As everyone in the northeast knows, the air quality is terrible due to the fires in Canada and Minnesota. It is unpleasant, but it affects my ability to function much less than the heat and humidity.
Next topic. Some of you know I signed up for the Onekama 30-day Challenge. This is just to help motivate me to get into shape for the longish hike I hope to do this fall. At 78, I can't just "wing it" the way I used to be able to do without conditioning.
So I set my goal for the challenge to hike 100 miles in those 30 days. That's 25 miles a week. Today is the end of the first week, and I needed 6+ miles. I could NOT make myself to get up and hike early- besides, it was already hot in the morning. Then it got hotter. Then the air quality went bonkers due to the fires in Canada and Minnesota. But the smoke blotted out the sun enough that the temperature declined to 82°. Still not great, but better than it was all day.
So... I headed out at 6 pm to get my 6 miles.
What the heck? Someone's been using spray paint in the woods?
Then I saw spots like this all over. Then I realized there were also stripes on the trees. It's the sunlight from the very orange sun through the haze!
Just for fun, I saw little orange mushrooms.
And other little orange mushrooms.
And the evening sun trying to shine through the haze.
A great horned owl flew across the trail in front of me, but no picture.
How'd I do? Got my first 25 miles.
Miles walked in 2026: 213.1
Miles walked for the Onekama Challenge: 25
Miles walked for Hike 100 Challenge: 76
North Country Trail, Lake County, MI, from Timber Creek to 8th St and back and a little more.
In other news: I stayed inside and edited a lot.
 | See The Small of Orange |
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