Conditioning Hikes: Rib Mountain State Park & Sylvan Hill Park

As Charlie mentioned in her last letter to Dudley, we've been doing a bunch of conditioning lately, working up our endurance for longer trail hikes to come. Since I think I've mentioned a few times previously that I work a regular day-job Monday through Friday 8am to 5pm, this leaves us with little time to hike during the week. Our long hikes that require travel time are reserved for weekends only. So we've "resorted" to training on the trails available within the Wausau area... and I say "resorted" as a kind of joke since Wausau is full of some pretty awesome trails!

Currently we've been alternating between Sylvan Hill Park and Rib Mountain State Park. Both have their own particular challenges and pack a great workout in very little time. Rib Mountain offers a total aerobic workout as we traverse the rock-strewn terrain up and down the top of the mountain - and the view isn't bad either. Honestly I just love the rocky trails! This park has so much to offer that I'll have to reserve an entire blog post to cover it all.

Sylvan is very wooded with little spring-fed streams running down the hillside, giving us some wet/muddy terrain. The cross-country ski trails switch back and forth across the hillside providing a good aerobic workout. And although the trail is pretty wide and flat, there are still rocks and roots to add a little challenge. Charlie is constantly on alert watching for deer and squirrels in the woods and her hiking efforts are often rewarded with a quick swim in Jim Moore Creek at the bottom of the hill.

We've adjusted to dealing with the mosquitoes but have noticed the biting flies are starting to emerge; just another challenge to conquer. I met a man wearing a "Bug Shirt" at a park last weekend and immediately got online to order one for myself - I can't wait to try it out! (Watch for a product review once it arrives!). We have some pretty exciting trail trips coming up that I just can't wait to share with you.

*All photos were taken at Sylvan Hill Park.

 

 

Got any good tips on "conditioning" hiking spots in Wisconsin? Where do you go to get fit in the outdoors?

 



The Month of April Fools

"If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

That was the theory I decided to go with today. Instead of letting the lingering winter weather prevent me from getting out and enjoying the outdoors, I'd just make the best of it. The weather today has been really weird though. It goes from sunny blue skies to full-on white-out snowstorm and 50 mile an hour winds the next. Highly unpredictable. We also had our statewide tornado drill today... although I can't imagine anyone even thinking about tornadoes when we're still dealing with snowstorms.

(And just so you can fully appreciate today's weather fluctuations, I want to point out that all the pictures taken for this post were within a single 45-minute hike from 5:00pm to 5:45pm).

It's Friday night and I wanted Charlie to be good and tired so we could "veg" out and watch a movie on the couch. We headed up to the East High athletic fields and I figured we'd wander down to the Sylvan Hill Park trails if they weren't too muddy and hopefully get a long hike in the woods. As soon as we got to the fields the wind whipped up and the snow started blowing and I was immediately frozen!

I hoped once we made our way down the slick embankment to the woods below the fields that it would ease up a bit. By this time, my shoes were already soaked in mud and the cuffs of my pants were filled with snow; I had definitely worn the wrong shoes today. I was so wishing for my boots, but wanted to keep going. I just gave in and decided that my feet were going to be wet and cold by the end of the walk but that it would make snuggling on the couch all the more earned.

A few minutes later we were safely within the shelter of the trees which made a nice wind-block. The tops of the trees were twisting and bending in the wind and making eerie noises as they rubbed together. It's funny how as soon as we get in the woods, Charlie fully realizes that "we're on a hike" and she totally lets loose - no restraint whatsoever! She took off so fast, leaping over logs and raced down the path.

She chewed happily on sticks and scooped up snow in her mouth when she got thirsty. The smile that lit up her face made it all worthwhile! As we descended down the hill, I began losing my footing a bit. The intermittent snow throughout the day had coated the slick ice on the path, giving it some grip, but as the hill got steeper, the snow only covered the hidden danger beneath. I really regretted my shoe choice again. I started keeping to the side of the path and stepping in the ice-crusted snowbanks to make sure I had good footing. I ended up zig-zagging from one side to the next, hugging trees as I went.

I haven't fallen all winter. Until today. And you know what? It hurts. There's that split second when you know you're falling and there's nothing you can do about it. *Luckily* I landed on the soft, fleshy part of the backside of my left thigh, just below my butt. The bad part was that I landed on a tree root.

Scene of the accident.

I think you can even see my butt-print in the photo above. I yelled out involuntarily and Charlie actually stopped her frolicking and ran over to check on me. I was surprised because she could usually care less about me when we're hiking, but she must have heard the pain in my voice. Sweet doggie. All I wanted to do was curl up at this point... but we still needed to get back to the top of the hill.

Me and Charlie on our way back up the hill - post accident.

Onward we went... taking tiny baby steps and keeping to the deep snow off the path. My feet were frozen and wet, my leg hurt and I was still a little shaken up. Next thing I know, Charlie whacks me in the back of the leg with half a log as she sprinted up the path ahead of me - THE SAME LEG! AHHHHG!

I was so happy to get back to the Jeep and finally home. I wanted to check out how bad my leg was bruised, but also afraid to look. There's a big purplish-red bump about the size of my fist and it hurts to sit with any weight on the left side. Looks like I'll be vegging on my right side tonight.

It's snowing and blowing outside the window again, making the wind chimes play their song. Charlie is napping peacefully on her dog bed and I'm going to make myself a big plate of spaghetti and pop in that DVD.

I honestly can't say for sure, but after tonight I really don't feel like hiking again until winter releases us from this torture. We'll see how I feel in the morning...

Beautiful Exertion

 

It was zero degrees this morning, but we really needed to get outside today. Plus I wanted to take advantage of the early morning light to work on my photography. We opted for a close hiking location since I didn't plan on being outside for any extended periods of time. Nearby are the athletic fields to our local high school. Many pet owners walk their dogs on the black-topped paths around the various fields since they are typically clear of snow. It's a pretty decent place for a good walk and I've never met any unfriendly dogs (or people) up there.

 

Occasionally you might even run into an unofficial dog-walking group. Dog owners who utilize this space are very good about picking up after their pets and even picking up after dog-owners who were less than responsible. None of us want to lose our priveleges so we do our best at policing each other when needed.

 

Charlie has a little bit of border collie in her, which means she likes to do activities that make her think ~ especially "puzzle-type" games. I use the fences around the fields to challenge her... throwing a stick or a ball over a fence and then have her figure out how to get in (open gates, etc.). It's so much fun for her to "go find it"... not only exercising her body but also her mind. 

 

One of the other nice things about this location is that Sylvan Hill Park is adjacent to the athletic fields. There are nice trails connecting the edge of the school property to the woods inside the park. It's very scenic and seldom-used. You'll find many dog owners walking their dogs in the woods ~ and (again) I've never met any person or dog that wasn't friendly!

 

It's a hill... so be prepared for a good workout. Today was no exception. The walk in to the woods is downhill, and during the winter the path is pretty easy to walk on; it's been packed down from other hikers and the ice has been buried by all the recent snow. (In the summer, it's a whole other story ~ lots of rocks and tree roots that threaten to trip you constantly; much more challenging.)

 

 

I was watching Charlie carefully to make sure she wasn't getting too cold. I was perfectly warm everywhere except for my legs (even though I had my thick insulated pants on). My old boots kept my feet toasty warm and my new gloves had my hands sweating.

 

The icy air was making it hard to catch my breath on the way back up the hill. I had to stop several times to take a break and let my breathing level out. Hiking in the winter is so different... it's much more exerting for your lungs to breathe in the cold air. My eyelashes frosted up and the little bits of hair sticking out from my hat were coated in ice from the condensation of my breath.

 

 

 When I'd stop for a break, I could hear the pounding of my heart in my ears and pulsing in my neck. Slowly the pounding would resume to normal levels and I could continue on. I felt so out of shape but at the same time, exhilarated to be out in the woods surrounded by quiet, breathing fresh air, and absorbing the joy of watching Charlie leap over logs and race up the trail ahead of me. She was so happy to be outside and hiking again. It's been a long cold snap. 

 



We're home now... slowly thawing out. Charlie is curled up on the couch, content from her exertions this morning. Perhaps she'll nap for a good part of the day so I can get some much-needed work done. There are dog-treat orders to bake and new projects to start so I can expand the online store at Kanine Kitchen. Check back for store updates and new treat flavors coming soon.

 

Happy Hiking!