September Hib30 Challenge Winners

The summer of 2010 I was on an all-time traveling high. I had just returned home to Texas from a month of backpacking Europe and attending a best friend’s wedding in Germany. I was home just long enough to do some laundry and pick up a few shifts at work to replenish my bank account before I set off for another adventure. The next adventure was to take a road trip to Michigan where my now husband was born and raised. After working a twelve hour night shift, I remember picking up Jon and us driving twenty-three hours straight from Houston to Marquette, MI. I felt like the walking dead once we got to Marquette but somehow Jon convinced me to jump off Black Rocks into Lake Superior. It was in that moment of jumping into the frigid, Great Lake that I realized what a beautiful country America is. It could have been the adrenaline pumping from the jump or seeing the twinkle in Jon’s eyes as we explored his favorite place in the World, but the realization was real, to know that such beauty was literally in my backyard and there was no need to travel abroad for it. In spring of 2012 we made the move from my home state of Texas to Michigan. It was a bit of a change for me. The week we moved I had managed to get my first sunburn of the season and a new sprinkling of freckles across my nose and shoulders from the Texas sun, to be welcomed in the Mitten state with a light dusting of snow. But even with moving to a new area I still had the need to explore and experience areas outside of my new home. The travel bug had really gotten a hold of me. We traveled to different areas of the state, all to live up to the Pure Michigan theme, from Mackinac Island to Holland and to Frankenmuth to Traverse City. It wasn’t until I had my daughter the summer of 2014 that I had the same feeling come over me as it did when I jumped off the Black Rocks four years previously. Only this time, the moment of realization occurred when I began to imagine how my daughter would see things for the first time. I did a lot of research and found trails I didn’t realize existed just a few miles away from our home. During that search for local adventure, I stumbled across Hike it Baby. Being outdoors has been one of the best things for me as a parent. The outdoors is like an instant calm for my daughter and myself. The clock seems to slow down as we explore new sights, textures, and sounds of nature. Building a sense of community for my daughter has helped me gain a new appreciation for where we are. And while winter has taken me longer to warm up to, I love that Michigan has four distinct seasons. The different seasons, wide range of topography from the Upper Peninsula to Lower Peninsula, and abundance of outdoor activities,  are a few of many things that make the Great Lakes state such a wonderful place to raise a family. Here are some cool facts and reasons I’m proud to call Michigan my new home: Michigan has the longest freshwater coastline in the US. You are never more than six miles from an inland lake or more than eighty-five miles from a Great Lake. Michigan has over 2,600 miles of rail-trail, which was recently recognized as the most of any state in the Nation. 1,150 miles of the North Country Trail run through Michigan. It is home of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Isle Royale National Park, and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. There is a wonderful, Great Lake to Lake trail system in the making. The Porcupine Mountains are a sight to see. Four seasons - from the lightening bugs in the summer to fresh flowers blooming in the spring and sipping apple cider while admiring the fall foliage to feeling the cold snowflakes land on your face in the winter. These are all things that I hope to explore every bit of with my family and newly acquired community of hiking friends. Seeing the pure joy on my daughters face as she hears the crunching of the fall leaves under her feet as she toddles down the Michigan trails is just one of our many recent experiences. Now my husband is working on teaching our daughter how to use her “handmade” map of Michigan. Because what Michigander can give directions without flashing their mitten? Where do YOU love to hike? What does a Hike it Baby hike look like where you call home? Share your trails and tales with us on this form and we will feature it in an upcoming blog piece! Also, be sure to check out our Trails and Tales piece from Minnesota! Danna is a born and raised Texan who followed her heart to the Mitten state and married a Michigander. Her newly growing family has begun to set roots for the upbringing of their little explorer, Abigail and their sweet yellow lab, Lola pup. She is a Registered Nurse and has stepped foot in 17 countries and 30 states. Adventure is something she and her husband look forward to and they hope to visit all of the National Parks someday with a goal to visit at least one a year.

Congratulations to everyone who competed in November’s HiB30 Challenge! All of the Challengers were entered to win some pretty amazing prizes and here are a few of the big winners this time around! Stay tuned for more posts throughout the month with other hiking winners and their stories. Thanks to our Hike it Baby Prize Partners at Sun Protection, Organic India, Bronwen Jewelry, Nite Ize, and Eagle Creek, we can give these lucky winners an incredible prizes! Do you want to be eligible to win from these great companies and many more? All you have to do is join in the next HiB30 Challenge in January! It’s that easy and so much fun! [gallery columns="5" link="file" ids="47794,55749,47739,47770,47760"] What prize did you win? How excited are you about it? Sun Protection Zone hat (winner's choice) Nancy Ciara hiked with Jackson (2 years) and Effie (5 weeks at the end of the challenge) and said, “I won the sun protection zone hat and I'm really excited to try it out. I've been meaning to get a more protective hat and just haven't pulled the trigger. Now I don't have to! Yay!!” Another lucky winner also won a Sun Protection Zone hat! Tulsi Organic India Original Tea Hailey Maurey hiked with Brayden (4 years), Jayce (3 years), and Wyatt (11 months) and said, “I won Tulsi Organic India Original Tea, and I am excited to try it!” Another lucky winner also won Tulsi Organic India Original Tea! Bronwen Jewelry - 1 tiny charm necklace and 1 ribbon wrap bracelet One lucky winner won a necklace and bracelet from Bronwen Jewelry! Nite Ize Visibility Pack Chalisa Nestell Fabillar hiked with Melchor (15 months) and said, “I've won the Nite Ize Visibility Pack. I'm excited about passing it along to one of the other hike leaders of my branch, using a random drawing. I feel like Hike It Baby has given me so much already that I want to pass some of this goodness along! Hopefully the leader who wins it in my branch will use it to lead some night hikes since the days are so short.” Eagle Creek Pack Cubes One lucky winner won pack cubes from Eagle Creek! How many miles and/or minutes did you achieve? Nancy - 30.72 miles. Hailey - 31 miles. Chalisa - 26 miles. What did you enjoy most about this HiB30 Challenge? Nancy - I loved the motivation to at least get outside almost every day with my toddler and newborn. I also really enjoyed meeting new families and making friends! Hailey - I love Hike It Baby! I enjoyed this challenge because it inspired me to get out, and enjoy the fresh air with my little boys. It also inspired me to get more active, and get exercise. It's been an awesome adventure! Chalisa - We really had a lot to be excited about during this challenge. Little M is really up and moving about so getting outside with him really is starting to look different. The miles seem sooooooo much longer but the minutes outside seem so much shorter! We didn't get the big mileage but we got lots of time exploring. Also, in our pursuit of being an all weather family, lil M got to try his new rain suit and boots this month. He's my little water baby so I knew he would love it. His little giggles were so great! Who helped keep your family motivated the most to get outside? Nancy - I would say my toddler kept us the most motivated. Haha!! He's much more manageable if he gets his daily nature dose. Hailey - My Hike It Baby group keeps me motivated, as well as myself. Chalisa - My fellow Augusta members. They got excited about the challenge too and started sharing their mileage and pictures from time outside. What accomplishment are you most proud of this Challenge? Nancy - I'm super proud that I reached 30 miles after just having my baby on 10/18. She absolutely loved being outside cuddling with her mama. Hailey - I am proud of pushing myself to get outdoors, and to exercise. I used to live a very stationary life. Chalisa - Getting daddy outside with us for 3 hikes! Dad likes the outdoors too just in a much more relaxed fashion. Think fishing and laying in a hammock. So getting dad to join us this month repeatedly was a real treat. Why should families around the world join in the HiB30 Challenges? Nancy - It's amazing how challenging even 30 miles in 30 days can be. I thought that we definitely did that in a regular month, but it showed me that it may not be the case. I think the challenge is so rewarding and renews your love and appreciation for the outdoors. Hailey - I would tell families to do the HIB30 challenge so their kids can leave the electronics, and start enjoying the WORLD. There is a huge world out there to explore, and it's waiting for YOU! Chalisa - These challenges are a great way for families to unplug and reconnect with each other and the world around them. Did you have a moment when you thought you may not make the goal you set for yourself? How did you get past it? Nancy - I may have had a moment, but it was pretty short lived. I was very motivated to use this challenge to jump start my fitness goals postpartum. Hailey - I am always afraid of failing, but I keep reminding myself that I can do anything, I just have to try!!! So keep pushing yourselves, and you can do this!! Chalisa - We didn't make our mileage goal, but we more than made up for distance with quality time together. During my first challenge and this is my 4th, I recognized that the mileage is for me. After all, it's mostly me carrying him. So the benefits of mileage are mostly mine not his. It's when I put them down to sit, roll around, feel the grass, walk, pick up sticks, splash in puddles, pick up rocks, learn to maneuver the roots and logs, that he really gets all the benefits of being outside. So we use both, the distance for mommy sanity and time for little man's sanity. :) He is after all a remarkably happier babe when he gets his HIB fix regularly!