Happy 7th Birthday to Wandering Pine!
S E V E N . Y E A R S 
Happy New Year! Thank you for being here, from Wandering Pine’s very first post to the 217th post! It’s time to break out the party tooters and root beer to celebrate! It’s always fun to look back on another year of adventure: from art hikes, backpacking across the Grand Canyon, bikepacking, canoeing in the BWCA and many hikes in between – I’m filled with gratitude for your readership and support along the way!
Here’s to an amazing year!
After a nice holiday break- I’m sitting here in my pajamas on New Year’s day, after our First Day Hike, relaxing and reflecting on 2023 in my annual year in review tradition. This year brought several major life transitions and the personal growth that comes with it. A career pivot, Grad School, becoming empty nesters and navigating Perimenopause (IYKYK) have taught me the importance of letting a few things go and resist the urge to set a pile of new intentions for the year. Current plan is to ease into 2024. That being said, Winter is a great time to dream of new adventures!
Ok, do you have your root beer and party tooter? Lets go!
2023 Fun Facts!
Annual Blog Stats:
- Number of posts: 13
- Number of visitors: 40,887
- Number of views: 57,561
- Total words: 25.9k
- All time views (2017-2023): 239,072
Top 5 blog posts:
- Wheal n’ Flare! My Dance with Hikers Rash – originally published in 2018- still my top post with over 29,792 views to date, increasing each year. Go figure!
- Hiking Bean + Bear Lakes
- What’s in My Pack? 5 Day Lightweight Gear List!
- Treat Your Feet! Foot Care For The Trail Part 1
- How to Create Your Own One of A Kind Artpack!
Bonus Stats:
- Number of classes taught: 8
- Number of books read: 23
Looking Back
January
Each year, I make it a tradition to kick off the new year with a hike! Most years are extremely cold and aren’t very long. But ALWAYS worth it. I was in Texas with family this year and kept the tradition going without freezing my face off! We also got to explore Crater of Diamonds State Park on this trip and did some rock hunting! We didn’t find any diamonds, but it was fun to explore a new landscape!
January also kicked off my 5th 52 Hike Challenge and being part of their Over 50 Outside Community. I enjoyed being a part of the program and representing a community of women who love the outdoors and hope to inspire others along the way!
February
I celebrated another trip around the sun with dear friends in the remote hike-in cabins at Tettegouche State Park on Minnesota’s North Shore! It was a quiet welcome to another year with a little watercolor painting by the woodstove, Northern Lights and testing out some new gear for my upcoming Grand Canyon Trip!
March
- How to Create Your Own One of a Kind Art Pack!
- Backpacking in Grand Canyon National Park Part 1
- Backpacking in Grand Canyon National Park Part 2
As an artist, gear hacker and adventurer, I have really enjoyed the process customizing and creating a one-of-a-kind functional work of art in my new Granite Gear backpack . Embellishing my own ARTPACK has created an opportunity to combine two things I love and was such a fun challenge! People ask me about materials and if it is still water/rainproof. So, I sat down to create a little guide and hope to inspire others to express their creativity in their outdoor adventures!
March also brought a once in a lifetime trip backpacking in Grand Canyon National Park. We started off at the South Rim in snow and had temps in the 80-90’s at the bottom! The North Rim was closed due to trail damage, but we had a fantastic 5 day trip that included one night that was off corridor (the main trail). I trained in snow and with much heavier weights and pack load than I typically do- and it really helped, especially on the inclines. I painted every day of the trip and took my time to savor the beauty of this magnificent place. I’m still swooning over the colors of the Canyon, it was one of the coolest places I’ve ever seen!
April
- Whats in my pack- 5 Day Lightweight Gear List Grand Canyon Edition
- Whats in my pack- 5 Day Lightweight Gear List Grand Canyon -YouTube
- Painting and Backpacking in the Grand Canyon – YouTube
In April, I published my gear post and two youtube videos that features the highlights from our trip and a gear dump on our last night below the rim.
I also did a little Spring trail cleaning and kicked off my 2023 class season with four classes:
- Backpacking Essentials Class: St Paul College
- The 4 P’s and Backcountry Hygiene Class: St Paul College
- Backpacking Essentials Class: Kula Academy
- The 4 P’s and Backcountry Hygiene Class: Kula Academy
I love teaching classes that focus on cultivating creativity and skills that help build confidence in the outdoors. I look forward to offering more in the future.
May
May is a great time to kick off the outdoor adventure season in the midwest. We had an extended winter with record breaking levels of snow in some parts of the state, so it was still a little soggy in May. I posted a series of hiking tips on my social channels and rounded them all up in one reference post from the Wandering Pine archives.
We also had a family camping trip, and celebrated the 10 year anniversary of Thrive Women’s Outdoor Adventures with a party at Willow River State Park. Happy Birthday Thrive!
June
- No posts this month
- Watercolor Adventure Journaling Class-Kula Academy
- Watercolor Adventure Journaling Art Hike-Silverwood Park, MN – Kula Academy
June brought two more art journaling classes, day hikes close to home and lots of time working in the garden. My husband and I had a lovely getaway to Grand Marais, Grand Portage and Lake Superior’s North Shore. I also spent time training for our upcoming Backpacking and Bikepacking trips with longer and heavier rides- loading up my back and bike and using my car as little as possible for commuting and errands.
July
- Hiking Bean and Bear Lakes
- Bikepacking the Elroy Sparta State Trail
- Watercolor Adventure Journaling- Winona, MN – Sanborn Canoefest
- Art Booth- Winona, MN – Sanborn Canoefest
July brought a short trip on the Superior Hiking Trail, a sprained ankle, visit to the ortho and a bikepacking adventure on the Sparta Elroy Trail- in that order! I was thankful that my injury was minor, even though we had to cut our trip a day or two short- I was cleared and back in the saddle for our Bikepacking trip 10 days later! Whew!
At the end of the month, my husband and I enjoyed some time camping together and running an art booth and watercolor journaling class at Sanborn Canoe’s Annual Outdoor Festival in Winona, MN. We hope to do it again!
August
- No posts this month
- Watercolor Adventure Journaling Art Hike-Willow River State Park, WI – Thrive Outdoor Women’s Adventures
I enjoyed hosting one last Art hike of the season with Thrive and squeezing in another family camping trip at Willow River State Park. August also brought more paddling and practice carrying a portage pack for our upcoming BWCA trip in September with Thrive.
September
- no posts this month
I had the privilege of being a co-leader for the annual Fall Thrive BWCA trip with my friend Pam of Soka Outdoors. She’s a seasoned wilderness guide and exactly who you want to go with on your first trip! We challenged ourselves, went to bed with tired bodies every night and saw some of the most beautiful wilderness that Minnesota has to offer. I have wanted to experience a canoe trip in the Boundary Waters for a very long time and was grateful to have had the experience!
September also brought several life changes including a new job, grad school, and our youngest son starting college and leaving home. <3
October
- Traveling by Canoe in A Million Acre Wilderness- Part 1
- Traveling by Canoe in A Million Acre Wilderness- Part 2
Settling into the new job and school and published the trip reports of our BWCA adventure! I’m re-learning about formal APA style writing, keeping my nose in my textbooks and focusing on what’s important. I completed my 5th 52 hike challenge and celebrated with a trip to Duluth with my sister to hike a little on the Superior HIking Trail and ring the Enger Tower Peace Bell.
November
What happens when you haven’t ridden your bike at all for 6 weeks and then decide to ride your longest distance in one day before the snow flies? Check out this post!
I also made the decision to transition out of my role as a Minnesota Women Who Hike Ambassador after almost 6 years. I love our WWHMN community and it has been wonderful to watch it grow from our very first group hike to over 27,000 Facebook members! I’m looking forward to continuing as a community member and seeing the growth and fresh perspective that Ruth and the two new Ambassadors will bring. Are you looking for hiking buddies? We’ve got em!
December
- 52 Hike Challenge – Hiking Once A Week All Year Long!
- Year in Review
- Art Booth- Mercy Holiday Market
I wrapped up the year with a winter solstice hike, extended time with family and friends, learning about Sashiko and Boro mending techniques and painting a friend’s beloved collection of dresses. I also enjoyed being in my 3rd Mercy Holiday Market and feeling the joy of my paintings and prints being given as gifts and living in their new homes!
Looking Forward
2023 was another full year of personal growth, adventure and adjusting with the ups and downs of life. I feel blessed to have been able to teach more classes, focus on my personal art journaling practice and successfully navigate some pretty big life shifts! It’s hard to let things go, but having the courage to do so, is what creates margin and time for the new!
In 2024, I’m looking forward to a couple of bikepacking and backpacking trips, completing my graduate program and digging into the new set of acrylic paint and canvases I gifted myself! It was such a joy to meet so many of you in person and in online classes this year, and I value the connection and community we share. Thank you for being here!
What are you looking forward to in 2024? Are you heading out on a big trip? Building your outdoor skills and spend more time outside? Cultivating your creativity? I’d love to hear about it! Drop me a note in the comments or join the Wandering Pine FB or IG to continue the conversation! Hearing from you is always encouraging and really keeps things going around here.
Thank you for being part of another amazing year here at Wandering Pine. Wishing you a blessed New Year full of good health, hope and new adventures!
~WP