We forgot our fancy pillows at the cabin. My second hike of the 52 Challenge ended up being in Shawnee National Forest after a pillow rescue mission.

A week after we stayed at the cabin we took another scenic drive past endless cornfields, picked up the forgotten pillows, and went on another hike. Since this would only be a day trip, we stayed close to the area and tried out the Indian Point Trail tucked away off the road before you reach the often crowded Garden of the Gods.

This was a nice trail for the dogs and offered a lot of variety, including some beautiful green-tinged stone walls. A rather short hike but a good second hike for the challenge. As it is, I now have a few to makeup since the weather turned bitter and windy here in the Midwest.

Hike #2: Indian Point Trail

Length: 1.8 miles

Elevation gain: 209 feet

AllTrails: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/illinois/indian-point-trail

Last weekend I made up a hike in the challenge to stay on track*, taking me to Hike 3! I went back to Cliff Cave Park since it had rained a lot overnight and knew the majority of the park is paved. I plan on hiking longer and only brought Gilbert. Jack is a little older and is done after about 3 miles. I planned on the 5 mile loop but the path was washed out about a mile in and I wasn’t sure how deep the water was to cross in just trail runners.

We ended up doing the short trail by the river that we explored last time then headed up to the overlook area. After cobbling together these sections we did about 4 miles which was a little less than planned but still a nice hike. It’s not the most exciting place to hike but it’s a short drive and a good place to still get out to even when there’s been a ton of rain.

This was also my first time taking my lightweight Cotopaxi sweater out on hike. It’s definitely a new favorite. They offer a lightweight version, which is what I got, or a thicker version, both made from a llama fiber. I decided to start with the lightweight version since I get hot easily and figured I could always layer underneath. You can get $20 off your first order **here.

*This post was part of my 2019 beginning 52 Hike Challenge which has since been tabled until next year.

**This post contains a referral link but is not a sponsored or affiliate post. Be assured I only share what I love and can help with any questions about any item I post 🙂

Last weekend we hiked the Limestone Hill Trail at Mastodon State Historic Site with both of our dogs. This was our puppy Gilbert’s first non-paved hiking path and he absolutely loved it! Since he’s a mini-Aussie, he needs a lot of exercise and entertainment.

I really enjoyed this trail with a mix of rock and smooth path with a little altitude gain for a short trail. It was a pretty wooded area with a small break towards the beginning to pass through a patch of field. Next time I plan on adding the option loop to cover a bit more distance.

I’m also excited that it’s officially beanie season and flannel season. Fall is my favorite time of year and I was getting worried we were going to skip over this year. There’s nothing quite like that slight chill in the air to make for a great hike.