Nohikingpalooza

“So what do you do to keep sane when getting out on the trail isn't an option? It's looking like I'll be in Minneapolis for the next few months at least with few if any outdoors outlets. I'd love to get cross country skiing, but these 40+ degree days seem to be dismal precursers to a nother no-snow winter.
Peace,
SP”

“Scabby Pete... I'm close to Rochester .... working at Preston (near LANESBORO).

C'mon down. There's places to camp. Could go hiking at Forestville State Park. I have never hiked there and it's crawling with trails and very gorgeous. (stinkin' 8 miles from where I work!! And Cindy Lu "willed" me her MN State Park sticker when she moved to AZ, which expires in Feb)

A person could put together a fun overnight backpack in the Reno unit of the Richard J. Dorer Memorial State Hardwood Forest. It sits on the Mississippi, between the Iowa border and Brownsville.

This summer I went geocaching in its "bowels." Could do a nice point-to-point hike. (There's the coolest little "cave" in a bluff in the middle of nowhere!) Could also do that in some Iowa DNR land on the Upper Iowa River near where I live.

Yellow River State Forest is another option, between Waukon and Marquette, Iowa, with its backpacking trail. And the day hikes at Effigy Mounds N'tl Monument near Marquette are very nice. I think EVEN CRAZY MIKE thought Effigy Mounds was cool. 7 miles of trails in the north unit... around 4 miles (possibly more with a new connector trail) in the south unit. And a unit of Yellow River State Forest adjoins it.

I haven't been out much this late fall, but do know where to hike! lol”

“Its a beautiful day in the neighborhood...won't ya be my neighbor

There ya go, Oldie! lizs will show ya how its done.

Just goes to show that no matter where you go, there will always be a TT friend to help you out.
:o)”

“There's always that big mall, isn't there Scabby Pete? :-)

Dude, that sucks. Hope you can get out soon. Liz's offer is very generous! :-)”

“I am terribly allergic to that monstrosity of a mall. *dry heaves* Getting into he woods wouldn' be too much of a big deal right now, but my van is up north at my family's house wth no insurance and a broken somethin-er-other.

Lizs, perhaps once I can afford to get the wreck fixed we could do a bit of hiking. For now, I think I'm stuck doing urban hiking (i.e. hiking to the bus stop, hiking from the bus stop, hiking to the coffee shop).

Thanks. Peace,
SP”

“Good God Lizs, Arizona expires in February? Say it ain't so!”

“$%@#&@#*@%!&&*^*$#&!@$!!*

Damn editorS!!! lol”

“I could put together a great hiking tour of Massachusetts Street in Lawrence. We could brave the elements between the many bars, as we scaled the heights of inebriation.”

“visit the REI in Bloomington and camp out in one of the tent displays. We did it last summer! Here are the trip pics!”

“Oh! A canoe slide? I want one of those at my REI!”

“Plus they have a great sandwich shop!”

“I remember my first trip ever to an REI - some friends took me to the flagship store in Seattle. We had fruit smoothies and sandwiches. I thought my friends were nuts to be so crazy over some gear store.


Now I see the light.”

“We spent most of a rainy afternoon at the one in the Twin Cities. They had the play area, sandwich shop, gear demos and a presentation on birds of prey with Kestrel Hawk and an owl. My daughter and I crawled through all the tents and tried on back packs. All I spent money on was lunch and a Thermarest chair kit so I got out with most of my wallet intact!”

“Effigy Mounds is cool!!!!

8)”

“Pete, trust me, there is plenty of x-country skiing in the Minneapolis area. I should know as I was a x-country racer for about 8 years.

And, there are outdoor shops aplenty, including a very large Cabela's and a Gnader Mountain or two.

And, you can always head north for weekends. Maybe even go through my home town of Cloquet, or over near Duluth to ski at Spirit Moountain. Great views at night from the Mountain over looking Duluth/Superior and Lake Superior.”

“Cabela's is at Owatonna. Not the Twin Cities.”

“Close enough!!!!!!!!!!!”

“Chief, didn't the headdress and all of those feathers slow you down when you were cross-country skiing?
Second biggest Cabela's in the US.....Kansas City. FYI.....”

“I wasn't a Chief yet. Just a two-feathered warrior.”

“Minneapolis has some nice parks for cross country skiing and I heard they groom some of them for skiing. I found the people there to be very friendly too.”

“How”

“Me know how, just beed chance.”

“beed = need in Indian talk.”

“"I could put together a great hiking tour of Massachusetts Street in Lawrence. We could brave the elements between the many bars, as we scaled the heights of inebriation."
Dunadan
12:02:59 PM
12/12/02

We could then schedule a hike on Beale in Memphis with the same format.”

“Yeah, there are some decent places for cross country skiing in the cities. In fact, while walking through Como Park, I ran into a person running a cross country skiing event... except there's no snow on the ground so I'm not sure just how that works.

I've decided that until I get a job (hopefully soon now) that I'm going to take a bus somewhere and get off somewhere then start walking until I'm tired. Then I'll hop on another bus until I figure out where I am or get back downtown and will make my way back home. Como Park and the Conservatory - green, hot, humid, and fresh smelling... ahhhhh!

Peace,
SP”

“Yeah, there are some decent places for cross country skiing in the cities. In fact, while walking through Como Park, I ran into a person running a cross country skiing event... except there's no snow on the ground so I'm not sure just how that works.

I've decided that until I get a job (hopefully soon now) that I'm going to take a bus somewhere and get off somewhere then start walking until I'm tired. Then I'll hop on another bus until I figure out where I am or get back downtown and will make my way back home. Como Park and the Conservatory - green, hot, humid, and fresh smelling... ahhhhh!

Peace,
SP”