Today’s hike was a special visit to Theodore Wirth Park! The brilliant women at Kula Cloth reached out to me and asked if I would lead a “Kulas on the trail” community event in Minnesota. I jumped at the opportunity to lead another art hike in one of my favorite local parks. Check out this post to read more about the history of Theo Wirth and our creative adventure!
HIKE DETAILS LENGTH 20 milesDIFFICULTY mostly flat and paved, with dirt options and a few hillsDATE HIKED October 4, 2020MAIN FEATURES Grand Rounds Scenic Byway, Theodore Wirth Park, Chain of Lakes. Start location – 2601 Theodore Wirth Parkway: Sunset Park Last week, some friends and I backpacked the 35ish mile Sioux Hustler Trail in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. It … Continue reading Hiking Merit Badge 20 Miler | Minneapolis Parks
Welcome to part 2 of my trip report, featuring FOUR more Minnesota State Parks! In 2014, my buddy April and I started hiking the Minnesota State Parks Hiking Club trails. Even though we live in different states now, we still manage to pull off one or two camping trips a year. Read her trip report … Continue reading Hiking Southern Minnesota | Upper Sioux Agency and Camden State Parks
Happy 5th Birthday to Wandering Pine! F I V E . Y E A R S 🎉 Break out the party tooters and root beer, it’s time to celebrate! Thanks for being here, from Wandering Pine’s very first post to the 190th post! ‘Tis is the season that I find myself reflecting on the year, … Continue reading 2021 Year in Review
Welcome to part 1 of our trip to 4 more Southern Minnesota State Parks! It was great to be back on the trail with my first hiking buddy, and visit 4 new parks – painting and capturing my favorite things along the way. Find out how long Big Stone Lake really is, and stay tuned for part 2, where we visit Upper Sioux Agency and Camden State Parks. Happy Trails!
On January 1st 2017, I started this blog, as a place to write about my outdoor adventures, learning experiences, failures and encourage others to get outside at any skill level. That first year, I challenged myself to ask, before starting or continuing various activities, “Does this make me feel strong? Or will this build strength?” … Continue reading 2018 Year in Review!
As a lover of both snowshoeing and design, I have been following the development of the first EVA foam snowshoe for about a year. They have a very different look and construction compared to a traditional metal or plastic snowshoe, and the binding is greatly simplified. In talking to the President and co-founder of Crescent … Continue reading Crescent Moon EVA Foam Snowshoe Gear Review
TRIP DETAILS LENGTH 5 miles DIFFICULTY Accessible for all abilities with a few hills DATE April 23, 2017 MAIN FEATURES Quaking Bog and Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary Here’s another local gem, Theodore Wirth Park’s Quaking Bog and Eloise Butler Trail! This section of the park also has a pretty rad single track bike trail and commuter/road bike paved … Continue reading Hiking Theodore Wirth Park: Quaking Bog
Winter is here and it’s the perfect time to think about staying outside and extending the hiking season! Snowshoeing is my favorite winter activity and has been a game changer when it comes to my attitude during the colder months. So, when Minnesota Monthly Magazine contacted me to do a quick story and photo shoot on the sport, I practically did a cartwheel.
Snowshoeing is my favorite winter activity because of the access it brings. Unlike hiking or skiing, I can walk right off the trail, alone into the woods and feel strong and confident. I don’t feel this same desire to venture off trail in the summer when the woods are thick, shaded and full of obstacles. I also don’t hike at night in the warmer months, but a moonlit snowshoe stomp is one of my favorite things. I feel a unique combination of safety and freedom when I am snowshoeing in the open woods, on an empty trail bathed in winter’s blue light.
trip DETAILS LENGTH 20 miles DIFFICULTY easy, mostly paved, some dirt DATE HIKED NOVEMBER 12, 2016 MAIN FEATURES Grand Rounds, Eloise Butler Butterfly Garden, Lake Harriet We had one more 20 miler to do this year and this fall and unseasonably warm. We knew this would probably be our last weekend before the snowfall and decided to go for … Continue reading Urban Hike 2.0 Theodore Wirth + Chain of Lakes
trip DETAILS LENGTH 20 miles DIFFICULTY easy, mostly paved, some dirt DATE HIKED August 27, 2016 MAIN FEATURES Wirth Beach, Chain of Lakes, Ice Cream! Last week was the 26.5 mile hike on the Superior Hiking Trail to raise money for Children’s cancer research. So….of course, I signed up to take the Scouts on a 20 mile urban hike … Continue reading Urban Hike – Luce Line + Sebastian Joe’s
