Day Hiking Archives • Kristy & Luke

There's a bit of a learning curve when it comes to getting used to how to hike in winter, but once you get the hang of it, it can actually be quite enjoyable. If you're reading this post, I'll assume that it's likely you're new to hiking, or at the…

Posted on February 20, 2020February 20, 2020 by Kristy by Kristy

dog friendly hikes in hocking hills state park

Adventures

2019: My Year in Review

In 2019 I hiked 100 miles of the North Country Trail AND completed the 52 Hike Challenge. Along the way I took at least one photo and/or video clip for each hike that I went on, then at the end of the year created this video using the app 1…

Posted on December 31, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

Adventures

Winter Hiking on the Jordan Valley Pathway

I awoke bright and early at my friends' cottage on a cold, snowy, Saturday morning in November, brewed myself a cup of coffee, and ladled out a big bowl of oatmeal. I am by all means NOT a morning person, but I was eager to get moving, because my friend…

Posted on December 31, 2019December 28, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

Adventures

I’m an NCT Hike 100 Finisher!

When I started off 2019, one of the things that wanted most for the new year was to spend less time trying to hit arbitrary self-made personal "goals" and more time going on adventures and creating happy memories. To help hold myself accountable, I decided to take on the 52…

Posted on December 31, 2019December 31, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

Adventures

Fall Camping and Hiking at Wilderness State Park

On a whim, my friend Megan and I decided to take an impromptu road trip to the Mackinaw City area to soak in the beautiful colors of the northern Michigan fall foliage. Naturally, we thought the best way to experience fall "up north" would be to get a few hikes…

Posted on December 28, 2019December 28, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

Adventures

Day Hiking on the Jordan Valley Pathway

For the third and final hike of our North Country Trail fall foliage camping and hiking trip, Megan and I decided to hike an out-and-back section of the Jordan Valley Pathway. While the trail system offers a hikers the option of doing a short, 3 mile day hike or a…

Posted on December 27, 2019December 28, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

Adventures

Fall Hiking on the North Country Trail

It was nearly 11:00 A.M. on the second day of our camping trip when Megan and I pulled into the muddy parking lot for French Farm Lake to begin our 10 mile hiking adventure along the North Country Trail. I use the term "parking lot" loosely. After getting out of…

Posted on December 26, 2019December 28, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

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, 2019December 28, 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

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

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

Day Hiking

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, 2018November 26, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

Backpacking

Our Dog Gear List for Hiking

One of the questions I get asked rather often is which backpack Patronus wears and how well it works, so today I would like to share our dog gear list for hiking with you. When I first began hiking with Patronus, I didn't buy a bunch of dog gear right…

Posted on December 8, 2018November 26, 2019 by Kristy by Kristy

Day Hiking

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, 2018November 26, 2019 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, 2018November 26, 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, 2018November 26, 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…