What happens when you feel cooped up and tired of the gym? You get to hiking.

I have always liked hiking. I grew up (and still live) down the road from a historic archaeological site that contained a wonderful 2.25 mile hike that I know like the back of my hand now. A geology class I took last summer began in me an “casual” obsession with the subject. This is great news when you live in Missouri, where the Karst topography is off the chain and you can find tons of exposed igneous rock all up in the St. Francois Mountains.

Recently, I started to find 2 and 3 mile hikes too short. I’ve started to go on day hikes that go up to around 5 miles, but it’s still not enough.

So what better way to motivate yourself to go on more hikes and other adventures than a blog?  I take pictures, write about my experiences of hikes, parks, and conservation areas in Missouri and Illinois, and narrate my growth as an outdoors(wo)man. Hopefully, I can inspire others to make some outdoors-y goals of their own.