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Solo Hiking is Risky

In this post, I give a personal account that highlights why, I firmly believe, it is a bad idea to venture out into the Wilds alone.

 

Author’s Note:  I’ve touched on this subject before, but I feel it is VERY important so I decided it deserved its own post.  My opinion is a little controversial, but I don’t care.  Multiple situations we’ve encountered on the trail have fortified this belief…

SOLO HIKING IS VERY RISKY!

I know some people don’t like to hear this but stick with me here.  Some of us have an independent streak that is so strong it can, unfortunately, outweigh our common sense at times. 😇  

I’m not trying to tell people what to do, obviously, at the end of the day, we’re all adults and we have to make the final decision for ourselves on what is best for us.  Only we can determine what risks we’re willing to take regarding our own personal safety. I’m just trying to weave a cautionary tale.

Getting Stuck When Adventuring Alone

Several winters past we were snowshoeing in the Big Hill area on a warm, March day. (That portion of the Black Hills had received another foot of snow from a blizzard earlier in the week.)  We were hiking a new portion of the Big Hill recreation area, where new, fat bike and snowshoe trails had been added, that we weren’t very familiar with.  Unfortunately, due to its newness, the maps for these trails were a little unclear and not well signed (or if they were signed, the info was buried under several feet of snow). 😝

Accidents Can Happen FAST in the Wild…

We were maneuvering down a gulley, (which may or may not contain a creek bed in warmer months).  We thought we might be on-trail, but couldn’t really tell. (You are allowed to venture off-trail in these portions of the national forest, especially in the snow, and we knew our general location, so we were just having fun and exploring).  Mr. Trekker had taken the lead and was cutting trail, I was following almost exactly in his footsteps.  He took two steps, I took two steps…and my right leg immediately sunk into hip-deep snow.  

Normally, this isn’t too big of a deal.  It can be difficult to get out, but you just have to work at it.  This time, my leg was stuck fast.  I could move it around, but my ankle and foot refused to budge.  It was in the 40s and sunny that day, so the snow was heavy, wet, and easily packable. (This was one of those days where large ice-balls gather on the bottoms of your snowshoes as you walk.  I had sunk to almost knee-depth a short time earlier, and had a little trouble getting out as my snowshoe had created almost a vacuum in the snow.)  

So, we weren’t too concerned.  We began digging…and digging…and digging…

We finally dug far enough to reach my knee (we learned something from this event…snowshoes make good shovels! 😳) and I kept trying to loosen my foot but to no avail.  This was getting a little ridiculous!  Also, after several minutes half-buried in the white stuff, any part of my body that was touching the snow was starting to get cold! 🥶 

We kept digging and about the time we reached my shin we hit something hard…very hard.  We couldn’t tell what it was, other than we wouldn’t be able to move it and my snowshoe was lodged UNDER it.  We couldn’t reach my foot–it was enclosed in my hiking boot which was firmly lashed to my snowshoe…and we couldn’t reach the bindings on the snowshoe to free the boot…

…at this point, my claustrophobia started to set in.  I DO NOT like being stuck.  It makes me feel like I’m suffocating.  I had images of sinking into this hole and being smothered by all the *&%$# snow! 😝 

I wasn’t too worried about being stuck forever because we knew what we needed to do, and I knew I wasn’t injured…but you start getting a little panicked when the adrenaline from the fight-or-flight instinct kicks in, and that can easily override rational thought.  Fortunately, Mr. Trekker, with his IRRITATING AS HELL 😉😉 sense of calm was there to help keep my panic–mostly–at bay. 😝

You May Have to Wait a Long Time for an Outdoor Rescue

It was becoming clear that we’d have to tamp down the snow around where I was stuck to have any hope of getting me out, as every scoop we removed immediately filled in with more snow from other parts of the drift (it was almost like digging in sand).  So, Mr. Trekker set about using his snowshoes to make a base around me.  

By now I was starting to get uncomfortable.  I was getting covered in snow that was blowing back on me from what we were scooping out of the hole.  Also, the cold from the snow I was leaning on was conducting through my thin, hiking pants.  Fortunately, we had supplies. (Another safety rule, ALWAYS bring extra supplies, even on nice days when you’re venturing onto trails and areas you’re familiar with.  You NEVER KNOW when you will need them!)  

I had the windbreaker/top layer of my winter coat with me (which is waterproof).  I put that on to shield me from the snow blowback. We also always carry a small, 20-year-old rainfly from the first, $30 Walmart tent we ever purchased. (We usually use it as a base to sit on for lunch).  Today, it provided a much-needed, extra layer between the cold snow and my tush so I could sit–fairly comfortably–while Mr. Trekker worked to free me.    

A deep snow hole with gear spread around the top. A shadow of a person taking a picture covers part of the hole.
The picture doesn’t show the depth of the hole well, but it was close to six feet deep and maybe 10 feet in diameter!  The dark spot at the bottom is the log my foot was stuck under.  Snow had partially filled in the hole, already, by the time I got free.

FINALLY, my superhero-on-snowshoes was able to tamp down a base of snow around me to work from and then we set about digging further.  At some point, we figured out my foot was lodged under a large, fallen tree, and its entirety was buried under FEET of heavy, wet snow.  It wasn’t going to move, so I had to.  Finally, after about 30 minutes, Mr. Trekker was able to reach the lashings on my snowshoe and unhook them, and I was then able to remove my foot. I was free!!! (We were then easily able to twist the snowshoe around and lift it out.)  

To be clear, we never saw the ground.  There was snow under the fallen tree, as well, which means that portion of it wasn’t sitting on the ground. (We think there was probably an air pocket around the fallen tree and that’s what I fell into.)  So, we don’t know exactly how deep the drift was, but by the end, the snow piled up around me was at least shoulder-height from where I had sunk into the drift.  So, it was easily six feet deep at a minimum!

Solo Hiking can be Dangerous

Stuff happens fast out in the Wilds folks.  My “event” happened over the course of one step and about two seconds…and it took two, able-bodied adults more than 30 minutes to get me free.  I don’t necessarily think I would have died if I had been out there alone.  I wasn’t injured (fortunately) and I had full use of my arms and my other leg (as much as I could twist it around).  However, it would have been CONSIDERABLY more difficult, and taken considerably more time, to dig out if I’d had to rely on my own devices.  This increases the risk factor exponentially for two reasons:

      1. With the exception of my hiking boot and the gator covering my calf, the only protection between the entire rest of my leg and large amounts of cold snow was a thin layer of hiking pants (it was a warm day).  It was also breezy, so every time we tried to throw snow out of the hole, half of it would blow back in my face and cover me (adding to my wetness).  If I had been stuck out there long enough, frostbite could have become a real threat to the areas of my skin that were touching the snow.
      2. Hypothermia was the other concern.  Because it was warm and sunny, if I was able to stay above the snow, I stayed reasonably warm.  However, digging out meant getting covered in snow and getting wet.  It also meant leaning/sitting on cold snow at least somewhat.  If it had been 20 degrees–or more–colder, like it usually is when we venture out “shoeing”, the risk would have been even greater. I could have called for help, but that portion of the trail wasn’t heavily used (hence why we had to cut trail).  There were also a lot of snowmobilers in the area that day and their noise may have drowned out my cries.  

To conclude

So this brings us to my point.  Unless you are trekking a heavily used trail at a busy time, (and remember, even popular trails can be isolated at certain times of the day, the week, or the year) solo hiking (or solo-adventuring in any manner) is risky!  I know this position is strongly debated, I don’t care, I stand by my conviction.  Illness, injury, equipment breakdown, animal attack, losing your way, all these things can happen VERY quickly and easily.  Cell service is lost just as quickly, and GPS shouldn’t be trusted either.  All it takes is one, nasty rolled ankle, or a fall, to put you in a precarious situation that you can’t get out of on your own, or to leave you stuck somewhere you can’t call for help. 

Your furry friend is a great companion, but unless they can search for a cell signal, then dial 9-1-1, and THEN give a good explanation of your location—unlikely—they DON’T count as a trekking buddy. 😜 (A furry friend may have been able to help dig me out in this situation IF you could make them understand what was needed, and then IF you could get them to help correctly–maybe your dog is more well-behaved than ours). 😝  

This was one of those unique situations that don’t seem that bad on the surface.  I wasn’t injured, I wasn’t sick and we weren’t lost.  I just had my leg and foot trapped under a log and several feet of heavy, wet snow (as it was, we ended up “shoeing” around a good bit after Mr. Trekker “recovered” me.)  But in other conditions, or if I had been alone, this could have gone bad very quickly.  

I’m a firm believer in learning from the mistakes of others (or at least the situations others find themselves in).  So please, take my experience as a warning.  In my case, we avoided disaster.  But had I been alone, and had it been colder (or if I had been injured, God forbid), this could have very easily ended up as a rescue scenario and then only once I was able to raise help.

There was no cell service where I was, and I was stuck so I couldn’t crawl to where there was service.  I should also point out, we were less than a mile from a regularly-used road, so we weren’t really out in the wilderness–this wouldn’t have helped my situation either, had I been alone.  Likely no one on the road would have heard my cries for help (I was in a gully, they would have been driving by at 50 mph and their windows would have been closed).      

Obviously, I can’t force anyone to follow my advice.  There is no Adventure Police manning the trails ticketing people who venture into the wilderness alone.  But I think we can all logically acknowledge that it IS riskier to solo hike.  

Bad things can happen SO quickly and SO easily when we’re enjoying nature.  Even on fairly easy trails and/or on good-weather days.  A perfectly wonderful day can turn dangerous (or at least problematic) in an instant.  I’m not trying to be a killjoy, but I feel very strongly about this.  For that reason, I can never endorse someone adventuring alone, anywhere off the beaten path.

I know some people really enjoy going out alone, so you need to make the decision for yourself if it is worth the risk.  Also, sometimes, people don’t really have any acquaintances that enjoy these types of activities.  This problem is much easier to fix.  If you don’t have a trekking buddy, this is a great opportunity to make new friends!  Look for groups online or join a meetup group (or start one yourself!)  

So my final word on the subject is this:  I implore you, please, think twice before going on a solo hike!  

And also, sometimes, superheroes wear snowshoes! 😉😘😍

 

What are your thoughts about the risks of solo hiking?  Tell me in the comments!

 

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Rear view of a person walking along on a hiking trail, in a grassy area, between some trees. Pin reads, "Solo hiking is risky. Click for my reasoning for this contentious opinion."

 

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Low-carb Lent

In this post, I detail my experience trying out a low-carb diet that was part of my Lenten Fast in 2019!

 

In 2019, the Trekkers attempted to go low-carb.  That culminated in a full-scale, low-carb, Lenten Fast for me.  I didn’t get the result I had expected but it was an interesting experience…

I used to just give up sweets for Lent.  However, as the Trekkers have been slowly working to decrease our sugar intake over the last several years**, giving up sweets hasn’t been as difficult in recent years as it was in the past.  Going low-carb made this more challenging as I not only gave up sweets, but I also gave up things like blueberry muffins and cereal.  These types of foods had been my go-to “treats” in past Fasts when I couldn’t have the cookies, candy, or ice cream that I was really craving.

**Going Low-carb

Mr. Trekker and I had been slowly edging towards a low-carb life the last several years, so I didn’t exactly go “cold-turkey” in my quest to lessen my carb intake.  As an example, we traded out our usual Cheerios for fruit smoothies in the morning. (On REALLY cold mornings, I’ll still sometimes make oatmeal, but the stuff you actually have to cook, not the instant kind.)  

For lunch, we also traded out lunchmeat sandwiches or leftovers from the crockpot for salads with a meat-based protein or chicken/veggies/whole-grain rice and quinoa dishes. Several years ago we started switching out ground beef for ground turkey and I began buying nothing in the oil department other than olive oil (and using that for almost ALL recipes, even if they call for butter or another fat).  I only really use butter for baking purposes. (And yes, ALWAYS real butter.  I never touch the margarine/hardly-any-different-than-plastic stuff. 😝) 

Mr. Trekker also traded cookies and crackers/chips, in his lunch, for nuts and granola bars.  We also tried to eat fewer desserts overall–though that one is still a struggle (especially now that Momma Trekker lives close by and provides us with frequent, delectable desserts! 😳😉)  Just by doing these things, however, Mr. Trekker lost more than 20 pounds! 😳  I haven’t seen quite as good of results, but I think I had slightly better practices to begin with (I eat fewer cookies 😉).  I also haven’t been as dedicated to giving up the “naughty” foods.

Related posts:  Easter Ends the Lenten Fast!; My Lenten Fast; More Yummy Low-Carb Foods; Yummy Low Carb Foods; Yummy Keto-friendly recipes!; Final Thoughts on Low-Carb Lent; A Sustainable Low-carb Lifestyle; Wired to Eat (A Book Review)

Low-carb Lent 2019

In past years, I have craved carb-heavy snacks when I gave up sweets.  This makes sense as my body was seeking alternative sources to acquire the “sugar fix”.  Going low-carb required me to adjust my notions of “snacking”.  There was no more grabbing a bag of Doritos or pretzels at the gas station.  During “Low-Carb Lent” it was all carrot sticks, other raw veggies, granola bars, and trail mix for me! (I did allow myself a bit of dip to go along with the veggies, and yes, I realize granola bars have carbs in them.  *sigh*  I had to allow myself SOME enjoyment, right? 😝) 

The one exception to the “no sweets” rule that I allowed myself was dark chocolate.  This was because dark chocolate is the one, true “dessert” that is allowed by the Paleo diet.  You are supposed to eat the darkest type you can stand, preferably 90% cacao or higher. However, neither my IBS, nor my palate, allows me to go that high, so I stuck with around 70%.  Fortunately, my IBS doesn’t allow me to eat much of this food at any given time either, so those “treats” were minimal.  

Another exception I allowed myself was soda.  I love soda, L-O-V-E, LOVE it!  I could drink it all day, EVERY day (and we’re talking full-sugar here, that diet stuff tastes like crap and the fake sugar is bad for you, it also triggers my IBS.) 😝  Obviously, this is not the healthiest of choices.  Fortunately, my stomach doesn’t tolerate high amounts of soda intake, so I try to show a little restraint.  I usually allow the occasional soda as a “cheat” during Lent, and I did so during my low-carb Fast, as well. (Yes, I am aware there are carbs in soda.  Actually, it’s chock full of sugar, let’s just be honest.)  But it isn’t made from grains, and it isn’t a sweet dessert, and those are the main things I was focusing on that year. (As I said before, a girl’s got to have a little fun SOMEWHERE. 😉)  

I suck at dieting 😝

As you may be able to tell, I’m pretty bad at this.  I HATE counting calories, carbs, whatever, so I pretty much refuse to do it.  I’ll read the occasional label, but, basically, with this Fast, I was just trying to live a reasonably, low-carb lifestyle.  I couldn’t bring myself to count how many carbs were in the raspberry vinegarette dressing I put on the spinach-and-kale salad I ate for lunch, or how many were in the fruit smoothie I made every morning.  I can’t contemplate how it can be bad to eat things like this, even if there is a bit of natural sugar in them (assuming you aren’t diabetic).  Especially if I’m using these recipes to replace more carb-heavy meals.

Neither of the Trekkers is gluten intolerant, has been diagnosed as diabetic, or as having an autoimmune disease at this point in life (for which we are very thankful).  If that were to occur though, that would alter the zealousness with which I pursued this type of diet.  The author of the book Wired to Eat, which I discussed in a previous post, is gluten intolerant.  He literally gets sick if he eats too much gluten.  So he has far more invested in this type of alternative lifestyle choice.

Basically, I SUCK at dieting, and I’m too lazy and unmotivated to reasonably see this changing much in the future. Even with the Paleo diet, you are allowed a modicum of carb intake, so I allowed some exceptions (such as low-carb noodles or whole-grain pancakes, also whole-grain oatmeal on really cold, snowy days).  I also didn’t seem to have the dedication required to give up potatoes. 😝 

I allowed these exceptions partially because I could have SOME carbs and because it gets REALLY inconvenient not to eat any.  My hope was that if this diet really did work, I would still see some positive results.  They may not have been as good as if I was actually following the plan perfectly, but they should’ve still been present. (And if I saw results without following the diet perfectly,  this would prove that it works, at least somewhat.)

Fasting:

I also implemented fasting–on a VERY minor basis.  Basically, during the week, I would fast around 12 hours per day.  My understanding is that this is the absolute bare minimum that you can fast and still call it Fasting. 😝  But, it still counts in my book. 😉  We usually eat breakfast around 7:30 – 8:00 in the morning.  It’s rare that we aren’t done with dinner by 7 at night, so the goal was that by 7:30 each night, I wouldn’t be eating anything else until the following morning.** 

**Fasting at night is easy, I’m asleep! 😉  I find, sometimes, I’ll start feeling hungry about the time I go to bed.  That’s easy enough to ignore, though.  Even on those occasions, I rarely wake up with my stomach growling, seven or so hours later.  I also usually find I can wait an hour or two from wake-up before actually ingesting breakfast.  

Realistically, I should be fasting for at least 13 – 15 hours per day, but with our daily schedule that starts to get into the wholly inconvenient arena.  That would be the point where I make smoothies for breakfast for us…and then mine sits in the fridge for several hours before I actually drink it?  Or I end up needing to eat dinner before Mr. Trekker usually even gets home from work at night?  I just…can’t.  

Perhaps I’m lazy, or just lack discipline, but I’m seeking out real solutions and lifestyle changes that I can maintain long-term. Anything extreme just isn’t practical for me and I know it won’t last.  I am aware this may mean I don’t see the full extent of the results possible on these types of diets, but I’m ok with that.  

To Conclude

So, this was my adventure into the low-carb realm.  Check out the articles linked above for new recipes I tried out.  You can also read the final conclusions I came to regarding how my body performed on a low-carb diet here. (Another Spoiler Alert:  I HATED it!  I was hungry ALL THE TIME, it made me irritable, and I did NOT feel “great” on it! 😝) 

Have you tried going low-carb?  Tell me about it in the comments!

 

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A picture of a plate with a pork chop, asparagus and roasted, sweet potatoes. Pin reads, "My Low-Carb Lenten Fast"

 

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Yummy Low-Carb Foods

In this post, I review some more yummy, low-carb recipes, stuffed peppers, and spaghetti squash.

 

Several years ago I attempted a lower-carb lifestyle during my Lenten Fast.  Below are some of the recipes I tried, including stuffed peppers, roasted brussle sprouts and spaghetti squash! 

Fun low-carb meal ideas!

Stuffed Peppers:

These are AMAZING! (And this is coming from someone who doesn’t even like peppers.)  Most people make them with green peppers (I think?) but I chose to go with red, orange, and yellow because–as I mentioned before–I don’t like peppers. 😝  I hoped these would taste sweeter and possibly have a lighter flavor (and they did!)  There are numerous recipes for this, some are for enchilada, some for Philly-cheese varieties.  I kind of made up my own concoction.  

I combined ground turkey with dried onions and garlic salt and then added diced tomatoes (the kind with peppers, onions, and celery mixed in).  I cooked all that together, then stuffed them in the peppers that I cut in half and de-seeded.  I added a little cheese on top and cooked them for about an hour. (You don’t have to cook them a full hour, it kind of depends on how tender you want your peppers to be.  I like them super tender–bordering on soft–so I cook them longer.)

To finish, I added another layer of cheese and baked them a few more minutes to finish them off.  (I know, this isn’t exactly paleo-friendly, with the cheese, but it is keto-friendly.  Going low-carb is one thing, going low-dairy is something else entirely–a girl has to have some fun in life! 😉)  Also, I actually found this dish was better the second day after the spices had time to meld together.  

Bottom line, I HIGHLY recommend this one!

Baking container on a stove, with peppers cut in half, stuffed with a meat/veggie mixure and sprinkled with cheese
Before baking
Baking container on a stove, with peppers cut in half, stuffed with a meat/veggie mixure with melted cheese over the top
Ready to eat!
Spaghetti Squash: 

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this.  The texture is a little different (crunchier) than real pasta, it IS a veggie, after all. 😝  The taste is very mellow as it mostly takes on the flavor of whatever spices or sauces you are using.  I’ve heard you can use butternut squash as well, but I haven’t been brave enough to try that one.  I like butternut squash, I just worry it’ll be too strong a flavor for “pasta”.  I also don’t want to ruin my love of it. 😳

This dish is pretty easy to make once you get the squash cut in half.  Just baste it with olive oil, add some garlic, salt, and pepper (or whatever spices/sauces you want), and bake, face-down, for at least 30 minutes, or till desired tenderness. (You should be able to stick a fork clean through the squash, easily.  I found 45 minutes seems to work fairly well.)  

After baking, you shred the squash–careful, it’s hot!–with a fork.  This should be VERY easy,  It kind of just strings off, all the way down to the rind.  Then I add some sauce and cook it up.  I use red sauce, but you could try a thinner, Italian sauce, Balsamic vinegar, an alfredo sauce, or just some more spices.  Play with it and find what you like best! 

A word of “warning”, these smell like cheese pizza (or at least cheesy breadsticks) while you’re cooking them.  Just be prepared for the cooking of this dish to cause lusting for “not-so-low-carb” foods.  😝

The recipe I used for this dish can be found here.

Baking sheet on a stove with yellow squash cut in half and sprinkled with black pepper
Pre-baking
Baking sheet on a stove with browned, yellow squash cut in half and sprinkled with black pepper
Post-baking
Shredded yellow squash in a pan on a stove
Post-shredding
Shredded, red-colored squash on a plate
Final product
Roasted or Glazed Sweet Potatoes
Roasted Sweet Potatoes

This one we REALLY enjoyed.  It’s a bit of a unique twist on this typical dish, as you don’t use any sweet spices.  Instead, I used garlic salt and pepper (the recipe calls for garlic, salt, and pepper). 😉  I wasn’t sure how it would taste with the combination of the sweetness of the potato and the spice of the spices, but we REALLY liked it.

The mild, sugary flavor of the potato blends perfectly with the spicy and salty kick of the other seasonings (it reminds me of the combination of a salty pretzel dipped in sweet chocolate).  Baked this way, with the peel left on, the peel crisps up and adds a surprising, candied crunch.  This also adds a pleasing, sweet flavor to the dish.  Mr. Trekker wasn’t too sure about this tuber, as he hasn’t liked it in the past, but he stated he’d happily eat this dish again!  Here’s the recipe I used!

Sweet potatoes cut up on a baking pan

Glazed Sweet Potatoes

I also tried sweet potatoes with a cinnamon-sugar glaze.  The glaze was DEVINE on the potatoes; however, with all the brown sugar it required I don’t think it would qualify as low-carb. 😔

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

For this dish, I used basically the same recipe as the one I used with the sweet potatoes.  Mr. Trekker really liked them, I thought they were ok.  I was pleasantly surprised by their mild smell and flavor (I’m not a huge cabbage fan).  They had a subtly-sweet aftertaste and the tender, crunchy texture was pleasing.  They were a bit “green-veggie”-tasting for me (my palate really struggles with green vegetables).  I enjoyed them better mixed with another flavor and texture, such as potatoes or gravy.

Browned brussel sprouts, cut up, in a bowl

Zucchini spaghetti

This one was GROSS!  It was mushy and tasted too “green” (although I’ve liked zucchini in the past, prepared on the grill).  I ended up eating Cheerios for dinner that night. 😝  I’m not even going to show you a picture of this mushy nastiness, just YUCK!

To be fair, I’ve heard from friends that the problem may be that I used frozen zucchini…well, I bought it at Walmart and that’s how it came! 😝  Apparently, if you use it fresh it keeps its texture better but, you still have to deal with all the residual, natural liquid from the vegetable.  I think I’m just gonna take their word on that one. 😝

Related posts: Yummy Low-Carb Foods; Yummy Keto-friendly recipes!; Final Thoughts on Low-Carb Lent; A Sustainable Low-carb Lifestyle

To Conclude

One takeaway I’ve had from these “foodie” experiments is that I’m glad we’ve found at least a couple of recipes that we both really enjoy (namely the sweet potatoes and the stuffed peppers).  I would rate both of these dishes as “comfort food”.  It’s nice to find recipes that are healthy that you also derive a lot of enjoyment from.  

One slight annoyance with many of these dishes is the cooking time. Several of them take 30 minutes to 1 hour to cook.  However, they’re SUPER easy to make.  Many of them only have prep times of around 15 minutes (not including the baking times).  The nice thing is, though they take a while to bake, you’re free to get other stuff done while that’s happening (dishes, laundry, pack the kids’ lunch for tomorrow, read a book, write a blog post, 😉 whatever!) 😃

 

Have you tried any of these recipes?  What did you think?  Tell me about it in the comments!

Did you enjoy this post?  Pin it!

4 pictures: 1) Baking container on a stove, with peppers cut in half, stuffed with a meat/veggie mixure with melted cheese over the top; 2) Baking sheet on a stove with yellow squash cut in half and sprinkled with black pepper; 3) Shredded yellow squash in a pan on a stove; 4) Shredded, red-colored squash on a plate. Pin reads, "More Yunmy Low-carb Foods"

 

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Humans Aren’t at the Top of the Food Chain

In this post, I discuss the humbling status of where humans rank on the food chain when we venture out into the Wilds.

 

The Trekkers had a unique experience when snowshoeing one early, spring day.  It was a humbling reminder that when we venture out into the Wilds, humans are NOT at the top of the food chain!

We were snowshoeing on the Deerfield Trail, just off the Mickelson Trail, in the central Black Hills of western South Dakota.  We were trudging down a forest road, just tromping along.  It was a lovely day!  The sun was shining in a bright blue sky, the birds were tweeting, we were happily enjoying our own, peaceful, little slice of paradise.  That all changed when we wandered around a bend in the road and came upon a deer…that had seen better days (or, at least, what was left of it). 😳  This was easily the most gruesome, mountain lion kill scene we’ve ever come across.   

I’ll spare you the grisly details, except to say it was a bit unnerving to see blood spatters scattered along a long span of the road.  It raises the hairs on the back of your neck a bit when you come upon this type of scene.  Our senses were immediately heightened to the possibility that we may not be alone out there, especially as mountain lions are known to guard their kills. (We never saw or heard any sign of the predator, fortunately.)  

There wasn’t much remaining of the deer other than the head and spinal column. While some birds were still snacking on the remnants, we assumed any larger predators had already had their fill and wouldn’t be returning, though we opted not to stick around to find out. 😝 

We assumed it was a mountain lion kill, as there weren’t many tracks to be found in the snow.  It appeared there may have been a coyote or two that had come by.  We surmised this due to tracks, and because big cats usually cache their kills.  However, in this case, lengthy drag marks had been left in the snow and the kill had been scattered over a wide area.  We didn’t see any obvious evidence of a coyote pack so it may have been a loner.  These critters have been known to scavenge and even try to steal kills from mountain lions (they are a lot braver–stupider?–than I am! 😝) 

I didn’t take any pictures, for obvious reasons.  I try to avoid putting anything too grisly on this blog, and it felt a bit disrespectful to the dead.  In a bit of an odd contrast, there was one interesting sight–amongst the gore–you could see marks left in the snow from where the wings of flying scavengers had whisked across it as they landed.  It felt odd to see something so beautiful in a scene so full of death.  

Humbled by Mortality

It’s humbling to view a sight like that.  This isn’t the first kill site we’ve ventured upon while traversing the Wilds, and I’m sure it won’t be our last.  Though it was one of the more bloody sites we’ve encountered, I have found my anxiety surrounding these situations continues to abate with repeated exposure.  We’re always careful to watch and listen for critters, and we don’t hang around these macabre scenes long.  

It seems brutal, but it’s a perfectly natural act.  The mountain lion gets hungry (and if it was a female, she may have either been pregnant and near birth, or may have been caring for newly born young in a den). 

The predators also provide a necessary check on the local deer population.  Without them, the number of deer would quickly grow out of control, to the point that the natural resources of the local area would be depleted and wouldn’t be able to sustain their large population.  This eventually leads to famine and starvation within the species (and possibly that of other animals living in the local area).  

So, this is, obviously, a necessary service.  I am reminded of when I was a child, and my family would watch the show “Nature”, every Sunday night on the local PBS station.  A favorite saying of one of the narrators was, “where there is something to eat, there will be something to eat it.” 😮

Nature Shows no Mercy

This situation offers a stark reality check and a reminder that nature isn’t kind.  It isn’t always pretty and it certainly isn’t always gentle.  It favors the strong at the expense of the weak.  Nature isn’t “fair” and it isn’t “compassionate”, it’s all about survival of the fittest.  We must remember this when we venture out into the wilderness, especially because this policy applies to us as well!

We must always respect Mother Nature when we set out to commune with Her.  We can never turn our back on Her because, when we embark on a wild adventure…we become part of the food chain…and we aren’t necessarily on top! 😳

How to Protect Yourself in the Wilderness

There are various methods you can use to protect yourself when out in the wild, some are more useful than others: 

Recreating alone is risky:  One of the biggest and easiest things to remember is that it is very risky to recreate solo.  This isn’t always a popular opinion, but I stand behind it 100%.  Not everyone has human companions to adventure with (consider this motivation for locating some!) while others truly enjoy their solitude and prefer to head out alone (or just with a four-legged friend).  

The bottom line is though, being out in the wilderness alone puts you at FAR greater risk of both injury and animal attack.  Cell phone service is frequently spotty in these areas and all it takes is one wrong step to sustain an injury that will make it impossible for you to hike out.  If you don’t have good cell service where you’re located, that leaves you with no choice but to crawl to a place you can get it.  This could require hundreds of feet (at a minimum) of dragging yourself over unforgiving terrain.  Your four-legged friend can’t offer much assistance in this instance either (no opposable thumbs 😝).  

If you can avoid injury, it is still more likely that you could be at risk of wild animal attack when alone.  Your four-legged friend will be able to assist in this matter, as you’ll both make noise to warn away any wild animals.  Your furry companion can also serve as a deterrent, though don’t allow them to antagonize a wild animal.  Moose, especially, hold no fear of dogs and will attack if they feel threatened.  

Any time you are present in a group (of at least two or more humans), you make more noise, that’s just physics.  Even if none of you speak, the sounds of your feet, or snowshoes, or skis (or paws) making their way through the environment, create quite the clamor. Humans are inadvertently loud, and we also stink of awful things like shampoo and soap. 😉  Animals know those smells and sounds aren’t “natural”, so they prefer to just avoid us if they know we’re around.  Venturing out in a group can really help with this.  

Firearms:  I will begin this portion of today’s lesson by admitting this is a controversial subject. 😝 (Anything said below is meant to be US-centric.  I can’t speak to any laws outside of the United States.)  

I’ve mentioned before that I lean Libertarian, so I fully support the 2nd Amendment and the responsible use of firearms.  This is a personal choice that we all must decide for ourselves.

HOWEVER–and I can’t stress this enough–“responsible use” means following ALL Federal, State, and local laws of the area where you are located (whether you agree with them or not).  Always remember that laws can vary greatly between states with lenient gun regulations (like South Dakota) and those with much stricter laws (such as California or Connecticut).  It is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to educate yourself on the laws of the local area.  Ignorance is NOT an excuse.  

It should also be noted that according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service:

“Persons encountering grizzlies and defending themselves with firearms suffer injury about 50% of the time.  During the same period, persons defending themselves with pepper spray escaped injury most of the time, and those that were injured experienced shorter duration attacks and less severe injuries.”  

And on that happy note…

Bear Spray:  I am a big believer in this, though again, it must be used responsibly.  Bear spray is pepper spray, on steroids.  People and pets can be severely injured with it, so please, treat it with the respect it deserves.  Though it’s legal in most states, some have strict laws regarding its use, and again, it’s your responsibility to educate yourself on these.  

The biggest thing to remember with bear spray is to ONLY SPRAY DOWNWIND! (This may seem obvious, but in an intense situation, this crucial detail could be easily forgotten.)  If you spray into the wind, all you’ll succeed in doing is making yourself an incapacitated, pepper-flavored snack. 😝 

It should also be noted that this is NOT a bear repellant.  It should NEVER be used unless you feel an attack is likely/imminent and then only as a deterrent.  Educate yourself on the use of this product BEFORE it is needed.  

Another point to note, “bear spray” can be used on any animal that is posing a threat, it doesn’t have to be a bear. One thing I like about this method is that it is intended to be non-lethal.  It will, likely, cause intense pain to the animal, but any damage should be temporary.   

We should not be flippant about the use of bear spray; however, if it is used successfully, while the animal will be uncomfortable for a time, the experience will serve as an important and unpleasant reminder that getting too close to humans results in pain. The goal being, in the future, the animal will do all it can to completely avoid a human, to begin with.  This negative reinforcement is a behavioral method for deterring the animal. (Ever burn your hand by touching a hot stove when you were a kid?  Did you touch the stove again?  The same principle applies here. 😝)

Mother Nature Deserves Respect

I don’t bring this situation up to scare people.  I LOVE spending time in the wild (and that includes in “Big Cat” and “Grizzly Country”).  It can be such a rewarding experience, I want to encourage everyone to try their hand at enjoying it.  I just want people to keep in mind that when they do venture out, you are leaving behind the safety and security of our dull, civilized lives.  This is a good thing!  However, it is something that needs to be kept in mind and respected.  Follow these guidelines and you’ll increase your likelihood of having a safe, enjoyable adventure.  

Humans may not rank at the top of the food chain when we set out into the uncivilized, natural world and nature may be all about “survival of the fittest”.  Fortunately, we were blessed with intelligent brains that make up for what we lack in brawn.

Have you had any hair-raising experiences with animals in the Wild?  Tell me about them in the comments! 

 

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Anxiety: The Devil Inside

In this post, I discuss two songs that I feel well explain my struggle with anxiety.

 

“Where words fail, music speaks.”  –Hans Christian Anderson

Music has long been known to stimulate the brain and emotions.  An entire field of therapy has evolved around this theory.  Anyone who has read this blog for a while knows that I struggle with anxiety and some depression.  I’ve mentioned previously how certain songs speak to me.  Today I am going to discuss two songs I’ve always found draw a perfect picture of what it feels like to live with these disorders. (This may apply to other mental health diagnoses as well, but these are the ones I have personal experience with and can speak to.)  The songs are “Monster” by Skillet and “Jekyll and Hyde”, by 5 Finger Death Punch…

“Monster” (by Skillet)

I love, love, LOVE this song!  It is, by far, one of my top 10 favorite songs.  It’s just so pertinent.  It’s one of those tunes you can’t help but get revved up by.  My understanding is, the band’s intent with this song was to use the “monster” as a metaphor for sin, or a person being fake and not showing their true selves to the world.

(For those who may not know, Skillet is a Christian rock band.  I can proudly say I liked them back in high school.  We don’t need to talk about how long ago THAT was, 😝 but let’s just say it was well before everyone else thought they were cool. 😉) 

Anxiety as an invisible demon

“The secret side of me, I never let you see
I keep it caged but I can’t control it…”

Every time I hear these lyrics I think of my struggle with anxiety. They refer to a monster (the diagnosis) that is caged (invisible).  This is especially relevant as many of us who struggle with mental health disorders are often quite adept at concealing them.  Sometimes, people suffer so silently they aren’t even aware they have a disorder at all, as they’ve never talked with a professional and been diagnosed.  They may think they’re “just a worrier” or that they’re just “different” from other people.  

It’s not uncommon for those who struggle with anxiety to actually be incredibly outgoing, driven, and as a result, quite successful.  This means outsiders may be surprised to hear of their internal struggle, as it isn’t obvious.  The thing about this monster is though, while I can keep it “hidden away” and subdued in its “cage”, I can’t control how it may scream or violently shake its enclosure (i.e. me 😝)…

“…the beast is ugly…”

The beast (the disorder) is nasty.  Dealing with it is exhausting and a constant chore…

“My secret side of me I keep hid under lock and key…”

“…Cause if I let him out he’ll tear me up, break me down…”

I worry that if I slip and allow “the monster” to show its ugly face, that it’ll get out of its cage and I’ll lose control of it–and as a result–lose control of myself.

“It’s hiding in the dark, its teeth are razor sharp
There’s no escape for me…”

“…No one can hear me scream…”

This speaks to the fact that “the monster” causes emotional pain.  It’s difficult to explain to others what it’s like dealing with a mental health diagnosis, so you feel like they can’t understand you.  It makes you feel isolated…due to this, people often suffer in silence.

Anxiety constantly plagues you

“It’s scratching on the walls, in the closet, in the halls
It comes awake and I can’t control it
Hiding under the bed, in my body, in my head…”

“…I feel it deep within, it’s just beneath the skin…”

Imagine the frustration of something continuously scratching on the walls around you, constantly picking at you.  You know it can’t physically hurt you, but you also know nothing you do can make it go away, either.  It accompanies you everywhere.  It’s your everpresent, unwanted companion.  

You feel it in your chest, it churns in your gut, it makes thoughts bounce around in your head.  It hides just under your skin, where no one else can see it, but you know it’s there.  You worry that it’s obvious to others though, oftentimes, it’s invisible…  

There is no magic pill for anxiety

“The nightmare’s just begun…”

To me, this phrase speaks to the fact that this disorder is something I’ll, likely, have to deal with for the rest of my life.  There’s no magic pill that will cure me tomorrow.  It’s something I have to accept and deal with.

“Jekyll and Hyde” (by Five Finger Death Punch)

This song, obviously, references the pop culture icon where two souls, one evil, one an upstanding doctor, share the same body.  

Anxiety is a constant anchor around your neck

“There’s just so much..weight on my shoulders
All I’m trying to do is live my…life
Supposed to be happy, but I’m only getting colder
Wear a smile on my face, but there’s a demon inside…”

just like Jekyll and Hyde…”

“…I feel like Jekyll and Hyde…”

This song also reflects the idea of a demon (the anxiety) living in you that you can’t quite control.  It constantly wears on you and drags you down.  You’re continuously dealing with this weight on your shoulders while putting on a brave face for the outside world.  It even speaks to the feeling of guilt that is often present for bothering other people with this struggle because you know that others are struggling far worse than you are.

“I just wanna be Jekyll, but I’m always fighting Hyde…”

“…Everyone I know, they’ve got a demon inside…”

This also alludes to the notion that everyone struggles with problems.  These could revolve around mental or physical health, finances, relationships, a job, or other outside circumstances beyond our control.  Everyone is dealing with something.

In both of these songs, I see “the demon”, “Hyde” or “the monster” as a metaphor for my anxiety symptoms.  They’re always there, waiting to rear their ugly head.  I can usually control them, but sometimes, it’s a struggle.

Battling the “Demons” of Mental Health Disorders

A “demon” or a “monster” is a good way for me to describe my personal experience of the sensation of dealing with mental health diagnoses. Whenever I try to imagine my anxiety in a physical sense, it’s always in the form of a black shadow, with large claws, reaching out to grab me.  Other times, I imagine a beast with its talons already embedded deep within my shoulder–like something out of one of Frank Peretti’s books from the ’80s. 😉  

The “demon” is something I can control.  I own it, not the other way around. However, what I can’t control is the fact that it is consistently present within me.  I may be able to keep it from “breaking out” into the larger world, but it’s still something I have to deal with.  

Are there “perks” to anxiety?

I don’t mean for this post to be a downer.  I actually find both of these songs to be energizing.  Who doesn’t enjoy some hardcore dance moves with a little headbanging thrown in for good measure? 😳😉  I’ve actually come to appreciate, to a degree, some of the insights into life that my anxiety has brought me.  The disorder allows you to better empathize with the hidden struggles others face because you’ve experienced difficulties, personally, as well.  

I also find my anxiety helps me to appreciate life more (in a sense).  When you’re constantly stressing that something may go wrong, it helps you to fully appreciate, even the small things, that turn out right!  The disorder also helps you keep in mind that regardless of how happy and “put together” someone may look on the outside, you have no idea what they may be dealing with privately.  NO ONE has a perfect life, or has it “easy”.  That’s a common bond we all share.  I am thankful that I have learned how to use this struggle as a tool, to deepen my lived experience.  

I don’t expect anyone to pity me for having to deal with this struggle.  This is just the one God (the Universe, Fate–or Whoever/Whatever-you-believe-moves-the-pieces-around-on-this-giant-chessboard-we-call life) dealt for me.  Everyone has challenges placed in their lives, this is mine.  I just hope this allows you a clearer understanding of what life is like when dealing with an invisible illness or unknown, difficult situation.  Maybe we can all use this knowledge to give each other a little break since we’re all dealing with something.

**Below are links to both songs.  For those who aren’t aware, Five Finger Death Punch has an affinity for explicit word use.  I love their music, but in the interest of keeping this blog’s PG rating, I left those words out of the lyrics.  This is a GREAT song though (and it’s got an awesome guitar riff near the end) so I encourage you to click here for the UNRATED, full version. 😁 (But if you’re offended by strong swear words, you’ve been warned. 😉)

You can view the video for “Monster” here. (Anyone who’s heard the song knows one of the best parts is the final chorus line when an electronic demon sound screams “I FEEL LIKE A MONSTER!!!”) 😉

Do you struggle with anxiety or another mental illness?  Is my experience similar to yours?  Tell me about it in the comments!

 

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Cross Country Skiing is Hard! Be Persistent!

This post is a glimpse into the ongoing process of the Tranquil Trekker learning to cross-country ski…

 

Most articles I’ve read about cross-country skiing call it the “easy” winter sport.  You never hear about people having terrible accidents on cross-country skis.  “It’s something even a beginner can do!” they say…these are LIES I tell you, filthy, dirty LIES! 😮😉

Cross-country skiing is HARD!!!

The Trekkers have been cross-country skiing for several years, though we usually only get out a few times each winter. (Life is busy!  We’ve also had such warm winters the last few years it’s hard to keep the snow around–at least snow that isn’t sticky or icy, that is powdery, and actually fun to ski in…have I mentioned how much I hate climate change? 😡) 

This could explain why I’ve struggled so much to grasp the techniques of the sport.  I read somewhere that you have to ski 10,000 kilometers to become skilled at cross-country skiing (it was a Canadian talking. 😝  For those of us living south of the border, that’s over 6000 miles!)  We’ve probably skied less than 100 miles so far, so we’ve got a little ways to go. 😅 

We’ve pretty much done all the stuff you’re supposed to do to learn to ski.  We’ve watched various videos on Youtube, we’ve talked to the “experts” at several sports shops and equipment rental places. (To be fair, we haven’t taken an actual class, I can’t quite bring myself to do that.  I don’t need five-year-olds skiing circles around me to humble my skiing ego.  The bruises and sore muscles I acquire every time we go out take care of that just fine, thank you…Also, comparing my skill to that of a five-year-old is probably insulting…to the five-year-old! 😝)  

An example of what frustrates me so much when all these experts make skiing sound so EASY… “The snowplow technique is an easy and effective way to stop yourself that even beginners can employ.” Will someone please tell me how I’m supposed to do this with six inches to a foot of snow on top of my ski?  Or at the very least, with a six-inch lip of packed, icy snow surrounding the lane my skis are in?!  They don’t tell you THAT in the videos! 😝  

The trainers also say things like, “if you fall, just get your skis under you and roll back up!”  Uh-huh, again, how do I do that when I can’t even see where my skis are under all that snow?  And when I can’t get any leverage, because every time I try to push myself up my arm sinks into the powder up to my shoulder?  Also, I have weak ankles that are “supinated”, meaning they tend to bend outward and I put most of my weight on the outer edge of my feet so I roll my ankles easily and frequently…this causes lots of problems. 😝 (I’m just saying, my lack of skill may not be ENTIRELY my fault, 90% my fault, tops. 😉) 

I think a lot of these “experts” and trainers are used to cross-country ski resorts, where the trails are groomed and the terrain is fairly flat.  They aren’t guiding people in the backcountry, through the secluded (albeit GORGEOUS) national forest, where hills can be steep, turns tight, and you may have to break your own trail.

A ski path traverses a meadow covered in snow and surrounded by trees, all under a clear, blue sky.

Cross-country skiing is easy! (NOT!)

This sport is, supposedly, easy to master.  People don’t usually even wear helmets when engaging in it.  They aren’t needed, you aren’t going that fast.  You hear people say, “if you can walk, you can ski.”  This may be true for some people, but, on a normal day, my feet don’t–usually–slide out from under me (each going an opposite direction) due to their waxed or fish-scaled bottoms. 😝  I do believe the saying is true regarding snowshoeing, I just think skiing takes a bit more finesse.  

Let’s just be blunt here, I pretty much suck at skiing.  Yes, that flailing spider monkey you see SLOWLY making their way down the hill, the one you pray doesn’t hit you…the one you wish would just get out of the way…or the one you just want to avoid entirely…yeah, that’d be me. 😇  I’m the one who, when on skis, falls over…WHILE STANDING STILL…on flat ground!…because I had the audacity to turn my head to look in another direction. 🙄

For those who aren’t familiar with the Eagle Cliff area where we usually ski, it has some groomed trails. (The area is run by volunteers so sometimes you have to be patient for them to finish with the grooming and plowing at the trailheads.)  

To be clear though, it isn’t unusual for us to have to break trail when we go skiing.  Or, if we don’t have to actually cut a trail, oftentimes there is just a two-track ski path available to follow that was recently cut by someone else.  If it was only just created, it may not be packed much yet.  Due to this, we may not have the struggle of breaking through six inches (or more) of fresh powder, but we can still sink with every glide we make as the process of packing the trail is still occurring (it almost feels like walking in sand).  I only stress this to make people aware, we often aren’t dealing with perfectly groomed ski trails here.

Cross-country skiing IS fun! (No really!)

Regardless of the frequent humiliation, when I am able to remain vertical, I really enjoy skiing.  I like the exercise.  I like the way I can glide along, almost soundlessly, through the beauty of the snow-shrouded forest, with just the *wisp-wisp* of the skis slipping through the powdery snow as an accompaniment.   I LOVE seeing the adorable, little, rodent paths crisscrossing the snow as they make their way from snowbank…to fallen log…to tree…

I do feel bad, though, for the rodent whose path suddenly ends in the middle of a large area of wing-swept snow, where it’s obvious that something both much bigger than himself (and with talons) scooped him from his daily business, never to be seen or heard from again. 😳  At least it was a good day for the bird, I guess. 🤭  

I enjoy watching the deer spring effortlessly through the snowpack at our approach.  I always find it fascinating, “reading” the stories the forest “tells”.  In the Black Hills, this often includes the large, padded tracks left in the snow by a giant feline’s paws.  You can picture it stalking the unsuspecting deer herd in the meadow below, from its vantage point on a ledge high above.

Foot prints traverse a meadow covered in snow and surrounded by trees.Learning to cross-country ski

After several years of trying, I have finally learned to use my knees while skiing! (This technique may seem like a no-brainer, but it was a HUGE game-changer for me, so bear with me. 😉)  

I’ve always known a bent-knee stance should help with control, flexibility, and looseness.  Apparently, I’ve just never bent my knees enough. (It’s amazing how well things work when you do them correctly. 😝)  All of a sudden I felt like I hit this sweet spot.  I could finally use the angle of my knees and the weight of my body to turn (a little!)  I could finally attempt the “snowplow” maneuver used for stopping (slightly!)  But, for the first time, I actually felt like I had a little control (“little” being the crucial word). 

I also found, the lower I kept my center of gravity, the easier it was to keel over into a fall if I felt like I was losing control.  I FINALLY conquered my fear of plastering myself into the nearest tree!  Now, if I feel like I’m heading towards a tree and can’t seem to turn the skis from their stubborn track, I can lean to my side and slide to a safe stop–with legs that flail a bit less.  Getting rid of the fear changes everything! (Remember I have anxiety! 😉)  

I recently learned a new trick…plant your heels! This helps when trying to “snowplow” to stop and can help with steering too!

The best method when cross-country skiing actually reminds me of the best method when mountain biking…stay loose!  When you’re fearful or worried, you’re tense; you’re tight; your body can’t flow with the normal rises and falls of the surface you are gliding over.  And if you do fall or hit a bump badly, you’re more likely to injure yourself due to your, already tight, muscles.  So, this newfound ease of mine is a game-changer!   

I also need to learn that I’m not really moving all that quickly.  It just “feels” like I’m careening down the hill at unimaginable speeds.  In the real world, I’m actually just coasting along. 😝

Be persistent when learning a new skill

For me, this has been one of the most frustrating activities we have attempted, but I FINALLY feel like I’m starting to make some progress!  I think there’s a take-home lesson in this.  That is, never give up.  If there is something you enjoy doing, something you have your heart set on, something you want to accomplish, keep working at it, and keep persevering.  You may fail MANY times, but each time is another opportunity to learn a new technique that you can implement on your next attempt.  Each time you try, you get a little better, a little stronger, a little faster.  

Footprints in the snow run through a "tunnel" of leafless trees, all under a clear, blue sky.

I read that the word “F.A.I.L.” can be a positive acronym for:
First
Action
In
Learning 

I like that, it’s empowering.  It helps us to recognize that sometimes failing to do something the first few times–or the first few hundred times–we try it doesn’t have to be a negative experience.  It pushes us beyond the boundaries of our comfort zone.  We can use it to make ourselves better.  Oftentimes, I find failing at something, and thereby having to work hard and be resourceful to achieve it, actually benefits me more in the end than if I had just, easily, succeeded on the first try.  Those difficult experiences are how we learn!

 Regarding skiing, I just have A LOT of learning to do!  😉

What experiences do you have with cross-country skiing?  Tell me about them in the comments!

 

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Increasing Daylight as Winter Wains

As we near the end of the cold season, I discuss our ever-lengthening daylight and the subsequent reduction of my SAD symptoms.

 

This week will see another of my favorite days of the year…the first day of the new year that the sun will stay up till 5 pm at our house!  The daylight is screaming back now! 😎 (The Black Hills sit between the Trekkers’ house and the western horizon, so we have to wait a little further into the year for this to actually happen.)

Improved SAD symptoms

I’ve mentioned previously that I struggle with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) in the winter months.  The past few years, my SAD symptoms haven’t been quite as severe as I’ve experienced in the past.  This could be due to several factors:

–We’ve had fairly warm, mild, and sunny winters…

–We’ve learned to leave just a few Christmas lights up inside the house all winter, and we got a gas, fire insert installed. The warm light from these do wonders to improve my mood…

–Due to some other medical stuff I’ve got going on, about a year-and-a-half ago I started a regimen of 10,000 IUs/day of Vitamin D3.  To be clear…that’s A LOT!  But it’s done more to help minimize my symptoms of depression in the winter than anything else I’ve ever tried…

People talk about taking anti-anxiety medication or low-dose antidepressants and how these meds are miracles that literally seem to change the way they think or view a situation….well, I’m happy if that works for you but I’ve never experienced it.  Not until I upped my dosage of Vitamin D.  That truly has been a life-changer for me!

–Working from home makes it easier.  I think the biggest advantage of working from home is that it allows me the opportunity to see daylight so regularly.  Whether it’s sitting inside with the sun streaming in the windows; watching the snowflakes float down on a cold day; or sitting outside on the back patio as the sun bathes me on a warm day; I’m at least able to experience it now.  This seems to make all the difference to help ease the symptoms of anxiety and winter depression that I have experienced in the past, and for that, I am incredibly grateful…

Desert scrubbrush and brown grass run to a silhouette of the mountain in the background. An orange sunset creates a backdrop, all under a clear, blue sky marked by jet contrails.

More daylight improves mood!

It’s amazing to me how just knowing the days are getting longer raises my spirits.  While we have gained almost an hour of daylight in the last 6 weeks since the Winter Solstice, it is still mostly dark by 5:30 at night.  There is something about the fact, though, that when I’m standing in the kitchen, preparing dinner, instead of there being complete blackness outside the window, there is–at least a small hint–of light.  That really improves my outlook on things!  

I still feel the suffocating frustration at how little daylight we have, but since I KNOW it’s going to continue staying lighter, longer, each and every day, and I KNOW that the beginning of spring is now only a few weeks away, this irritation slackens.  It also helps that I know our daylight will continue lengthening for the next 6 months!  That’s enough to ease the ache considerably!  

As our long, dark days wane, I hope anyone else who wrestles with this exasperating condition is finding their struggle is easing, as well.  As our sun comes back and our daylight continues to increase in both duration and frequency, let’s all take a lesson from the Beatles, and get out there and make it a good day, sunshine! 😎

Are you enjoying our longer days?  Tell me your thoughts in the comments!

 

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Conquer Lengthy Trails in Small Portions

In this post, I discuss how to build your self-confidence by “connecting the dots” and finishing portions of trails you haven’t conquered in the past.

 

Today I’m going to discuss the incredible feeling of accomplishment that comes from completing a lengthy trail in small, manageable portions, regardless of how many tries, trips, or years it takes to achieve that goal. 😁  Below I outline several different trails we’ve done sections of in the past and have finally “connected-the-dots” on.

Willow Creek/Rushmore Trail (Trail #5)

View through the woods of pine trees and tree-covered mountains in the background

 We completed the Willow Creek/Rushmore trail (Trail #5,) all the way to where it meets up with the Harney Trail {Trail #9, the hard way up Black Elk (formerly Harney) Peak}.  

This is really just a connector trail and not that big of a deal (though it’s a nice trek with lovely views).  It’s just such an accomplishment when you complete these various routes.  

The Willow Creek/Rushmore Trail was one I’ve been wanting to do for years.  Every time we’ve hiked the difficult Harney Trail (Trail #9), we’ve always used the Willow Creek turn-off as a bit of a landmark to watch for.  So, to finally connect the two was such a delight! 

This accomplishment was especially exhilarating as it was already getting snowy up that way and some of the knee-deep snow was a challenge to hike through–we hadn’t taken snowshoes that day as the lower elevations didn’t have any snow and we didn’t know how much we’d be encountering.

Eagle Cliff Trails in the Black Hills

After numerous tries throughout multiple seasons, we finally completed several sections of various trails in the Eagle Cliff area. 

We’ve enjoyed parts of these trails in previous years–sometimes skiing, sometimes snowshoeing, sometimes mountain biking–but we’ve never fully connected them all.  In the past, we failed to complete the entire loop as we’ve always turned around due to being tired, being cold, or losing the trail.**

This time, however, we started with the Hamburger Snowshoe Route (who comes up with these names?! 😝); took that to Lily Park Trailhead; then continued on to the Holey Rock Trail.  We then looped back to the Bratwurst Ski Trail and brought that all the way back to our starting point–not to worry, we stayed off the ski trails. 😇 (Another group had, kindly, already blazed a snowshoe trail alongside the main road that we were able to follow. 😁)

**As much as we love the Eagle Cliff area, we’ve frequently lost our trail up there.  This has occurred both in the summer and the winter months and has actually been worse in the summer (the tall grasses don’t do much to suggest a trail.  At least in the winter, there are, oftentimes, other tracks to follow!)  Fortunately, we’ve never gotten lost to the point of being in trouble, we were always able to retrace our steps and find our way back.  Sometimes too, we’ve been able to spot the valley we were seeking from a ways off and reach it via off-trail routes.  

I do believe some of this was due to poor signage, the old maps were difficult to read and often sun-faded, or they were an inaccurate match with the current trails that year.  The new ones seem far more clear.  The trail blazes on the trees also seem to be closer together and better-marked now.  It could also be that we’re finally getting comfortable with the area as we’ve completed so many of the trails.  

Related posts:  Cross-Country Skiing at Big Hill, Spearfish, SD; Winter Activities at Eagle Cliff

To Conclude

The point to discussing all this is that, if there is a difficult or lengthy trail (or set of trails) you’re interested in, but they seem too challenging or long for you to accomplish in one sitting, complete them in sections!  It still counts as mastering the entire monster, even if you don’t do it all in one try!
Start from one end and try to make it halfway.  Then, on another occasion, start from the other end and make it halfway again.  You just finished the entire thing, even if you only ever did half a section at a time!  

I have a few other, personal examples of this in relation to local trails.  The Trekkers are aiming to hike the entire, 111-mile-long, Centennial Trail that traverses the length of the Black Hills.  We also want to bike the entirety of the Mikelson Trail, the 109-mile-long, graded, gravel path that spans the Hills, from north to south.  It follows an old railroad grade, leftover from the Gold Rush days of yesteryear.   It’s taken us more than a decade, but so far we’ve completed over half of the Centennial Trail and almost the same amount for the Mikelson.  

With routes that are quite lengthy, numerous trailheads often split them up into more manageable sections.  Completing one several-mile section every few months is far simpler than attempting an entire 25-mile trail all at once.  

We’ve even split up single sections before.  There is a 14-mile portion of the Mikelson trail that we’ve just never been able to finish all at once.  We HAVE completed it using the “halfway method” mentioned above, starting from each direction, though.  

This technique is also a good way to keep your spirits and enthusiasm up.  It’s much easier to stay motivated if you’re not trying to psych yourself up for a crazy excursion, but instead, a fun, shorter, one-day outing.  

With this post, I want to stress that you don’t have to be a marathon recreator.  It’s perfectly reasonable to be more of a “sprinter”, who feels a five-mile outing is a perfectly acceptable definition of a “full day”.  When you’re out on the trail you aren’t competing with anyone or anything else (with the exception of Mother Nature, of course).  Your only rival is yourself. So, don’t compare yourself to others.  The only thing that matters is that you’re improving your skills, your strength, and your health–both mental and physical–along with it.  

The other caveat is, of course, that you’re having fun!  As long as you’re getting out, connecting with the natural world, working off the steam of any built-up, negative energy, and you’re accomplishing the goals you have set for yourself, that’s the only thing that’s really important.  

You’ll find achieving goals is also quite the confidence booster, as you’re pushing yourself and meeting challenges. (If you are the marathoner-type person who can go out and accomplish 20 miles in one sitting, mad points to you too! 😉)

So, what are you waiting for?  Get out there and accomplish some goals and in the process, boost your confidence by finishing​ what you start!   

Have you conquered lengthy trails in small sections?  Tell me about it in the comments!

 

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Hiking the Robber’s Roost Trail, Custer State Park

In this post, I review two adventures where we learned the value in seeking out the “boring” locales, even on “less-than-ideal” days.

 

Author’s Note: The Trekkers originally hiked the Robber’s Roost Trail in Custer State Park on a foggy, mild, January day.  Many of the pictures below are from that trip.  We have since returned in warmer weather and found it to be equally enjoyable so I’ve added a few more pictures! 

Is it cold out, or windy, or really hot, or raining…then it’s not a good day to spend outside, right?…or is it?

The Robber’s Roost Trail, in Custer State Park, can be enjoyed in almost ANY weather!

One thing anyone who lives near mountainous terrain can tell you is the weather can change at a moment’s notice–which can be both good and bad–and it can vary greatly between nearby locations.  The Trekkers have experienced this frequently. 

One particular January day our local area was socked in with heavy, freezing fog.  It was a damp, 30ish-degrees so it wasn’t exactly ideal for being out (though the hoarfrost on the trees was beautiful!)  

Previous experience has shown us how variable our local weather can be, dependent on terrain.  Due to this, we knew the weather in the Black Hills could be far different than what we were currently experiencing in town (being married to a meteorologist who can look up conditions in certain areas helps too 😉).  So, we decided to try out the Robber’s Roost Trail in Custer State Park.  We knew, at the worst, we would be able to enjoy a pretty drive and could get some nice hiking in, while at the best the weather could be FAR different as we climbed in elevation.  Boy, was it!

A Foggy Drive through Custer State Park

As we headed for the park, Mr. Trekker made the prediction that we’d emerge from the fog shortly after passing the entrance sign (where the road begins to gain in elevation)…he was right on the money! (I’m gonna channel Johnny Depp from Pirates of the Caribbean and state, “There’ll be no living with him now.” 😝)  

As we headed toward our trailhead, we made several stops for photo opportunities of the gorgeous hoarfrost the freezing fog had left behind.  I can’t quite explain why, but that natural occurrence utterly fascinates me.  The way the frozen crystals cling to the local flora can cause a smooth piece of bark to look almost furry.  It reminds me of the tiny hairs on a spider’s legs.  

Close-up view of bare tree branches that are covered in frosty needles of ice
Isn’t this incredible?

Close-up view of a dirt path that runs through a brown-grass meadow with frost covering the individual grass stems. Pine trees appear through fog in the background.

Close-up view of tiny pine trees in a brown-grass meadow with frost covering the individual grass stems. Pine trees appear through fog in the background.

Hiking the Robber’s Roost Trail

When we arrived at our trailhead, the sun was shining brightly, and continued to do so…for the remainder of the afternoon!  We had many opportunities to view the fog bank below us, in the lower elevations, but it never reached our altitude until the very end of our trek.  By then, we had returned to the car and were wandering about, seeking out prime picture opportunities.  😁

A dirt path runs through a brown-grass meadow with pine tree-covered hillsides in the background. Fog rises over the trees and hills in the far background, all under a clear, blue sky.
The fog is coming!

A brown-grass meadow with pine tree-covered hillsides in the background. Fog rises over the trees and hills in the far background, all under a clear, blue sky.

A single, pine tree sits on a brown-grass hill with smoke rising over the pine trees in the valley behind, all under a clear, blue sky.
It was incredible, watching the fog slowly rise from the lower elevations.

A brown-grass meadow with pine tree-covered hillsides in the background. Fog rises over the trees and hills in the far background, all under a clear, blue sky with a foggy sun shining through.

The trail isn’t anything exciting, it’s just an old fire road that winds through prairie land, around and over hills throughout the park, but we had a great time!  

The scenery used to be more picturesque, but after the large, Legion Lake Fire that swept through this area in December 2017, this portion of the park now consists, mainly, of a burn scar.  For this reason, be aware, that in the warmer months, there is very little shade.  You should be prepared for hot conditions.   

If you’re looking for some additional fun activities to check out in Custer State Park, click here!

Where is the Robber’s Roost Trailhead?

The trailhead is located in the southern portion of Custer State Park, off of Oak Draw Road (just to the east of the Prairie Trail trailhead).  You can reach that road from the southern arm of the Wildlife Loop Road (Route 16A).  

The hike just follows an old, forest road, out-and-back, though it can be combined with other old roads, in the local area.  These would make for a great hike, horseback, or mountain bike ride. (We’re planning to try this route on our bikes soon!) 

A dog looks down a brown-grass hillside over an expanse of other hills in the distance, all covered by trees that appear to have been burnt.
Puppers enjoying the hike!
A dirt lane traverses a brown-grass hillside with a lone, pine tree on it's side and tree-covered hills in the background--some of the trees appear burnt.
You can see the burn scar in the distance

Below is a short video I took, at the end of the hike, of the coyotes’ haunting song that seemed to welcome the fog as it silently slipped back up the mountainside…(turn the sound up for this one!):

Below are a few more pictures of our trek.  Thanks, as usual, to Mr. Trekker, for several of the pictures!

Picture looks black & white. Leafless trees and a milky sun appear through the fog

The sun shines through whispy fog as it rises above hills
To me, this picture feels otherworldly, like smoke rising from a scorched landscape (it is just fog).
A fog bow forms over a fog-covered trees under a clear, blue sky
Fogbow!
2 hiking boots covered in mud on the ground
Did I mention this trail can get a “bit” muddy? 😳😁

In Conclusion

Don’t be afraid to seek out the “boring” or “go-nowhere” treks, they can sometimes offer some surprises of their own.  We enjoyed a great–albeit INCREDIBLY muddy–hike (basically in shirt sleeves)…in mid-January…in SOUTH DAKOTA!  Whereas, if we had stayed at home, we may have felt depressed by the cold, damp, foggy day.  So don’t be afraid to Get Out While the Gettin’s…Bad!

Have you had a positive experience where you ventured outdoors when the weather was less than perfect?  Tell me about it in the comments!

 

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Hike the Sunday Gulch Trail in Custer State Park

In this post, I review the Sunday Gulch Trail, in Custer State Park, near Sylvan Lake.

 

As part of the incredible trail system offered by Custer State Park, the Sunday Gulch Trail is a must-hike!  You will find the trailhead located behind the large rocks at the back of Sylvan Lake,  off the Sylvan Lake Shore Trail.  

Note:  this trail is closed in the winter months due to ice buildup from the nearby creek.  

Hiking the Sunday Gulch Trail

This loop trail is around three miles long and can be completed in either direction. 

I suggest taking the right fork at the trailhead.  This way, you’ll complete the most difficult portion of the hike first, and you’ll be doing it heading downhill.  You will still end your trek with an uphill climb, but it will be far less strenuous than the alternate option. 

Traveling this direction, the early portion of the trail is comprised of steps and large boulders that must be navigated—there is a handrail—as you make your way down the ravine.  Once you reach the bottom, the path is relatively easy and flat while you traverse a canyon; until the final climb back to Sylvan Lake at the top.

In the hotter months, be prepared for a hot hike!  Due to the gulch-like nature of the terrain, cool summer breezes often miss this area. Fortunately, the surrounding foliage provides significant shade opportunities (except when the sun is high, in the middle of the day).  

As you continue down the canyon, your trek will eventually begin to wind uphill when you commence the final, LONG ascent back to the lake.  The path is well-trodden and fairly smooth/free of debris, but it’s a long hill back to Sylvan Lake.  You will hear more road noise on this portion of the trail as it parallels Route 87.  

Pine trees with rock formations rising behind them
A view of the surrounding peaks from the top/end of the trail

Things you will see on the Sunday Gulch Trail

The trail is beautiful.  As you descend into the ravine, granite cliffs tower far above you on both sides, while a bubbling brook accompanies you the entire way.  

Once you reach the bottom of the gully, continue following the creek as it winds its way through the canyon.  This area is very peaceful as there is little road noise–the only main route, nearby, is Route 87, and that snakes along the edge of the ridge far above you.    

Rear view of a woman climbing down rocks while holding onto a metal railing
The Tranquil Trekker, navigating the steep, boulder section of the trail, through the ravine

Use caution when the path is wet, due to rain or snowmelt, as the creek often gushes across it when the water level is high.  Even in late spring, be prepared for the possibility of ice where the route traverses the deep ravine, as it doesn’t get sufficient sunlight throughout much of the day.

Traction devices, such as Yaktrax, are highly recommended unless you are hiking this trail at the height of summer. (Click here for more information on these awesome traction devices!)      

This trek can be managed by smaller children and pets, but they may require assistance with the really, rocky portions of the trail. 

As it combines bouldering with a relaxing jaunt through the forest, this fun hike contains a wide selection of scenery and is a must-see for those wanting a bit more adventure.  If you’re looking for a challenging and fun hiking trail on your visit to Custer State Park, check out the Sunday Gulch Trail near Sylvan Lake!  

Have you hiked this awesome trail?  Tell me about your experience in the comments!

 

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