Hiking - Three Dunes Challenge

With some trepidation, I headed over to Trail Eight with Scotty to take on the Three Dunes Challenge. It’s marked as the hardest trail in the area—rugged. The path takes you up three separate sand dunes, which sounded intense from the start. I figured if it got too bad, I could always turn around and head back. The dunes were steep and the sand made every step a workout—but since the trail is only about 1.5 miles, it turned out to be quite doable. The first climb was up Mount Jackson, rising 176 feet above Lake Michigan. Then came Mount Holden, a bit higher at 184 feet. The final dune, Mount Tom, stood tallest at 192 feet, and we reached its summit by way of a staircase. In total, we hiked 1.6 miles in 58 minutes, and now I can proudly say: I completed the Three Dunes Challenge. Sand, sweat, and all—it was worth it.

We decided to bike the Prairie Duneland Trail, a 10-mile paved path. Since my battery wasn’t fully charged, we opted for a five-mile out-and-back ride. The first half of the journey—five miles out—was done without any battery assist. It wasn’t too bad as  trail’s even pavement and shade made it manageable. On the way back, I turned on the pedal assist, which made the return much more relaxed and enjoyable and I was able to beat the 10 year old girl that was gaining on us!!  The trail itself is quiet and smooth, running through woods and behind neighbourhoods and past several neighborhood parks. After our hike and bike ride, we had built up an appetite. We had a late lunch at Val’s Famous Pizza and Grinders. We each loved our sandwiches. Scotty had ‘The Bomb’, a fried dough sandwich filled with beef and cheese. I had an Italian Grinder. You made it back to the trailer just as the skies opened up and we were able to close the windows of the trailer thank goodness.