William O'Brien State Park

 

William O'Brien State Park

11/18/12

5 hours, 13 miles

48 Days to Africa

Situated just 34 miles from our home and a little over 10 miles north of Stillwater, MN along the St. Croix River, William O’Brien State Park was land that we thought we’d traversed before but quickly learned it was new to us.  The park featured a steep incline from Lake Alice up to the visitor’s center.  From there we had our choice of a number of routes along trails that are well suited to cross country skiing, but also quite serviceable as hiking routes. 

 

 

What struck us as most beautiful about the hike were the rolling hills and the multitude of different settings that our course took us through.  We hiked in areas with wetlands, hardwood stands, prairie lands, beaver ponds, hillsides and lowlands.  The park was well visited on the day of our trek, but felt far from busy or crowded.  As we hiked, we had a chance to talk about life, our goals, our likes, and our dislikes.  In typical fashion, we also spent a significant portion of the hike talking about Tanzania, Kilimanjaro, and our fundraising efforts.  We are getting closer to our departure date, and the excitement for our journey mounts.

 

During our preparations, we are finding that we are not the first to be undergoing this trek.  We know several people amongst our friends, co-workers, or acquaintances who have climbed Kilimanjaro themselves or know someone who has done the climb.  There seems to be a sense of wonder, awe, and reverence for the mountain and the people who live and work in its close proximity.  We have received sage pieces of advice and been provided plenty of food for thought as we prepare to make our own go at the mountain’s great heights. 

 

After our hike, we made a different kind of trek to a location that we have become quite familiar with, REI.  We haven’t named an official outfitter for our journey, but if we did REI would certainly be a leading candidate.  During this visit, Deb picked up a pair of trail running shoes for light hiking and use in camp.  Greg managed to get $35 off of a pair of trail runners that he had actually purchased a month earlier that had recently gone on sale.  Unfortunately, Deb had already spent what Greg had recouped and more so REI was still the winner that day.