Mindful Movement Hiking Meetup

We'll meet at the Jensen Lake Trailhead off of Pilot Knob Road. Then we'll head out toward the south side of Jensen Lake, over the Bridge Pond, and continue south of O'Brien lake. From there, we'll head north to the A-Frame Shelter on the north side of Portage Lake for some dedicated mindfulness time - all the while taking time to appreciate the nature we're walking through along the way.

After our mindfulness time, we'll keep going north around Cattail Lake, north of O'Brien Lake, and then back south a little to return to the Jensen Lake Trailhead via the north side of Jensen Lake, continuing to appreciate the scenery on the way back.

If it's your thing, bring your binoculars. Nature apps such as Merlin or any Peterson guides to help us identify and appreciate the surrounding nature are welcome on this hike. Please leave your furbabies and your children under 18 at home, however.

Additional things to note:

1. A donation is not required to participate in this event, but if you are attending and are able to make a $2 donation to support the cost of this Meetup Group, it is sincerely appreciated.
2. I do not cancel just because of rain, but I will if there is a risk of lighting. Getting wet in the forest can be rather spiritually cleansing, IMHO. As they say, "Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet." Be prepared for whatever the weather or trail may throw at us! If rain will dissuade you from participating, you are expected to cancel at least 18 hours before the start of the event to allow anyone on a waitlist to have enough advanced notice to still be able to participate.
3. By signing up for this hike, you agree to release the organizers and other members of the event from any liability. The trails may be muddy, uneven and have rocks and tree roots that sneak up out of the ground and could trip you :)

Hope to see you on the trail!

We'll meet by the Central Park Rocket Ship by the parking lot off of Lexington Ave. N. We'll then walk around the north side of Bennett Lake, veer off to the East by the tennis courts to cross Victoria St. N. We'll pass along the north side of the ball fields and continue heading due East past the Arboretum to cross Dale St. N. toward the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. From there we will head toward the trails behind the center and the boardwalks within the marsh. At the center boardwalk, we'll stop for some dedicated mindfulness time. Of course, we'll still be taking time to appreciate nature and the scenery along the way.

After our mindfulness time, if it's not too late, we can continue exploring the boardwalks and then head back the way we came, this time passing around the south side of Bennett Lake, continuing to appreciate the environment on the way back.

If it's your thing, bring your binoculars. Nature apps such as Merlin or any Peterson guides to help us identify and appreciate the surrounding nature are welcome on this hike. The marsh area is great for birds. Please leave your furbabies and your children under 18 at home, however.
Additional things to note:

1. A donation is not required to participate in this event, but if you are attending and are able to make a $2 donation to support the cost of this Meetup Group, it is sincerely appreciated.
2. I do not cancel just because of rain, but I will if there is a risk of lighting. Getting wet in the forest can be rather spiritually cleansing, IMHO. As they say, "Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet." Be prepared for whatever the weather or trail may throw at us! If rain will dissuade you from participating, you are expected to cancel at least 18 hours before the start of the event to allow anyone on a waitlist to have enough advanced notice to still be able to participate.
3. By signing up for this hike, you agree to release the organizers and other members of the event from any liability. The trails may be muddy, uneven and have rocks and tree roots that sneak up out of the ground and could trip you :)

Hope to see you on the trail!

When it comes to really appreciating our surroundings, Wood Lake Nature Preserve offers an abundance of opportunities! We'll meet by the Picnic Area off the Lake Shore Drive Parking Lot.

The park has about 2 miles of trails - so this will be a shorter hike where we'll likely do a figure 8 and perhaps take detours when and where inspired. And we'll stop for some dedicated mindfulness time when we find a juicy opportunity.

If you enjoy birds, this is a great place to bring your binoculars, and any other guides you use to help you identify them. We'll definitely take the time to stop and appreciate both the scenery and the wildlife along the way.

Parking at Wood Lake can sometimes be tricky, so come early enough, you can find an alternate spot if the lot is full.

Please leave your furbabies and your children under 18 at home.

Additional things to note:

1. A donation is not required to participate in this event, but if you are attending and are able to make a $2 donation to support the cost of this Meetup Group, it is sincerely appreciated.
2. I do not cancel just because of rain, but I will if there is a risk of lighting. Getting wet in the forest can be rather spiritually cleansing, IMHO. As they say, "Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet." Be prepared for whatever the weather or trail may throw at us! If rain will dissuade you from participating, you are expected to cancel at least 18 hours before the start of the event to allow anyone on a waitlist to have enough advanced notice to still be able to participate.
3. By signing up for this hike, you agree to release the organizers and other members of the event from any liability. The trails may be muddy, uneven and have rocks and tree roots that sneak up out of the ground and could trip you :)

Hope to see you on the trail!

We're getting an early start on this one because parking at Nerstrand Big Woods can be a challenge, and I've tried to time this to coincide with the foliage. Please also note that you'll need a MN State Park permit (day pass or yearly) to attend this hike. Feel free to post in the discussion about carpooling to avoid having to purchase multiple permits and to make parking easier.

We'll meet at the north end of the parking lot just past the Visitor Center off of Highway 29. From there, we'll head south, following the White Oak Trail around until it meets the Beaver Trail. We'll then do the west part of the Beaver Trail loop until it connects with the Fawn Trail. We'll follow the Fawn Trail around until it connects back with the Beaver Trail and heads down to Hidden Falls, where we'll take some dedicated mindfulness time. But we'll be taking time to appreciate the nature we're walking through all the way. We'll continue on the Hidden Falls Trail back to the parking lot.

If it's your thing, bring your binoculars. Nature apps such as Merlin or any Peterson guides to help us identify and appreciate the surrounding nature are welcome on this hike. Please leave your furbabies and your children under 18 at home, however.

If participants want to gather for lunch in Northfield afterward, we can do that, too.

Additional things to note:

1. A donation is not required to participate in this event, but if you are attending and are able to make a $2 donation to support the cost of this Meetup Group, it is sincerely appreciated.
2. I do not cancel just because of rain, but I will if there is a risk of lighting. Getting wet in the forest can be rather spiritually cleansing, IMHO. As they say, "Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet." Be prepared for whatever the weather or trail may throw at us! If rain will dissuade you from participating, you are expected to cancel at least 18 hours before the start of the event to allow anyone on a waitlist to have enough advanced notice to still be able to participate.
3. By signing up for this hike, you agree to release the organizers and other members of the event from any liability. The trails may be muddy, uneven and have rocks and tree roots that sneak up out of the ground and could trip you :)

Hope to see you on the trail!