Outdoors Archives • Kristy & Luke

Waterfall near Old Man's Cave in Hocking Hills State Park

Adventures

Halloween in the Hocking Hills

To celebrate our second anniversary, Luke and I decided to seek out a secluded cabin in the Hocking Hills so we could spend the week of Halloween hiking, exploring, relaxing, and watching scary movies. We decided to bring Patronus and Naga along too, of course! While Patronus is pretty much…

Posted on November 25, 2019November 26, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

Crafts

Cable Crochet Beanie Pattern

Finding cute orange hats to wear outdoors in the late fall can be a bit of a challenge because...well...most of them are pretty manly. After spending many hours poring over the internet in search of finding one, I decided to simply DIY my own hat, and I've included my free…

Posted on November 20, 2019November 26, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

Outdoors

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, 2019November 27, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

Backpacking

My Backpacking Checklist (Printable + Dog Friendly)

Remembering everything you need to pack for a camping or backpacking trip can sometimes be stressful, so I decided to create a printable backpacking checklist to help me stay organized while I'm preparing for my next adventure. After having backpacked South Manitou Island, the Pictured Rocks, and the Potowatomi Trail,…

Posted on September 25, 2019November 26, 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, 2019November 26, 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, 2019November 26, 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, 2019November 26, 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, 2019November 26, 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, 2019November 26, 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, 2019November 26, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

Adventures

Camping at Wilderness State Park

Wilderness State Park is located in the northern part of Michigan's lower peninsula, near Cross Village and Mackinaw City. Its campgrounds stretch along the coastline of Lake Michigan. In addition to several hiking trails within the park, it is also located near the North Country Trail. My friends and I…

Posted on June 11, 2019November 26, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

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, 2019November 26, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

Backpacking

Backpacking the Pictured Rocks: My Gear List

Today I thought I would share my Pictured Rocks backpacking gear list with you. While I am by no means an expert, nor do I have an ultralight base weight, I thought sharing my Pictured Rocks backpacking gear list might be a helpful planning tool for those of you who…

Posted on May 30, 2019November 26, 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, 2019November 26, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

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, 2019November 26, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

River Country Products Trekker 2.2 Tent Great Pyrenees

Backpacking

River Country Products Trekker 2.2 Tent Review

I decided to do a River Country Products Trekker 2.2 Tent review after picking up this budget-friendly, ultralight, 2 person tent for weekend backpacking trips with Patronus. In this video, you'll see my first time setting it up, a quick look at its features, and my initial thoughts on the…

Posted on May 12, 2019November 26, 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, 2019November 26, 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, 2019November 26, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

Backpacking

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, 2019November 26, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

Day Hiking

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, 2019November 26, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

Adventures

2018 Hiking Gear List

I've already written about Patronus' hiking gear list, and mine and Luke's camping gear list, so today I thought I would share my hiking gear list with you. Clothing and gear items are always a matter of personal preference, but the items I've listed below are what works for me.…

Posted on November 25, 2019November 26, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

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