Outdoors Archives • Kristy & Luke

Adventures

Fall Hiking 101

Fall hiking might seem a bit intimidating if you're new to the activity, and rightly so. Between figuring out how to plan a hike, what to wear in those weird, in-between temperatures, and what (if anything) you actually need to bring along, it's totally normal that fall hiking might seem…

Posted on November 4, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

Adventures

Friday the 13th Camping at Tahquamenon Falls State Park

The late summer sun was just beginning to set when the three of us turned off of the winding, tree-lined road that made its way through Tahquamenon Falls State Park, but the gloom of dreary cloud cover had already begun to foreshadow what was to come. Luke and I checked…

Posted on September 17, 2019September 22, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

Adventures

A Weekend Up North

Luke and I packed up the car late on a Friday afternoon, got Patronus ready, then headed out for another trip to northern Michigan. Both of us were ravenously hungry after a long day of work, so we made a pit stop at Burger King along the way. Luke got…

Posted on September 11, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

Adventures

A Summer Backpacking Adventure

Patronus and I pulled in to the parking lot for the trailhead just after 3:00 P.M. After taking some time to get our packs situated, we made our way to the edge of the lake where the trail begins. We had a 7 mile hike ahead of us before we…

Posted on July 28, 2019July 28, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

Adventures

52 Hike Challenge Spring Report

The spring segment of my 52 Hike Challenge ended up being...a bit challenging. The season began with a couple of muddy hikes with Patronus. In April I got injured. I still wanted to keep hiking, so Luke and I decided to take Patronus to visit Belle Isle State Park in…

Posted on July 11, 2019September 11, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

Adventures

A Weekend in Northern Michigan

Luke, Patronus, and I headed up to northern Michigan to spend fourth of July weekend with our friends, Matt and Amanda and their two dogs. We spent Friday just hanging out, catching up, and relaxing with a bit of stargazing thrown in for fun. I was amazed at how clear…

Posted on July 9, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

Adventures

Visiting Tahquamenon Falls State Park

If a road trip across Michigan's Upper Peninsula is on your bucket list, consider Tahquamenon Falls as one of many noteworthy places to stop. On a gloomy Saturday in late May, my friends and I made our way to Tahquamenon Falls State Park to enjoy some camping, hiking, and a…

Posted on July 9, 2019July 8, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

Adventures

One Day in Munising

The city of Munising sits along the coastline of Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. After finishing our backpacking trip of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, my friends and I decided to take a rest day in the city of Munising. We rented a really hotel suite. We took hot…

Posted on June 15, 2019August 11, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

Adventures

Summer Camping + Hiking with Patronus

It was hot and sunny on the afternoon when Luke, Patronus, and I loaded up our car and headed out for a weekend of low key camping. There was still at least an hour of daylight left when we finally reached the campground. I decided to set up our tent,…

Posted on June 15, 2019July 9, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

pictured rocks backpacking sunset

Adventures

Planning Our Pictured Rocks Backpacking Trip

I've already shared about our Pictured Rocks backpacking trip and my vlog from our hike, so today I would like to talk about how we went about planning our Pictured Rocks backpacking trip. Planning the Hike The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore section of the North Country Trail stretches approximately 42…

Posted on June 3, 2019June 3, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

pictured rocks backpacking grand portal point

Adventures

Pictured Rocks Vlog

I recently did a three day backpacking trip of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in northern Michigan with my friends, Erin and Megan. Here's a vlog I put together of some of the things we got to see and do during our hike. More Info: Backpacking the Pictured Rocks Backpacking…

Posted on May 30, 2019May 30, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

grand portal point

Adventures

Backpacking the Pictured Rocks

Backpacking the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore has been high on my bucket list for several years. The section of Lake Superior shoreline in Michigan's Upper Peninsula stretching from Munising to Grand Marais is said to be one of the most beautiful hikes in the state of Michigan, complete with painted…

Posted on May 26, 2019September 11, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

Adventures

Backpacking the Potawatomi Trail

The Potowatomi Trail is a beloved destination for hikers, backpackers, trail runners, and cyclists, offering over 17 miles of hilly trails in a quiet area of southeast Michigan. Ironically, when you look at it on the map it appears as if you're going through Hell [Michigan]. Admittedly, unless you're in…

Posted on April 24, 2019April 30, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

Adventures

52 Hike Challenge Winter Report

For the first time in my life I have hiked through an entire Michigan winter. As I mentioned in here, Patronus and I set out for our first hike of 2019 during the first weekend of January. It was great to start out the year with a hike, even if…

Posted on March 22, 2019April 26, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

Life at Home

How + Why I’m Journaling My Hikes in 2019

One new thing I have decided to try this year is keeping a hiking journal. As you might remember if from my previous post, one of my goals for 2019 is to hike more often, so I decided to take on the 52 Hike Challenge to help keep me accountable.…

Posted on January 23, 2019January 23, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

Adventures

First Hike of 2019!

On Saturday, Patronus and I set out on our first hike of 2019! It was a beautiful sunny day with temperatures in the high 40s, so I decided to skip my usual coffee time in favor of heading out to one of our favorite trails for an afternoon of hiking.…

Posted on January 6, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

Adventures

Another Winter Hike

It was time for another outdoor adventure, so Luke, Patronus and I packed up the car and headed out to meet our friend Mike for a fun winter hike. The weather was at least 20 degrees colder than it was on my last hike, so Luke and I made sure…

Posted on December 15, 2018 by Kristy by Kristy

Adventures

Day Hiking with Dogs in December

When Patronus and I awoke, the temperature was in the 40s with no chance of rain, perfect for a weekend outdoor adventure! I put on my favorite cold weather moisture wicking shirt, an insulated vest, my favorite workout pants, and a bright orange hat, which is super attractive I know,…

Posted on December 8, 2018 by Kristy by Kristy

Adventures

Our First Anniversary: Day Hiking + Touring Eloise Psychiatric Hospital

I crawled out of bed two hours before I actually wanted to, shuffled into the kitchen, and brewed myself a cup of coffee. By nature, I am a far cry from anything that could even close to resemble a morning person. It was the morning of our first wedding anniversary,…

Posted on November 6, 2018April 30, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

Adventures

Exploring Maybury State Park

I awoke to a smiling Patronus in my face at 10:00 A.M. on the morning we had planned to visit Maybury State Park. Apparently he did not forget the night before, when I told him we were going to go on another adventure. The two of us were all ready…

Posted on October 31, 2018April 30, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

Silver Lake from Potawatomi Trail in Fall

Adventures

Hiking the Crooked Lake Trail

After weeks of patiently waiting for the trees to transform from lush and green to firey shades of red and yellow and orange, it was finally time for Patronus and I to head out on an adventure together, just the two of us. It was already almost 1:00 P.M. by…

Posted on October 31, 2018April 30, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy