Free AI web copilot to create summaries, insights and extended knowledge, download it at here

Abstract

on the trail. We packed a lunch for the top, and honestly that PB&J sandwich was the only thing I was looking forward to from this hike. We also packed cashew/granola snacks, and I, surprisingly, didn’t think of eating anything until we got to the top. And as far as hydration — I drink quite a bit of water yet got by comfortably with my 32-oz Nalgene bottle.</p><h2 id="f747">GEAR</h2><p id="ed5f">As I do not hike often, I did not realize cotton is not an ideal fabric. Due to what was available to me, I wore cotton/spandex long shorts. This worked well, granted, it was 65 degrees when we hiked so not extremely hot given that it was August. I purchased hiking boots for roughly $80 and I will never regret this decision. And yes, they looked like the boots from Wild — camel-colored with red laces. Fake it ’til you make it! I stubbed my toes so many times and felt no pain — my feet were invincible.</p><figure id="b123"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/0*idLg1ioAw2n3CrN3.jpeg"><figcaption>Photo of Author (and Molly).</figcaption></figure><p id="a86e">I also brought along Chaco’s (I had not worn them in yet) as well as lighter tennis shoes. I never needed either during the hike, or again, even thought of it. Head’s up — if you do buy Chaco’s, or this type of sandal, wear them in! I have worn mine for a few hours total and they still create blisters on my feet. I am not concluding that Chaco’s are not well worth it, my friends do swear by them, but I have yet to understand their comfort (to be determined!). Molly wore North Face tennis shoes with high tread. She was satisfied with this choice.</p><p id="65aa">Primarily, make sure your toes are covered and your shoes have tread. And you will do yourself a favor if your shoes are comfortable, you will be wearing them for a while. We both purchased hiking socks (Murano Wool) and bonus — neither my shoes nor socks had any odor post-hike.</p><h2 id="c1fb">AND NOW WE’RE HIKING…</h2><p id="2ea1">We made it up this specific mountain in roughly 2 hours. The route up is the same as the route down. This is not always, or even often, the case. Thankfully, in this situation, the more experienced outdoorswoman took the lead. I learned from Molly to check the route beforehand. I am terrified of getting lost, especially when alone. I found that if you are hiking a well-known and regulated trail like Eagle Mountain — the paths are clearly marked.</p><figure id="b1b1"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/0*DKosaWpDyesmA9Ke.jpeg"><fi

Options

gcaption>Pay attention! Or trip. Photo by Author.</figcaption></figure><p id="f439">The one path to the top was rocky. I liked this part about the hike because it kept me busy, trying not to fall on my face. Besides the scenery of lakes, ponds, dense forest — I was thinking the two hours would go by slowly. I was happy to be proven wrong. When I was not maneuvering the rocks and roots, I was occupied skimming the forest for bears. This is my secondary fear — running into a bear. I have heard from fellow hiking friends, or maybe it was an Instagram Influencer, to bring a bear whistle or bear spray.</p><p id="b62c">There was a portion of the hike that made me remember why I do not run (did I mention that I do not normally hike OR run?). We were bouldering at this point. My quads ached, the back of my throat went cold, I stopped for 30 seconds maybe 8 times, and a few people well into their 60s lapped me. Thankfully, this steep section of the trail paired with large rocks only lasted about 10 minutes.</p><p id="5df5">Maybe it was the lack of a “peak” to the mountain, maybe it was because there were several points where I thought we were close to the top and had yet another 20 minutes left, or maybe because I was picturing one single breathtaking view — but reaching the top was somewhat underwhelming.</p><figure id="b9a5"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/0*P_p-xzzzxiLw6oaH.jpeg"><figcaption>Photo by Author.</figcaption></figure><p id="b94a">There was not a specific point in the hike where I felt as if we had made it, it was more like the combination of eight or nine moments. And that’s when I realized that similar to many things in life — it’s the process of getting there that made it worth it, not one spectacular point. It was sitting, eating a PB&J sandwich and drinking a Bolo hard seltzer with Molly as chipmunks ran around us, it was the point when the rocky uphill climb leveled off and we were granted a break, it was climbing along the giant tree roots, which were wider than the length of our foot, and finally, it was finding out we had gained 25,000 steps in just under 5 hours.</p><figure id="2f42"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/0*TSkonGR6shmt2ojL.jpeg"><figcaption>Photo of Author.</figcaption></figure><p id="a504">So there it is. Maybe I am now a “hiker”? I am not quite sure. But if I can do it, I am pretty sure you can. And if you are expecting one moment to make it worth it, I can guarantee you will not be able to pick just one.</p></article></body>

Hiking for the Non-Hiker

Who says Minnesota doesn’t have mountains

Oh look, here I am, hiking! Photo of Author.

If you, like me, want to hike but are clueless where to begin (and starting is the hardest part, it’s true) — you have reached the right place. I currently live in the Twin Cities Metro of Minnesota and have friends by the dozen who are killing it on the biking and hiking front — trekking through the Boundary Waters, traveling from Seattle to D.C. by bike, and signing up for Triathlons. It can be daunting to think about, and specifically, deciding where to begin. But do not fret. My name is Melissa, and I will be your amateur guide!

Honestly, I had not even considered hiking until Covid-19 spiked my summer in 2020. As I sunk into my couch with my second bottle of Sauvignon Blanc that week, probably watching the third season of Gilmore Girls for the twentieth time, I received a text message from my friend Molly. Molly wanted to know if I would come with her to the North Shore of Minnesota. She had no expectations for the trip besides the one — hike Eagle Mountain.

I had never heard of Eagle Mountain. I could name only one city on the North Shore, Grand Marais, and I couldn’t even pronounce it. I had never been further north than Duluth. And I honestly did not think Minnesota has any legitimate mountains … I’m still not sure it does.

I was just bored enough to agree.

I have hiked a few trails since then and I just so happened to write down thoughts post-hike from my first (possibly only?) Minnesota mountain.

HOUSEKEEPING

Bottoms of Eagle Mountain. Photo by Author.

Consider the legality of taking the hike. Do you need a State Park pass? Is there an entry fee? I’m all for taking risks but if there is an easy way around a couple-hundred dollar fee, it’s worth it. In this case a one-day hike was free but I needed to list myself on the registry.

Next — we considered human nature. I will do anything to eliminate popping squats and using leaves as TP. In this case, there was one bathroom at the base of the mountain. This led me to pre-consider consuming food and drinks on the trail. We packed a lunch for the top, and honestly that PB&J sandwich was the only thing I was looking forward to from this hike. We also packed cashew/granola snacks, and I, surprisingly, didn’t think of eating anything until we got to the top. And as far as hydration — I drink quite a bit of water yet got by comfortably with my 32-oz Nalgene bottle.

GEAR

As I do not hike often, I did not realize cotton is not an ideal fabric. Due to what was available to me, I wore cotton/spandex long shorts. This worked well, granted, it was 65 degrees when we hiked so not extremely hot given that it was August. I purchased hiking boots for roughly $80 and I will never regret this decision. And yes, they looked like the boots from Wild — camel-colored with red laces. Fake it ’til you make it! I stubbed my toes so many times and felt no pain — my feet were invincible.

I also brought along Chaco’s (I had not worn them in yet) as well as lighter tennis shoes. I never needed either during the hike, or again, even thought of it. Head’s up — if you do buy Chaco’s, or this type of sandal, wear them in! I have worn mine for a few hours total and they still create blisters on my feet. I am not concluding that Chaco’s are not well worth it, my friends do swear by them, but I have yet to understand their comfort (to be determined!). Molly wore North Face tennis shoes with high tread. She was satisfied with this choice.

Primarily, make sure your toes are covered and your shoes have tread. And you will do yourself a favor if your shoes are comfortable, you will be wearing them for a while. We both purchased hiking socks (Murano Wool) and bonus — neither my shoes nor socks had any odor post-hike.

AND NOW WE’RE HIKING…

We made it up this specific mountain in roughly 2 hours. The route up is the same as the route down. This is not always, or even often, the case. Thankfully, in this situation, the more experienced outdoorswoman took the lead. I learned from Molly to check the route beforehand. I am terrified of getting lost, especially when alone. I found that if you are hiking a well-known and regulated trail like Eagle Mountain — the paths are clearly marked.

Pay attention! Or trip. Photo by Author.

The one path to the top was rocky. I liked this part about the hike because it kept me busy, trying not to fall on my face. Besides the scenery of lakes, ponds, dense forest — I was thinking the two hours would go by slowly. I was happy to be proven wrong. When I was not maneuvering the rocks and roots, I was occupied skimming the forest for bears. This is my secondary fear — running into a bear. I have heard from fellow hiking friends, or maybe it was an Instagram Influencer, to bring a bear whistle or bear spray.

There was a portion of the hike that made me remember why I do not run (did I mention that I do not normally hike OR run?). We were bouldering at this point. My quads ached, the back of my throat went cold, I stopped for 30 seconds maybe 8 times, and a few people well into their 60s lapped me. Thankfully, this steep section of the trail paired with large rocks only lasted about 10 minutes.

Maybe it was the lack of a “peak” to the mountain, maybe it was because there were several points where I thought we were close to the top and had yet another 20 minutes left, or maybe because I was picturing one single breathtaking view — but reaching the top was somewhat underwhelming.

There was not a specific point in the hike where I felt as if we had made it, it was more like the combination of eight or nine moments. And that’s when I realized that similar to many things in life — it’s the process of getting there that made it worth it, not one spectacular point. It was sitting, eating a PB&J sandwich and drinking a Bolo hard seltzer with Molly as chipmunks ran around us, it was the point when the rocky uphill climb leveled off and we were granted a break, it was climbing along the giant tree roots, which were wider than the length of our foot, and finally, it was finding out we had gained 25,000 steps in just under 5 hours.

So there it is. Maybe I am now a “hiker”? I am not quite sure. But if I can do it, I am pretty sure you can. And if you are expecting one moment to make it worth it, I can guarantee you will not be able to pick just one.