52 hike challenge

I haven't blogged in almost two months! How did that happen?!? Here some photos from the past several hikes that I/we did. 

 

52 hike challenge 2020

1. 1/1/20 - 2 mi - out and back
2. 1/5/20 - 4.25 mi - neighborhood loop
3. 1/11/20 - 2 mi - out and back
4. 1/19/20 - 4.25 mi - neighborhood loop
5. 1/26/20 - 4.25 mi - neighborhood loop
6. 2/1/20 - 4.25 mi neighborhood loop
7. 2/2/20 - 2 mi - out and back
8. 2/9/20 - 2 mi? - sledding, and to/from the neighbors
9. 2/15/20 - 4.25 mi neighborhood loop
10. 2/22/20 - 1 mi? -  Lincoln Sculpture in the Wild
(there were at least a few more in here that I, alas, forgot to record)
11. 4/5/20 - 2 mi? - up to the highest peak in our neighborhood
12.  4/10/20 - 2 mi? - down a new drainage next door and back around by the gardens
13. 4/12/20 - 2.5 mi - out and back 

14. 4/18/20 - 1 mi? - down an old creek bed and back up
15. 4/22/20 - 1 mi? - down to the parking lot to pick up my car
16. 4/26/20 - 2 mi? - over to "Pride rock" 

17. 5/1/20 - 2 mi? - over to "Pride rock"

18. 5/2/20 - 4.25 mi - neighborhood loop

19. 5/3/20 - 1.5 mi - to the neighbors' horse pen and back

20. 5/10/20 - 2 mi? - Tower Rock State Park

21. 5/16/20 - 3 mi - Mount Helena (prairie trail up, powerline trail down)

22. 5/30/20 -  1 mi? - down an old creek bed and back up

23. 6/7/20 - 2 mi - out and back

24. 6/13/20 - 2 mi - out and back

25. 6/14/20 - 2 mi - out and back 

26. 6/28/20 - 2 mi - out and back

27. 7/4/20 - 1 mi? - down an old creek bed and back up

28. 7/12/20 - 4.5 mi neighborhood loop

29. 7/25/20 - 4.5 mi neighborhood loop

30. 7/26/20 - 4.5 mi neighborhood loop

31. 7/26/20 - 1 mi? - Tower Rock State Park

32. 7/27/20 - 1 mi - over to "Pride rock"

33. 8/15/20 - 6 mi - Crow Creek Falls

34. 9/13/20 - 2 mi - out and back

35. 9/26/20 - 2 mi - my favorite meditation spot

36. 9/27/20 - 2 mi - my favorite meditation spot

37. 10/3/20 - 2.5 mi - top of Rogers Pass

38. 10/3/20 - 2 mi - Swan River path (in Bigfork, MT)

39. 10/4/20 - 1.5 mi - around Whitefish, MT

40. 10/4/20 - 2 mi - Lion Trail (near Whitefish)

41. 10/4/20 - 1.5 mi - around Bigfork, MT

42. 10/5/20 - 2 mi - Kootenai Falls

43. 10/5/20 - 1.5 mi - around Bigfork, MT

44. 10/6/20 - 2 mi - out and back

52 hike challenge #33

Last weekend was our anniversary, so we decided to celebrate by going on an "official" hike (i.e., not just walking around our neighborhood). We chose Crow Creek Falls because it was only 25 miles south of Helena, it included water, and it looked relatively level (compared to some of the others in my "Hiking Montana" book).  What we neglected to consider, however, that the directions there mentioned the last 17 miles being on a "good dirt road." It turns out that what a "good dirt road" is in Montana is exponentially worse than a "good dirt road" in the Midwest. Thus, instead of taking 90 min for us to get there, it took us almost 3 hours. Uff-dah. My Forester handled it admirably, but we had to go incredibly slow to avoid the sharp rocks, ginormous potholes, and occasional rock slides. 

But once we got there, it sure was beautiful! While I love the mountains of Montana, I really miss the water of Minnesota. It was so refreshing to hike along a lovely creek. 

Unfortunately, this hike was "busy by Montana standards" (per my guidebook), and that held up when we got to the falls at the end of the out-and-back trail. There was a group of about 15 people who were sitting on all the spots where you could actually see the falls (since they were kind of hidden behind a rocky outcropping) and they refused to move or to follow social distancing. Even after we finished our lunch and back 30 min later, they still refused to move. Supper aggravating to go all that way and then not be able to enjoy the falls! Which is why I decided that the creek was the highlight of the hike anyway.

In other news, Mike has been continuing to do a ton of wood chopping, and Rose and I have been chipping in with the wood stacking.

Finally, homeschool at EFC has started! Here is Rose's first day of school picture for 3rd grade:

Here is Rose's treehouse desk where she prefers to do her work:

Guess what they do for Phy Ed each day...

Happy August!

52 hike challenge 2020
1. 1/1/20 - 2 mi - out and back
2. 1/5/20 - 4.25 mi - neighborhood loop
3. 1/11/20 - 2 mi - out and back
4. 1/19/20 - 4.25 mi - neighborhood loop
5. 1/26/20 - 4.25 mi - neighborhood loop
6. 2/1/20 - 4.25 mi neighborhood loop
7. 2/2/20 - 2 mi - out and back
8. 2/9/20 - 2 mi? - sledding, and to/from the neighbors
9. 2/15/20 - 4.25 mi neighborhood loop
10. 2/22/20 - 1 mi? -  Lincoln Sculpture in the Wild
(there were at least a few more in here that I, alas, forgot to record)
11. 4/5/20 - 2 mi? - up to the highest peak in our neighborhood
12.  4/10/20 - 2 mi? - down a new drainage next door and back around by the gardens
13. 4/12/20 - 2.5 mi - out and back 

14. 4/18/20 - 1 mi? - down an old creek bed and back up
15. 4/22/20 - 1 mi? - down to the parking lot to pick up my car
16. 4/26/20 - 2 mi? - over to "Pride rock" 

17. 5/1/20 - 2 mi? - over to "Pride rock"

18. 5/2/20 - 4.25 mi - neighborhood loop

19. 5/3/20 - 1.5 mi - to the neighbors' horse pen and back

20. 5/10/20 - 2 mi? - Tower Rock State Park

21. 5/16/20 - 3 mi - Mount Helena (prairie trail up, powerline trail down)

22. 5/30/20 -  1 mi? - down an old creek bed and back up

23. 6/7/20 - 2 mi - out and back

24. 6/13/20 - 2 mi - out and back

25. 6/14/20 - 2 mi - out and back 

26. 6/28/20 - 2 mi - out and back

27. 7/4/20 - 1 mi? - down an old creek bed and back up

28. 7/12/20 - 4.5 mi neighborhood loop

29. 7/25/20 - 4.5 mi neighborhood loop

30. 7/26/20 - 4.5 mi neighborhood loop

31. 7/26/20 - 1 mi? - Tower Rock State Park

32. 7/27/20 - 1 mi - over to "Pride rock"

33. 8/15/20 - 6 mi - Crow Creek Falls

hikes (#28-32), (socially distanced) visitors, and other random updates

Somehow I haven't posted any updates in nearly a month, so here's a quick run-down from the past several weeks...

1. Doug somehow got a really bad wound on his leg/groin - we're thinking it might have been a puncture wound and scrapes from a thistle?? - so he was unfortunately subjected to the Cone of Shame until he healed. He was SO not a fan. :(

2. I finally got around to painting our hideous stairs! I'm just not a fan of browns and yellows for decor, so I was really happy with how the grey turned out here. 

3. Hike #28 was me (and Doug) around the long neighborhood loop on 7/12. It was a great walk, but I was slipping and sliding like crazy. I finally decided that I HAD to bite the bullet and buy some new hiking boots. 

4. Yes, I think I wore through the tread pretty well. The saleslady said I definitely got my money's worth out of my old ones!

5. Rose and I have started "swimming lessons" as part of EFC! Actually, she doesn't want "lessons" so much as she just wants an excuse to go splash around in the creek more often. As you can see, it's really not that deep, but she sure does enjoy it! And because it's fairly shallow, I feel comfortable reading while she's "swimming" (which I definitely don't do when she's near deeper water), so it's a WIN-WIN!

6. Mike and Rose are working on adding a second story to the treehouse! (Yes, it will have doors and railings soon!) 

7. We finally got rid of our ancient Ikea chairs and bought grown-up chairs! (Currently $225 for 2 of them at Target, but I found them on clearance for $96 for 4 of them. Yay!) They are so pretty and solid and comfortable! I finally feel like a grown-up ;)

8. Mike has been busy chopping wood to prepare for the winter. His job is the chopping and then Rose and I are supposed to do the stacking in the woodshed. Both jobs are painfully hot in this 90+-degree weather so, while he continues to chop, I'm letting my job pile up until it gets cooler. Blech.

9. We ate rattlesnake for dinner one night!!! I still can't believe we did that. I can't say I enjoyed it, but I enjoy telling people that I did it. 

10.  Hike #29 was a socially distanced one with me, Rose, my college friend Anna, and her husband and daughter (who is 11 months older than Rose)! Such a treat to see them!! (Also, my new hiking shoes worked beautifully.)

11. After finishing our hike, we came back home for separate lunches, then did some socially distanced "swimming" at the creek. The girls had a blast while we adults relaxed. 

12. Hike #30 was the neighborhood loop again the next day, but this time just me and Anna. We tried to take a socially distanced photo of the two of us, but ended up just laughing at my weird shadow in the picture.

13. Hike #31 - That afternoon we also stopped at the nearest state park to do a quick hike. We could only do about a mile or so because we all only had flipflops on, but it was still nice to get out and for them to see where the plains of Montana start. (Thankfully we did not encounter any rattlesnakes on this hike!)

14. Hike #32 - the next day we took a quick trek up to "Pride Rock" to test Jesse's fancy drone for some family photos! I'm eager to see what pictures look like in the end. 

see the drone lifting off?

15. That afternoon we tried to rent kayaks but couldn't find a place, so we instead went swimming at Holter Lake. It was a great depth for the girls (waist-deep for them) but a little less fulfilling for us adults to swim. Luckily it was nice to sit in the shade and relax. 

16. While we've been preparing our meals separately, we have had a few "picnics" on their deck. The sunsets have been gorgeous, and we love the excellent company!

Happy July, everyone!

52 hike challenge 2020
1. 1/1/20 - 2 mi - out and back
2. 1/5/20 - 4.25 mi - neighborhood loop
3. 1/11/20 - 2 mi - out and back
4. 1/19/20 - 4.25 mi - neighborhood loop
5. 1/26/20 - 4.25 mi - neighborhood loop
6. 2/1/20 - 4.25 mi neighborhood loop
7. 2/2/20 - 2 mi - out and back
8. 2/9/20 - 2 mi? - sledding, and to/from the neighbors
9. 2/15/20 - 4.25 mi neighborhood loop
10. 2/22/20 - 1 mi? -  Lincoln Sculpture in the Wild
(there were at least a few more in here that I, alas, forgot to record)
11. 4/5/20 - 2 mi? - up to the highest peak in our neighborhood
12.  4/10/20 - 2 mi? - down a new drainage next door and back around by the gardens
13. 4/12/20 - 2.5 mi - out and back 

14. 4/18/20 - 1 mi? - down an old creek bed and back up
15. 4/22/20 - 1 mi? - down to the parking lot to pick up my car
16. 4/26/20 - 2 mi? - over to "Pride rock" 

17. 5/1/20 - 2 mi? - over to "Pride rock"

18. 5/2/20 - 4.25 mi - neighborhood loop

19. 5/3/20 - 1.5 mi - to the neighbors' horse pen and back

20. 5/10/20 - 2 mi? - Tower Rock State Park

21. 5/16/20 - 3 mi - Mount Helena (prairie trail up, powerline trail down)

22. 5/30/20 -  1 mi? - down an old creek bed and back up

23. 6/7/20 - 2 mi - out and back

24. 6/13/20 - 2 mi - out and back

25. 6/14/20 - 2 mi - out and back 

26. 6/28/20 - 2 mi - out and back

27. 7/4/20 - 1 mi? - down an old creek bed and back up

28. 7/12/20 - 4.5 mi neighborhood loop

29. 7/25/20 - 4.5 mi neighborhood loop

30. 7/26/20 - 4.5 mi neighborhood loop

31. 7/26/20 - 1 mi? - Tower Rock State Park

32. 7/27/20 - 1 mi - over to "Pride rock"

No-Churn Heavenly Hash Ice Cream (TYSC #25)

No-Churn Heavenly Hash Ice Cream

Treat Yo' Self Challenge #25

Summer Sweets chapter

Have you ever heard of Heavenly Hash ice cream? I think this is another example of the Chicago-centric nature of this cookbook. In my mind, chocolate ice cream with marshmallows, almonds, and chocolate chunks is only ever called Rocky Road ice cream. I don't know what this "heavenly hash" business is all about!

But the most interesting part of this recipe, other than the weird name, is the no-churn aspect. Instead of warming some cream and sugar (and maybe some egg yolks), then churning it in an ice cream maker, this recipe called for whipping heavy cream until firm peaks formed, folding in some sweetened condensed milk and add-ins, then freezing in a bread pan. Interesting!

Verdict: Well, if you like whipped cream, then this is a nice treat. I'm actually not a huge fan of whipped cream (ever since a friend and I split a tub of Cool Whip in about 7th grade), but Rose gave it two thumbs up!

TYSC Recap:

25. No-churn Heavenly Hash Ice Cream

24. Layered Rhubarb Cobbler Pie

23. Peanut Better Blossoms *

22. Ozark Skillet Cake

21. Chocolate Revel Bars

20. Five Spice Sweet Rolls **

19. Mrs Braun's Oatmeal Cookies

18. Montana Runza

17. Iced Citrus Bundt Cake

16. Chocolate Chip Chip Shortbread

15. Chocolate Chip Marble Bundt Cake *

14. Garlicky, butter-swirled pull-apart rolls

13. English muffin bread **

12. Next Level Rice Krispie Treats

11. Bluebarb Lime Crumble **

10. Banana Bread

9. Buckeye Bars *

8. Monster Cookies

7. Scone-top Blueberry Muffins

6. Cherry Shortcake Squares **

5. Donut Loaf

4. Coffee-caramel Monkey Bread **

3. Scotcharoos *

2. Swedish Flop *

1. Potica

* indicates my favorites 

** indicates favorites I've made at least twice already