Emily was home from college for the weekend and we were free of hockey which was rare. She decided that hiking on Super Bowl Sunday after a night of ice and sleet was the perfect way to spend the late morning. So off we went to Ted Stiles Preserve at Baldpate Mountain.

We love hiking and we like a challenge. Unfortunately for us, we live in NJ where challenging hikes don’t exist but we still make the best of it. Our hike definitely became more interesting because of the mud, ice, and what felt like being rained on the entire 7 mile hike due to the ice melting off the trees above. For me, it doesn’t really matter because Emily still asks me to go hiking with her and I’d do it in a hurricane if it meant spending extra time with her.

Best part of hike? The little signs the world throws at you while you’re out there. You just have to look for them and I find it easier to find them in nature as opposed to sitting in traffic or at your desk or on your phone/electronics. Take the time to slow down and unplug once in awhile. To quote a great line from a classic 80s movie:

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

― Ferris Bueller