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Bigfoot in Pennsylvania. Photo by Joan Young.
By Joan Young, Contributing Writer
Are you one of the people who doesn’t always find just going outside to be satisfaction enough? There’s no shame in that. Not everyone is wired the same. But there are a lot of ways to increase the gaming-type rewards or the silliness/fun factor.
Of course there are the classic pursuits: birdwatching, plant/flower identification, climbing, running, paddling, cycling, completing long trails, waterfall chasing, or peak bagging. I’m just going to suggest a few other ideas.
Sometimes there are group activities that feature an unusual presence. Each year in Pennsylvania, a group hosts a Bigfoot hike. The hikers who spot Bigfoot get an extra award. I happened to be in the right place at the right time!
Stella T. Rex on a trail. Photo by Joyce Hodgson
Smokey the Bear has appeared at some local outdoor events.
A patch challenge hike series in New York gives participants five free points if they run into Stella T. Rex in the woods. This one is less structured. The challenge is open for an entire year with multiple hike choices. Stella has to commit to being out on the trails a few times a month, and there’s a random chance of encountering Her Dinosaurness. In theory this motivates people to go out more to increase the likelihood of meeting Stella.
Since we’re on the topic of patches (or stickers, etc), there are multiple types of challenges now available to help with motivation. I’ve previously mentioned the Hike 100 Challenge associated with the North Country Trail. Some states have multiple options. I’m currently in New York, and there is a Finger Lakes mileage challenge. The Canalway Trail offers stickers for various mileage completions. New York State Parks have a sticker for doing 24 different activities from a long checklist. There is also a fee-based Western NY Challenge patch that supports a different charity each year, and an Adirondack Quest for visiting less-frequented places within the Park. I am sorry to say that I could not find many awards like this in Michigan.
However, there are a couple of challenges that you can do in any location. The Adventure Challenge 365 costs a bit, but you get a patch and a t-shirt for hiking 365 miles in 365 days in any configuration (and a tree planted in your name). See myadventurechallenge.com. The same group offers seasonal challenges, challenges that focus on paddling, biking, hiking with your dog, and the “Ultimate Adventurer” for completing multiple requirements.
Geocaching is becoming a highly popular way to find outdoor entertainment. Now there are not only individual caches, but Geo Art has become a “thing.” There is actually a Geo Art design to find near Crystal Valley. See mi-geocaching.org for over 50 Michigan Geo Art locations. Search YouTube for instructions on how to create Geo Art.
GPS Art or Doodles has also become popular. These are pictures drawn by walking, running, or bicycling and capturing your track with any GPS track recorder app. Steven Lund is possibly the best known GPS artist. His detailed pictures of dinosaurs, fictional characters, and more have made multiple news channels. Simply search for his name or GPS doodling. You can create your own GPS art with various apps including Strava. Just search to create gps doodles and you’ll find many options. To be honest, bicycling is the easiest way to create these pictures because you can make a longer line on one day, although you could certainly record more than one track on different days.
No matter whether you disdain such “artificial” motivators, or if you are a forest bathing purist, I’ll continue to urge you to Get Off The Couch!
GPS Art image of Teddy Bear by Volker Weinlic.
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