Stumbling across the Minnesota State Parks Hiking Club

Penny checking out Two Step Falls at Tettegouche State Park

Sometimes even when you where your Happy Place is you have trouble finding it.

In life we literally find ourselves making excuses for everything. And I don't know about you but I have no problem making the excuse that I'm too tired to do just about anything, then watch my life literally rot away in front of the TV.

The TV is great don't get me wrong but why on earth am I watching other people live their lives when instead I could be outside living mine?

The summer of 2017 was coming to a close - that layoff I was anticipating did happen and I had the entire summer off but instead of going on all of these hikes I had decided to paint my house, refinish my deck and have a garage sale - things that needed to be done - but I felt like I was neglecting that nice State Park Pass that I had purchased back in April.

Starting Labor Day weekend I was going to start making use of that pass.

Interstate
Tettegouche
Grand Portage
William O'Brien

A friend, my new dog Penny (that I mentioned in an earlier post) and I would just drive to these places pick and trail and hike until we got tired or ran out of daylight. 

There was one thing I kept noticing in all of these parks - I seemed to always run across small blue signs that would say "Hiking Club." What is that? Finally in the car on the way home from William O'Brien I googled it...

WHY ISN'T THIS ADVERTISED MORE? - this is great! More information on the MN State Parks Hiking Club here: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/clubs.htm
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For $14.95 (at the time when I purchased it) I joined the club (purchase membership at any Park office). Almost every State Park in Minnesota has a designated "Hiking Club" trail, these trails vary in length from 1 mile to 6.2 miles - at the halfway point of these trails there will be a sign with a password on it (you are essentially hiking in search of this password). You earn rewards such as patches and free camping for reaching different mileage milestones.

With new motivation I set out on a new quest to hike every "Hiking Club" trail in Minnesota!

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