medical clearance to join me on a hike. Good news since we’re doing the Grand Canyon together and she hasn’t been able to do any training since the decision […]
52 Weeks 52 Hikes
Hike Number Eight – Chinnabee Silent Trail
This week I’m not hiking solo. Carver, you ask? Nope. My Grand Canyon buddy Carver is still recovering from a semi-tragic CrossFit box jumping injury, but word has it she’ll be up to an easy hike by next week. Erica from the Y is with me. She’s seen pics from previous hiking adventures on social […]
Hike Number Seven – Buck’s Pocket State Park
Buck’s Pocket State Park. A Haven for Defeated Politicians. That’s how I’m greeted upon arrival at Buck’s Pocket State Park. How apropos. I’m not a politician, but I do feel defeated. Career-wise for sure. After moving to Alabama from Southern California over twenty years ago, Buck’s Pocket was one of the first places I visited. Drove through, really. […]
Hike Number Six – Cloudland Canyon State Park
It’s Thursday, and I’m headed to Cloudland Canyon State Park in North Georgia. Solo again, but this time totally by choice. I didn’t tell anyone I was going. I also didn’t tell anyone that I quit my job on Monday. No one. Except for my husband. Tomorrow some of my best friends will know when I […]
Hike Number 5 – Guntersville State Park
I’m headed back to Guntersville State Park this morning. It’s only hike number 5, and I’m returning to a previous location, but I do plan to hike a different trail. Several friends had expressed interest in coming along this week, so I modified my plans to hike a closer location. Guess what? I’m in the […]
Hike Four- Ruffner Mountain Urban Nature Preserve
Hike number four will take me to Ruffner Mountain, another relic of Birmingham’s mining past. A 1,000 plus acre urban nature preserve just minutes from downtown, Ruffner Mountain was mined for iron ore throughout the 1950s. The ore was processed at nearby Sloss Furnaces, which incidentally is the creepiest place on earth. Even in broad daylight. […]
Hike Three – Sweetwater Creek State Park, Georgia
But first, a little R & D is in order. For several reasons. One being my complete ignorance of hiking, coupled with the dilemma of where to go next. Two, my birthday is coming up over the weekend. Can someone say weekend road trip? Time to get with the google gods and make some magic. […]
Hike One – DeSoto State Park #52weeks52hikes
It’s early. Too early to be out on a cold, windy, dreary New Year’s Day. On any other New Year’s Day, I’d be drinking coffee in my PJs watching the Rose Parade, likely eating a cinnamon roll, eschewing any thoughts of healthy eating resolutions. Instead, I’m headed to DeSoto State Park for their annual First […]
A Tale of Two Trails – Here’s What Happened Next
Opening the confirmation email, I read it and hit forward to send to Carver. We’re hiking the Grand Canyon! It’s time to research those trails. Much like googling symptoms when you’re not feeling well, it’s best to proceed with caution. I search “hiking Grand Canyon” and scroll through the results. The titles are disturbing. Top […]
A Tale of Two Trails – And So It Begins
I don’t know when the seed was planted. My family went to the Grand Canyon when I was a kid. Maybe it was then. It was a road-trip; California to Michigan. We didn’t stay there, only passed through. I remember my dad yelling at me to stay away from the edge; he was deathly afraid […]
