Hike 1 of 52: The 52 Hike Challenge

I don't really make New Year's Resolutions anymore, but I do make goals for myself to try to accomplish in the coming year.  One of those goals is to try to hike every week at least once.  So I signed up for the 52 Hike Challenge.  
There are three different challenge options.  The first is just committing to hike 52 hikes (1 for each week of the year) anywhere you like to hike.  The second option is the adventure series and the third is the explorer series.  I opted for the Adventure series.  





It asks you to complete these 17 specific types of hikes within your 52:

• 5 Waterfalls (even if they are dry)
• 1 Forest (if not possible, go to National Park/ Site)
• 1 National Parks, Monuments, Preserves, Recreation Area or Historic Trail
• 2 Hikes to bodies of water: Lakes, Rivers, or Ocean
• 1 Stewardship hike (pick up trash or join group to help with a restoration project)
• 1 Group hike (if you are regular to one group, visit a new group to meet new people)
• 1 Introduce someone new to hiking (on an easy trail)
• 1 Sunset or Sunrise hike
• 1 Hike from your Bucket list (somewhere you have always wanted to go)
• 3 Reflection hikes (journal at the beginning, middle, and towards the end of your challenge).

The weather here, as with much of the East Coast, has temperatures in the teens.  My area hasn't gotten too much snow, really just about an inch with the "Bomb Cyclone" that came up the coast.  Still, those temps in the teens have kept me in the house. So, I missed the First Day Hike because of the weather.  This made me more determined to get the first hike of 52 accomplished. 
Because the temperature was supposed to rise to the 20's (balmy compared to the weather we've been having), my husband, mother and I planned a short hike.  So yesterday we headed out to Cunningham Falls State Park to do a short mile hike to Cunningham Falls.



I don't think the temperature ever reached 20 degrees.  And I'm pretty sure my husband asked me 5 times if I was sure I really wanted to hike.  But I was/am determined.  So we headed down the trail.  I wanted to get a look at the waterfall frozen.  The trail is only a 1 mile round trip trail.  I'm horribly out of shape and didn't want to push it- plus it was cold. 
It didn't take long to get to the falls.  It was cool to see it frozen, though it wasn't as spectacular as some other ones I've seen photos of. We took a few photos and then headed back towards the car.  We all said we could have gone longer, but the other trail option was more difficult with steeper inclines.  Since I'm so out of shape, I felt it was best to stick with the easier trail.



It felt great to get outside.  Hiking definitely helps clear out the brain funk when you're stuck inside in the winter.  I'm looking forward to the next hike

Me on "Little McAfee Knob"