Take a Breather- A Virtual Hike 4.5.20

Join the #wehiketoo movement from anywhere in the world with us again this week! Last Sunday we hosted our first virtual hike and we had more than 30 people outside in nature getting their hike on! It was a huge success and we are excited to keep it going through this time of social distancing!

With everything going on right now,  getting outside in nature is one of the best things we can do for ourselves! With most of the world on a stay at home order, it is vital that we get fresh air, sunlight and exercise to maintain our mental health. All stay at home orders strongly encourage going for walks outside and it is important that we do so.

Nature is very therapeutic and should be an outlet that you are utilizing right now to combat stress and anxiety. Furthermore exercise, hiking and being in nature are natural immune boosters.  Let’s all keep our physical distance from one another while allowing nature to be our therapy.  Join us this Sunday, step outside, take a breather and let’s get our lives back in order!

How to Hike Virtually With Us:

1. Register as a virtual hiker
2. Commit to taking a 1-3 mile walk outside this Sunday 4.5.20
3. During your walk take a photo or video and post to instagram or Facebook and tag us @Blackpeoplewhohike and use the hashtag #takeabreather
4. Optional: Tune into @Blackpeoplewhohike Instagram Live between 9am-11am and participate in our hike with comments, questions and the opportunity to request in Live!

How to Hike In Person With Us: 

For anyone local to St. Louis who want to participate is safe but intimate hike. We will be hiking while practicing social distancing. We have 3 virtual hikes going on simultaneously. Each hike is at a different location and is limited to 5 people per hike.

We have  3 different hikes going on at 3 different locations. Each hike meets up at 8:30am and starts promptly at 9am:

• 5 Mile Hike @ Don Robinson State Park
• 5 Mile Hike @ Weldon Springs Conservation Area
• 7 Mile Hike @ Young Conservation Area

Continue reading below for more information on each hike. Registration closes Saturday at 3pm.

Hiking is purely donation based. Any monetary amount donated goes to helping the organization with providing snacks, drinks, marketing, administration expenses and allowing us to push forward the #wehiketoo movement through weekly hikes! Donations can be made $Cashapp to $blackpeoplewhohike or here through the ticketing registration.

Continue reading for everything you need to know about our St. Louis hikes for Sunday!

1. Our Hike: Depending on the trail you register for you will hike 5-7 miles. Each hike should take about 3-4 hours with stops.
2. Meet Up: The exact meetup location will be emailed out Saturday evening to everyone that registered. Please continue below to register.
3. Social Distancing: Each group will be limited to 5 people and hikers are required to keep a distance of 6 feet between them at all times. Hikes will begin on time and we will not be accepting walkups.
4. Agenda: Meetup 8:30am, commence hike at 9:00am. Hikes will start promptly on time. If you are late it will be your responsibility to catch up with the group.
5. Arriving Late. Please look up the location of the park the night before and allow yourself plenty of time to get there the morning of. We will not hold the group up waiting on people. If you are late it will be your responsibility to catch up with the group.
6. Things to Bring/Must Haves: comfortable clothes, comfortable shoes (hiking shoes/boots or sneakers with good traction) a jacket, water and bug spray. It is important to hike in comfortable shoes whether those are hiking boots or tennis shoes. If you are wearing sneakers I wouldn’t recommend wearing your nicest ones as they will get dirty. Dress warm and layer up! You will also want to bring light snacks and a backpack to hold everything.I always recommend bringing an extra change of clothes, shoes and socks to keep in your car in case it is muddy. Additionally, a towel and wet wipes may be helpful.
7. About Each Hike: 
   1. Don Robinson State Park: 4 mile loop trail with 498 ft elevation gain. Includes creek crossing, waterfalls and a canyon. Located in Cedar Hill, MO.
   2. Weldon Spring Conservation Area: 5 mile loop trail with 564 ft elevation gain. Includes steep inclines, a view overlooking the Missouri River. Located in St. Charles, MO.
   3. Young Conservation Area: 7 mile loop trail with 738 ft elevation gain. Includes lots of steep inclines, creek crossing, waterfalls. May be muddy.  Located in Eureka, MO.
8. What to Expect: The total hike should take about 3-4 hours and depending on the time you start you should wrap up around 1pm. Each group will have a hike leader that will guide them throughout the trail.  Throughout the hike the group will stop for photos and rest breaks. There may or may not be a bathroom on site, so please stop and use the restroom prior to arriving. It is possible that some areas of the trail may be muddy and dirty. Please dress accordingly. The trails are one big loop and will take you back to where we first started. Once we start the hike you will not have the opportunity to go back to your car to we finish.
9. The environment: These hikes are meant to be relaxing, therapeutic, but physically challenging. We encourage being adventurous and having fun but we also encourage safety and respect for others. Please keep your distance and respect everyones space.
10. Weather: The forecast for Sunday is predicted right now at a high of 60 and low of 49. I would recommend layering up with at least three layers. The first layer you want to avoid cotton as cotton can you make you colder. Your outer layer should be a jacket that you can take off if you decide too once it warms up. I also recommend packing gloves, hat or ear warmers and dressing in two pairs of tall socks.
11. Lunch: Lunch You will be responsible for packing your own lunch, snacks and water. We highly recommend packing plant based snacks such as fresh fruit, nuts, and granola bars, We recommend avoiding anything heavy, greasy, fried as it will slow you down on the hike. Plant based snacks provide nutrients and energy that will be needed for your hike.
12. About Us: @blackpeoplewhohike was created to inspire people of color to step out of their comfort zones and get active outside! We meet every Sunday morning at a different location in the St. Louis area. Current Sunday Funday activities have included hiking, rock climbing, kayaking and hot yoga! Future Sunday Funday actives include bicycling, skiing and zip lining. We have new people that join each week who are new to these various activities and we welcome that! This group is all about new experiences! We are on Instagram at @blackpeoplewhohike. If you are not already following us, please do so here! @Blackpeoplewhohike You can also follow us on Facebook here @Blackpeoplewhohike !

@Blackpeoplewhohike is a group of friends and perspective friends who enjoy hiking and other activities together. It is not a professional event planning or guide service that assumes any responsibility for your safety.