Fitness Counts, Terrific Travel

Unlikely Outdoorsman

I’ve always been more “indoorsy” than “outdoorsy”. Growing up, I was more at home in the library than at a campfire. Still, early retirement gives you the time to try new things.

Five years ago, a friend got me started on visiting MN state parks. Each year – usually in the autumn – I’ve gone on a road trip to visit & hike in a bunch of them. I mark them off in red on this map when I reach them … 46 in all, so far.

This past weekend I drove 764 miles to reach the 9 parks in the orange circle. It was a 2-night trip. I hiked 25 miles (2-3 miles in each park) and “earned” my 125 mile patch (above). I even camped out by myself – sleeping in the back of my Jeep. (I’ve camped more than 100 nights when my son was in Scouts, but camping by yourself is a different experience)

I have about 21 more MN state parks to reach. That’s roughly three more trips – the blue, green, and orange circles on my map. In doing so, I also will have traveled through every one of the 86 counties in Minnesota. I’ve also traveled to and photographed more than 40 waterfalls in the state.

As I said, I’m as unlikely an outdoorsman as about anyone you might meet. Still, in early retirement I’m finding new adventures that I never thought I’d experience. What unlikely adventures have crept onto your bucket list?

Images: MrFireStation.com

3 thoughts on “Unlikely Outdoorsman”

  1. I don’t maintain a bucket list, but have always spent a lot of time outdoors. In the three years I was in the Boy Scouts, I calculate roughly 90 nights camping. During the first through fifth grade we lived in a house that had no air conditioning, but had a sleeping porch. I probably slept in the sleeping porch half the year.

    I can only remember camping once by myself, not counting a Rottweiler who traveled with me. It got cold during one night and somehow he climbed in the sleeping bag next to me.

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    1. We had no air conditioning when I was growing up except for about 3+ years when I was in junior high. My parents had a window unit in their bedroom, but the rest of the house had open windows & fans.

      I have a friend who started a HVAC business when he graduated from high school in the early 1980s. He said only about 10% of homes had central air then. He spent the next 10-15 years doing primarily AC. Now he has a big company with 7-10 trucks.

      This weekend was pretty hot in the Jeep in the early evening hours. It was an unseasonably 80 degrees during the day, but got down to a brisk 48 degrees in the morning.

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      1. The 32 degree temperature drop is similar to camping at high elevation. Shorts during the day and down jackets during the evenings.

        There is another push to replace older generation air conditioners with heat pumps. I live in a moderate climate and have used heat pumps in my home since day one. I replaced it about two years ago and have seen comfort increase and our electric bills decrease slightly.

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