Four days, 33 miles, toads, sweat, hills, beauty.

Frontenac State Park, MN on Lake Pepin

Memorial Day weekend is over and I'm proud to say, Team Roger got in 33-miles of practice/training hikes in four days. We tried to hit every kind of terrain and weather we might find on the Rob Roy Way, and we certainly found the hills if not Highland mountains. One thing we feel fairly certain about is that we probably won't hit 90-degrees in Scotland. We can't rule out anything, of course, but the muggy, buggy Minnesota summer isn't likely to follow us across the pond. (70's and sunny would be lovely, however!) The last blog went into flooded detail about our Friday hike of nine miles at Old Cedar Avenue Bridge.

Saturday was supposed to be longer but was another nine-miler in, literally, our very favorite Minnesota State Park. Frontenac SP is in the southeast almost-corner of Minnesota along Lake Pepin (a large, wide lake formed by and in the Mississippi River) and is just plain a beautiful place. Betty and I find it has the most peaceful spirit along with many many steps down to the lake and river and back up, bluff walks, and the feeling you're walking through an enchanted green fairy realm with moss-covered rocks, logs, and fern-filled valleys. 

 

Enchanted Forest

Cap and Betty in a little Fern Gully

We made our longest hike of 11.5 miles on Sunday at an urban park reserve called Elm Creek. This was our hottest walk although it began in a slight rain. Cap and Scout scoffed at any use of rain gear, but Betty and I just had to model our Patagonia and Frogg Toggs storm couture. 

This was a hike filled with lovely water, woods and prairie, goofing around, breaking the rules, and some wildlife. Check out my little toad friend, our flying trumpeter swans, the Trail Closed sign and Cap and I with our fancy hats.

My toad friend was not amused.

Trumpeter swans taking flight.

Trail Closed. We went through anyway.

A

Babs' and Cap's next Christmas card pic for sure.

Finally, on Monday--Memorial Day--we made our shortest hike of 5.5 miles. This was a true test of Betty's grit since one of her toe blisters re-opened when the blister bandages slipped and got stuck to her sock, causing sharp stabbing toe pain. But, she made it with flying colors--and several walks downhill backward! This was the hilliest hike we've done in Minnesota. Fitbit declared we climbed 1200 floors. Every time we went down a hill we could see the next one dead ahead. Mind you, these were not long slogs, but they were steep. Scout loved them. Cap loved them. Babs liked the calories burned, and Betty just kept repeating her second-favorite mantra (which we will cover in later episodes) "D---it, Jan."

Aftermath of hills in the heat

Betty backward down the hill.

But--all-in-all it was a super-successful training run. We are now only 8.5 days away from leaving and we are all but ready. We certainly are excited. All that's left is to pack our bags for the final time, bring my orchid plants to my mother's house (Granny Grace) for plant sitting, and Cap and I have to hire someone to visit our house several times to make sure the mice aren't living in the kitchen. 

Next time: Scotch. Promise.