The Neurotic Wanderer

Hanging Gardens (No Official Trail) I really tend to be a creature of habit. I often struggle to go outside of my comfort zone (part of that is fear which I will touch on in a later post). However, I know that variety is the spice to life so to speak and I'm grateful to have friends who challenge me to try new things. With that being said, I have create a list of trails that I would like to try this year, in addition to the trails I have found to be tried and true. New To Me Trails: Camelback Mountain (which I was lucky enough to complete with the family already) Wave Cave Trail- Superstition Mountains Hieroglyphic Trail- Superstition Wilderness Seven Falls Trail- Sabino Canyon Recreation Area Lava River Cave- Coconino National Forest Kendrick Mountain Southside Trail- Kendrick Mountain Wilderness Picacho Peak- Picacho Peak State Park Passage 1 of AZ Trail: Huachuca Mountains A lot of the trails mentioned I actually took from the 52 Hike Challenge Guide, so sho...

January 7, 2017 My first hike! The Brownlow trail, nothing too strenuous but a solid four miles. I would rate the hike itself about a 3/10 in difficulty. There were some gentle inclines and declines but nothing major. The pup was happy to be out since we hadn't done a longer hike in quite some time. I don't take any music with me since I just like to listen to everything going on around me to and to make sure that I am interacting with my dog. Being the paranoid individual that I am, I also like to make sure that no one is sneaking up on me and to stay aware of my surroundings. This girl isn't going to end up on one of those true crime shows. I thank my mom for that particular brand of paranoia. As we were walking, I made some mental notes of things that I didn't bring but that I needed to make sure that I kept in my hiking pack for the future. Hand sanitizer Lip balm Hand lotion A notepad Pen On this hike, I just took my small hiking pack and packed with ...

So today marks the start of this blog. I am hoping that this will provide a motivational outlet for me to stay on track with the 52 Hike Challenge, which I have decided to undertake this year. I have always enjoyed being outside and being active but I also find myself getting overwhelmed with my other hobbies. I could easily spend an entire weekend playing xbox or catching up on all of my "stories", but at the end will feel guilty for not spending enough time with my dog or hitting some trails. Hence, the challenge and needing to be held accountable. I would consider myself an intermediate hiker. Based on the 51 Hike Challenge website, that would put me at between 10-20 hikes per year. The level of hikes vary from flat, with minimal difficulty to hiking in and out of the Grand Canyon. I usually go on Day hikes but have enjoyed a two to three day hike here and there.  I have a dog and who will occasionally accompany me on my hikes, however, she isn't the most well ...