We kicked off the year with a visit to near-to-us Nerstrand Big Woods State Park near Nerstrand, Minnesota. This gorgeous little spot is close to as it was when settlers arrived on the prairies of Minnesota in the mid 1800s. It’s a gorgeous deciduous forest that with a small water fall, Hidden Falls, at its heart. There’s a small campground, picnic area, and a good amount of trails running through the park.

When we got there around 11:30am on January 1st, it was a balmy 8°F. We all bundled up – long johns, snow pants, hats, mitts, boots, the works – and set off, J (at almost 2 years old) in the backpack. The backpack turned out to be a good choice. There wasn’t a ton of snow, but what was under that was a frozen icy slush. Just slippery enough that it would have made our hike really really slow with her on foot.

We probably went about our path in reverse from what we would have done if we’d really studied the map before launching out, but in the end it turned out for the better. The ice on the way up from the falls would have been amazingly tricky heading down rather than up.

Highlights:

• Crunching ice along the path
• Pileated woodpeckers all over, and even a little gopher scampering across the path
• A completely nailed the ice-covered stairs on the path back up from the falls

Lessons learned:

• Always, always, always have snacks along with on a hike. You’d think, after coming on 5 years of momming I’d have this one down. But, no. Put pouches in your pocket. Always worth the bulk.
• Another thing worth the bulk is having J’s pacifier. She’s not off of it yet, and that is what it is. If it’s going to help her have an easier time in the breezy cold, then by all means.

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Alison Bents is a Minnesota photographer specializing in Family and Senior portraits and Wedding Photography. She lives in Rosemount with her husband, two children and dog who have all put up with her lens pointing their way for a long, long time. Alison is now booking 2019 and 2020 weddings and portrait sessions on an ongoing basis. Serving Minneapolis, St. Paul and the greater metro area, she is also available for travel nationwide.