well d*mn...

wow...I'd forgotten just how depressing the overcast weather of Northwest Ohio Winters can be...and it's only December 28th! I can tell I'm gonna have to put in a little more effort to keep the Winter Blues away!
More bonfires outside...chunking snowballs at innocent passerbys, skipping through the wet...muddy yard...simply for the hell of it. You know...things like that.
Book reading, movie watching, work-out schedules...will all go a long way to keep my head in a good place when it's cloudy outside. Who knew JUST was an important role that seeing the sun can do?
I also find that watching episodes of American's Funniest Home Videos on Netflix also does wonders for my state-of-mind...after all...we all know laughter is the BEST medicine!!
So bring it ole man Winter! ...and yep...I'm gonna get a pair of snowshoes just for the hell of it too!! trekking round in the snow is good for releasing those happy little endorphins too!
In the mean time...I'll just look at images of the sun to remind my brain that it does in fact shine!!

Inward and Onward!

rails-to-trails trial...

It's been a loooooooong time since I've been on one of Northwest Ohio's rails-to-trails treks. Back when I was 16 or so...long before the gravel was removed from the rail-bed...but after the railroad ties had been lifted I opted to ride my bike into Wauseon on one of these trails. (Roughest bike ride I've had to date)...but since then...MUCH work has been done to improve these trails.
see http://wabashcannonballtrail.org/
Anyhow, thanks to Chris...we have a new addition to the family. Shay...a Rat Terrier/Border Collie mix rescue from Kentucky. She's very shy and timid...and not real broke in when it comes to trail experience. So I decided to take her on her first trail hike on the Wabash Cannonball Trail...since I knew we likely wouldn't come across any other walkers/bikers/hikers.
There's something very peaceful about walking through the flatlands of Northwest Ohio...looking out over acres and acres of farm land.
And Shay did a rockstar job...a little skiddish at first...but I suspect this was one of many romps on the trail to come.
This particular section of trail is most certainly fit for mountain biking, trail running or walking. LOVE the idea of "recycling" unused railroad tracks for recreational use!!!
Special thanks to the rails-to-trails conservancy who has made it all possible! http://www.railstotrails.org

ab workouts for dummies?

Yep, even I care about abs. Hah. But like everyone else...I've figured out that it's just not that easy to look fab like those Hollywood folks seem to be able to get for whatever movie they must get ripped for.

If you've seen Brad Pitt in Fight Club or Robert Downing, Jr. in Iron Man 2 or ALL the guys in Spartacas: Blood and Sand, then you know what I'm talking about. I think it's amazing that these guys get ripped for the roles they take on. And they are probably hired for these roles in confidence that they'll prepare for the part and excel at it!

But haven't you wondered how they do it? Me too. I'm an active gal, love the outdoors, box and lift weights and such...but I can't say I have ripped abs. So what's the secret?

It's all laid out plain and simple over at http://www.visualimpactmusclebuilding.com

No doubt true physical improvement takes time. I'm well aware that there isn't a pill for such a fix. I don't think any of us, male or female wanna look like a bodybuilder with veins all popping out all over...just fit...lean bodies...flat stomach. Simple. Nothing hard about this concept. Workout for dummies. Yep, that's what I've been looking for. Cut the crap out and tell me what I need to know for results!

Visual Impact Muscle Building makes sense to me! I've done workouts that hurt. Yep. Not knowing the proper way to execute an exercise. Easy to strain your back or neck that way. But this teaches the RIGHT way to conduct at home exercise. ...the goal with this manual is to teach you exactly the variables that you need to tweak to get the exact look you desire.

YET ANOTHER reason why I like this little course! You don't have to go to the gym which makes it workout-for-dummies-like. All you have to have are some weights and a bench. Simple. I just don't like having to go somewhere to exercise. I should be able to get fit in the comfort of my own home or yard or garage.

So hop on over to Visual Impact Muscle Building and let me know what you think. That way we ALL will see results and feel great heading into 2012!!

Oh and there's also a course now just for woman too! Visual Impact for Women!
Check that one out too!

Chow for now.

...are you ok?

It's November here in Northwest Ohio...and everyone is prepping for the impending Winter. Warm sunny days are numbered. So in the spirit of celebrating the outdoors I opted to hit the trail and off to Oak Openings I went.

I love trail maps and carry the Oak Openings trail map with me on a hike like the holy grail. Not because I can't find my way...just because I've always loved trail maps. (and because I like to have backup were I to head off trail on a whim and need some guidance to find my way back) .

So I pulled out said map in an effort to decide what route I'd take through the woods this day. I've been jonesin to hike the 16 miler (stay tuned for a play-by-play of that) but I have two favs at Oak Openings: the Evergreen Trail and the Ridge Trail. I opted to hike the Evergreen Trail and along the southeast edge of this trail I'd hook up with the Ridge Trail. Oh my! INDEED it made for a FABULOUS walk through the woods!

I was briefly startled at one point while attempting to capture a picture (shown here on the left) I was laying on the trail just south of the pine grove on the Ridge trail when two hikers emerged from the woods. I can only imagine what it looked like. I hopped up and they said, "oh, hah, we thought you might have been hurt". I chuckled to myself as to just how crazy that must have looked.

Highlights of this 2 hour hike include: pine groves, deer (the locals...hah), an owl (LOVE seeing owls in the wild!!), and a cozy fire in one of the shelters around Mallard Lake to finish out the afternoon.


The shelters scattered around Mallard Lake are FABULOUS! Anyone can start a little cozy fire with the wood provided and enjoy a quiet sit observing passing hikers and the ducks on the lake. Oak Openings Metro Park just continues to grow on me.

And now...onward to the 16 miler!!

re-vamping...a re-visit...

Geez! How long has it been since I've posted here. TOO long! My apologies for that. Many many outdoor adventures have occurred since the Mt LeConte hike. All you have to do is look at photos posted to my facebook page to realize that.

Anyhow, many of you may or may not know...in June of this year I moved back to Northwest Ohio. Most of my friends have had skeptical responses to this...."eh, are you sure you wanna do that?" (referencing my love of the outdoors) But...one sorta needs to be FROM Northwest Ohio to understand that this area does in fact have MUCH to offer in regards to the outdoors.

So in my quest to jump back into exploration...and soaking in the therapeutic qualities that ANY outdoor area has to offer...here comes the next series of blog posts.

I'd been joanzin to hike some trails at Oak Openings Preserve Metro Park. (there's a 16 mile trail at this park that I've ESPECIALLY been joanzin to experience...which you will hear more about soon) So on this fallish day I set out to find some nature!

Note here...of all the parks I've visited, Metroparks of Toledo is to be commended on their park maintenance at the Oak Openings Preserve Metropark in Swanton, OH! Which is why I captured the photo shown above by that pristine trail marker. I've NEVER seen trail markers so well kept! Well marked trails are the sign of a park that's well taken care of. (Attention to detail)

I chose to walk the silver marked Ridge Trail (3.11 miles) on this day. Deer abound at this park! First time I've spotted not one, not two, but THREE bucks standing together in the woods. I snapped this photo of myself grinning from ear to ear, just after I crossed over the Swan Creek bridge and spotting those bucks.

This trail is gorgeous. Lots of terrain changes along the way. Wooded to open fields, to sandy, to rooty, to pine tree groves and everything in between. For a brief period of time it parallels the 16 mile trail I referenced above...giving me a taste of what's in store when I jump on that trail. YEAH!

Three woops hollars and cheers for the Toledo Metro Parks system! One of many outdoor gems that Northwest Ohio has to offer!! I'm looking forward to exploring more to come!

my hard head knew better...

So I may look like a hiking rockstar here, but let me be clear about something. I "lived" a good lesson in gear on this hike up and down Mt LeConte last week. Having hiked this mountain many many times, I knew what to expect, but ignored it in my hard-headed fashion when it comes to packs.

Here's a few comments about gear and its potential positive or negative effects on a hiking experience.

See that little pack I got on in this photo? Little $8 dollar pack I got at a shoe store on a "spin the board" sorta game thing. Granted this pack is stellar for little day hikes, but it's certainly not meant to go 15 miles nor a combined total of 6,500' in elevation with any amount of true weight in it. My shoulders were SCREAMING about an hour into this hike. While it performed like a rockstar (as in didn't tear or fall apart), but on a comfort level when packed full and weighted down, I give it a 1 out of 5 rating. So let's just say lesson learned in the value of a properly fitted pack for not only the amount of gear, but the weight of gear and proper distribution of that weight across one's lumbar region.

I'll be shopping for a "medium sized" pack that's MEANT to carry some weight in it before my next hike like this!

On another more positive note, my Asolo boots DID in fact perform like rockstars! I realized on this hike that I've had this same pair of boots since 1997!! (although resoled this past year) A good pair of boots are like having clouds strapped to your feet when it comes to hiking. Well worth whatever the dollar amount. Don't skimp on boots.

But one funny thing did happen with my boots on this hike. At one point I had some little pebble under my heel so I stopped to take it off, shake out the pebble and continue moving down that trail. Well, as I retied it, the string popped into two pieces in my hand. Everyone looked at me like I just had a train wreck (because everyone stopped to watch this process with my boot). Undisturbed, I just tied that string in a little knot and off we all went again. LOVE my boots!!

So don't be fooled about gear. Those "gear" issues of Backpacker magazine are published for a reason!

The Mountains are calling!!

I had the privilege of accompanying my long-time bud Robin Huskey Dailey, her nephew Brandon and his friend Caleb on a hike up to Mt LeConte last week!

Spending the night as a guest at the LeConte Lodge has been on my bucket list for some time. So naturally I wasn't about to say anything but YES, when Robin called me to see if I was interested in going!

It was like visiting an old friend for a few days...that Mountain holds some very fond memories down to the very the trails we took. (Not to mention it was tons of fun to hang out with Robin again!)
Alum Cave Bluff on the way up (took us 4 hrs cause why hurry), a 5.1 miler with an elevation gain of 2,560' it's nothing short of a butt kicker. Bullhead trail on the way down (took us 4.5 hrs cause again why hurry), a 6.9 miler with an elevation drop of 3,940'.

Click here to view all the photos.

Needless to say, the leg muscles got a serious workout! And I find that my head is still on that mountain some three days later... it was SUCH a wonderful experience...again! So over the next few days I'll be telling some stories and some memories from this trip.

Wow! Anyone can hike this Mountain, given the right pace...and oh how empowering it is...for everyone who goes there!

Stay tuned...