day hike!
đź“Ť watson heritage area!
mother nature provided a brief mid-february respite from frigid winter temps so southern minnesota guy & i took off our coats, put on our hiking shoes, and drove to a lovely wildlife area in palo alto county in northwest iowa — traditional territory of the Wahpeton, Yankton, and Očhéthi Šakówiŋ nations.
our vehicle’s gps directed us to what turned out to be parking for the “birding drive” rather than the actual hiking trail. not knowing any better, we started hiking along tire tracks toward the river. eventually those tracks ran out, forcing us to cut across the tallgrass prairie into the woods where we finally encountered the actual trail.
after the fact, we discovered the parking area to access the trail directly is at 43°05'13.1" north 94°42'31.0" west. you live and you learn, right?
my trail name’s mythic and in 2026 i’m continuing my multi-year thru-hike (m.y.t.h.) of the pacific crest trail. as i prepare to return to the pct (and hopefully tackle other section- and thru-hikes in the future), i'm going on day hikes to help keep in trail shape!
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