Lightweight Energy Food for Hiking

When it comes to hiking, it’s important to pack lightweight and non-perishable food items that will provide you with the necessary energy to keep going. Here are some ideas for food for hiking:

1. Trail mix: Mix together your favorite nuts, seeds, and dried fruits to create a healthy and delicious snack. Add in some chocolate chips or other treats for a little indulgence.
2. Jerky: Beef, turkey, or even vegetarian jerky is a great source of protein and easy to pack. Plus, it’s a tasty and savory treat to enjoy on the trail.
3. Cheese and crackers: Choose hard, aged cheese varieties that won’t spoil quickly, and pair them with some whole grain crackers. This will give you a nice balance of carbs and protein.
4. Peanut butter and jelly sandwich: This classic sandwich is perfect for hiking. Choose a bread that’s dense and hearty, and pack the peanut butter and jelly in separate containers to keep them fresh.
5. Tuna or salmon pouches: These protein-packed pouches are easy to pack and come in a variety of flavors. Eat them plain or mix them with some crackers for a more substantial meal.
6. Instant oatmeal: If you’re camping overnight, a hot bowl of oatmeal is a great way to start the day. Choose instant oatmeal packets that you can simply add hot water to.
7. Energy bars: There are a wide variety of energy bars on the market these days, so choose one that you enjoy and that provides a good balance of carbs, protein, and fat.
8. Instant coffee or tea: If you need a caffeine boost, bring some instant coffee or tea bags along. Simply add hot water and enjoy.

Remember to always pack out what you pack in and follow Leave No Trace principles.

TRAIL MIX

PARKS

Whispers in the Wildernes

Nature’s Silent Message 

Hike & Go Seek – Konza Prairie Biological Station

The Konza in Winter

Kansas is known for its prairies, rolling hills, and scenic vistas, making it a great destination for outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers.

The Konza Prairie Biological Station is a unique nature reserve located in the Flint Hills of Kansas. This 8,600-acre preserve is dedicated to the study of tallgrass prairie ecology and is home to a diverse array of plants and animals. The Konza Prairie offers several miles of hiking trails that provide visitors with the opportunity to experience this unique ecosystem up close and personal.

This bridge crosses Kings Creek

The prairie trails at Konza are well-maintained and offer a variety of hiking experiences, from easy walks along flat prairie paths to strenuous hikes up hills and through rugged terrain. Along the way, visitors can observe a wide variety of wildlife, including prairie chickens, deer, and coyotes, as well as a diverse array of prairie wildflowers and grasses.

The Konza Prairie is also a popular destination for birdwatchers, as the prairie is home to over 300 species of birds. In the spring and summer, visitors can hear the calls of prairie chickens and see a variety of songbirds flitting through the prairie grasses.

Overall, the Konza Prairie Biological Station is a must-visit destination for anyone interested in nature and outdoor recreation in Kansas. Whether you’re a seasoned hiker or just looking for a peaceful walk in the countryside, the Konza Prairie offers something for everyone.

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

Nature’s Silent Message

12X50 High Power Magnification

Hike & Go Seek – The Carlson Lakes Trail

View from Eagle Mountain

The Carlson Lakes Trail is a popular hiking trail located in the Superior National Forest in Minnesota. It is a relatively short trail, but can be challenging due to its steep inclines and rocky terrain.

The trail takes hikers through a series of interconnected lakes, each with its own unique beauty and character. The trail provides access to scenic views of the lakes and the surrounding forest, and is a great choice for birdwatching, fishing, and other outdoor activities.

In addition to its natural beauty, the Carlson Lakes Trail is also popular for its historic significance. The trail follows an old logging road that was used to transport logs from the surrounding forest to the nearby town of Ely. Today, the trail is a popular destination for hikers and outdoor enthusiasts, and provides a glimpse into the area’s rich logging history.

Before heading out on the Carlson Lakes Trail, be sure to check trail conditions, bring appropriate gear and supplies, and follow Leave No Trace principles to help protect the natural beauty of the area.

Wilderness, The Gateway To The Soul: Spiritual Enlightenment Through Wilderness

Philadelphia Candies Milk Chocolate Covered OREO® Cookies, Valentine’s Day Gift 8 Ounce

Chocolate Gift Basket, Valentines Day Food Gifts Arrangement Platter, Gourmet Snack Box,

Trekking the National Parks Family Board Game

NIKON COMPLETE KIT

Hike & Go Seek – Copper Harbor

Looking for some of the funest and most scenic trails around Michigan. Copper Harbor is your spot. It is an all-season resort town in northeastern Keweenaw County, Michigan located on the Keweenaw Peninsula which juts out from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan into Lake Superior. Due to its natural environment and surroundings it is a popular tourist destination within the Great Lakes region.

One popular spot for visitors is Hunter’s Island which is the name of a non-hilly point running out from the west into Lake Superior.  It was named for an early settler of the area named Mr. Hunter who owned a tract of land on what is now Hunter’s Point or Hunter’s Island.   Situated at the opening of the harbor itself is the historic Copper Harbor Lighthouse built in 1866, replacing an earlier lighthouse made in 1849.  It is only accessible via a short ride in a compact open vessel from the Copper Harbor marina.  Exhibits inside the lighthouse museum cover both the lighthouse history along with the local shipwreck culture of the area.

 Another popular site known as “the most beautiful road in Michigan” is the Brockway Mountain Drive that is an 8.8 mile route that follows the backbone of a 753-foot-high ridge between the towns of Copper Harbor and Eagle Harbor and is the highest paved road between the Rocky Mountains to the west and the Allegheny Mountains to the east.  Constructed during the 30’s, this very picturesque road offers stunning views of Lake Superior and Keweenaw Penisula as well as the archipelago of Isle Royale. (wiki)

Snow shoes

AMAZON MUSIC – LISTEN FREE

There is no Wi-Fi in the forest, but I promise you will find better connection!

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

And recently by Scott Stillman…Nature’s Silent Message

Nature’s Silent Message

February Winter FUN in the Midwest, USA

Don’t let a snowy forecast stop you from setting aside time for a enjoying the great outdoors.  Head to the woods for a peaceful hike, snow shoeing or cross country skiing.

Turkey Run State Park, Indiana

For picturesque views!

You’ll marvel at the natural geologic wonders of this beautiful park as you hike along its famous trails. Nestled along State Road 47 southwest of Crawfordsville, the park offers the chance to explore deep, sandstone ravines, walk along stands of aged forests, and enjoy the scenic views along Sugar Creek.

Door County, Wisconsin

Sightseeing along frozen Lake Michigan

Many people call Door County the Cape Cod of the Midwest, and that’s no less true in winter, when snow covers the picturesque northeast Wisconsin peninsula. Shops, galleries and inns stay open for visitors who come for cozy shopping and peaceful walks along frozen Lake Michigan beaches. Sleigh rides, trolley tours and wine tastings round out a romantic weekend.

Interstate State Park, Wisconsin and Minnesota

Hardy hikers can snowshoe on fresh white snow

Interstate Park comprises two adjacent state parks on the Minnesota-Wisconsin border, both names Interstate State Park.  The staddle the Dalles of the beautiful St. Croix River, a deep basalt gorge with glacial potholes and other rock formations.

Southwest Lake Michigan shore

A stunning winter lighthouse road trip landscape!

Every winter, lake-effect storms leave southwest Michigan’s lighthouses and sand dunes cloaked in ice and snow.  From South Haven to New Buffalo and beyond winter is the perfect time to  take a road trip  along Lake Michigan, especially since the beautiful scenes of winter are in full force now.

KEEP WARM THIS WINTER – ALL HATS AND SCARVES – 27% OFF

KEEP WARM THIS WINTER – ALL HATS AND SCARVES – 27% OFF

PARKS

TREKKING THE WORLD

NATIONAL PARKS TRIVIA

NATIONAL PARK ADVENTURE GAME

TICKET TO RIDE – EUROPE

Hike & Go Seek – Indiana Dunes in January

Love sand and hiking on snow packed sandy paths. Indiana Dunes National Park, designated as the nation’s 61st national park is located in Northwestern Indiana along the southern shores of Lake Michigan.  Hiking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are popular in the wintertime. You might want to consider snowshoes.

In spring and summer, the park runs for nearly 25 miles alongside of Lake Michigan containing approximately 15,000 acres where you will find sand dunes, wetland, river, prairie and forest ecosystems.  The Park is host to a wide variety of wildlife including white-tailed deer, red fox, raccoons, opossums, cottontail rabbits, various rodents, Canada geese, gulls, squirrels, hawks, turkey vultures , mallards, great blue herons, songbirds and garter snakes.   There are nine different diverse trails to explore!       *  Paul H. Douglas Trail     *  Tolleston Dune Trail     *  Succession Trail.     *  Bailly-Chellberg Trail.     *  Little Calumet River Trail.     *  Cowles Bog Trail.     *  Calumet Dune Trail     *  Glenwood Dune Horse and Hiking Trail   The Indiana Dunes has over 369 species of flowering plants of which thirteen are considered threatened or in danger of extinction.  In addition, there are four invasive flowering plants on the list.  Some of the more common spring flowers you will find include the May apple, 6 varieties of buttercups, and violets.

During the Summer months orchids and lots of goldenrods can be found.   For your first visit to the park, it is highly recommended that you visit the Dorothy Buell Memorial Visitor Center located at U.S. Route 20 and Indiana Route 49 near Porter, Indiana.  The center offers standard visitor-center amenities including a video, brochures, hands-on exhibits and a gift shop.  It is free to the general public.   If you like to camp…..check out the Dunewood Campground located on U.S. Route 12 which includes two loops of trailer accessible sites and a RV dump station.  All sites have grills, a picnic table and access to restrooms with running water and showers.  There are also a limited number of camp sites at the neighboring Douglas Loop. The park provides for 45 miles of hiking, fishing, swimming, horseback riding and cross-country skiing.  Cycling is available on the Calumet Trail which is a crushed limestone multi-use trail that runs through the eastern section of the park.  With all the things to see and do here……………….the park will draw over 2 million visitors each year.   (wiki)

THERMAL SOCKS

60 National Parks, Wilderness Wonder – 1000 Pieces Puzzle

Columbia Waterproof Hiking Shoes

America’s Best Day Hikes     

Shop Now

January Scenery from the Midwest, USA

A photo essay………… (and yes, it is below 0 here in Illinois)

National Geographic Photo Basics

PARKS

Whispers in the Wildernes

Nature’s Silent Message 

Frozen Waterfalls, Icefalls & Canyons of the Midwest USA

Who says you cannot enjoy the Midwest in the Winter. Plan to be surprised and awed at the spectacular natural features found here at Starved Rock in Illinois.

Surrounded by the flat, seemingly endless fields of Illinois farm country, a totally different topography is found within the park. Starved Rock was formed thousands of years ago by the melting of glaciers releasing torrents of water. As the water rushed downstream it eroded and stripped away everything in its path except the resistant St. Peter sandstone. It is that sandstone that formed the steep rock walls and the cool dark valleys of the eighteen canyons. When conditions are right cascades of falling water spill down into these gorges, creating the waterfalls so many come here to enjoy.

WATERFALLS
Although you can technically see waterfalls in 14 of the 18 canyons, some of the most scenic waterfalls are found in St. Louis, French, Wildcat, Tonty, Ottawa and Kaskaskia canyons. The best times to see waterfalls are in the spring when the snow and ice melt or after a heavy rainfall.

KEEP WARM THIS WINTER – ALL HATS AND SCARVES – 27% OFF

ICEFALLS
Winter brings a whole new life to the canyons. The freezing and melting that happens during this time of year creates amazing ice sculptures in the canyons. Make sure you come back in the winter to see an icefall – they are spectacular!

600 million years ago Northern Illinois was part of a broad upland that was undergoing extensive erosion. The erosion wore
the land down to near sea level. Erosion that forms a near sea
level surface is called a peneplain. This peneplain was submerged several times by sea water and several layers of sediment were laid on the surface.
Starved Rock State Park was once covered with 3000-5000
feet of glacial ice on and off over a course of 700,000 years.
Glacial ice can move forwards never backwards. When a glacier is said to be retreating, it is actually melting faster than it is
moving forward. As glacial ice can only move forward, it picks
up rocks and carries them in the ice. When the ice melts, these
rock particles are dropped at the point of melting. All dropped
rock material is called drift. Drift found at the point of melting is
called till. Till is unsorted glacial drift. When the glacier is stagnant, the drift accumulates into a pile called an end moraine.
After the glacier has retreated, it leaves a range of irregular hills
which are the end moraine. The melt waters of the glacier were
so great that they would accumulate behind the moraines and
form vast lakes. The streams that drain these lakes were gigantic compared to today’s streams. The Illinois Valley was
formed by one of these streams.
15,000 years ago during the Wisconsinan Glacial Age, the glacial meltwater of a large lake overtopped the Marseilles Moraine and formed Lake Ottawa behind the Farm Ridge Moraine
that ran north to south along what we call Starved Rock State
Park today. This lake drained when it overtopped the Farm
Ridge Moraine cutting a channel that became the Illinois River.
Repeated meltwater floods of the Kankakee Torrent poured
through the channels cut through the Marseilles and Farm
Ridge Moraines establishing the drainage for the Illinois, Fox,
and Vermillion Rivers. This repeated drainage also cut the outcrops , overlooks, and 18 canyons that you see today.

PARKS

READ FOR FREE

Whispers in the Wilderness

Wild: From Lost to Found

Nature’s Silent Message 

Nature’s Silent Message

“The Earth is trying to teach us to live better. To lead richer, happier lives.” Nature’s Silent Message.    Released last year by Scott Stillman.

Will we continue down the limited path of the mechanical mind?

Or will we tune into ultimate intelligence? The same intelligence that allows blood to flow through our veins, bees to pollinate flowers, birds to fly south, salmon to spawn, whales to migrate, caterpillars to become butterflies, the Earth to rotate, the moon to orbit, and the rest of nature to function perfectly of its own accord?

We have access to nature’s silent message—if we take the time to listen.

In this spellbinding collection, Stillman guides us from the lush forests of the North Cascades, through the sandstone slot canyons of Utah, and into the border country of extreme southern Arizona. In this classroom, we learn not from books, nor words, nor lectures. Wilderness is the school of life, where we learn not from that which thinks—but that which knows.

Nature’s Silent Message suggests the existence of something far greater than what we see on the surface. It’s about breaking through old patterns so that new ones may emerge.

The message is simple and pure, but when you try to define it, it vanishes into thin air. And in that vanishing, you find it again. Like a beautiful butterfly that can never be caught. Try and catch her and she’ll drive you mad, eluding you forever. But learn to fly with her, and all the wonders of the world will be shown, and all the answers to your questions be known.

Read it now.    Nature’s Silent Message