Challenge The National Parks! Week 1
Challenge The National Parks! Hike Week 1 is in full swing. How far has your team traveled through the National Parks this week? Have you signed up yet?
What’s the Challenge?
The challenge allows you to hike through the trails of our National Parks. Hikers complete the trail mileage as well as a “Special Forces Challenge”. Each Park’s mileage/challenge must be completed and logged by MissionFiT before hiking the next park.
Team Standings:
- Team “A-Mays-ing Hikers”
2. The Seelig Family
3. The Childers Family
4. The Schlottman Family
5. The Bishop Family
…….
Let’s take a look at four National Parks highlighted this week:
Congaree National Park
Canoeing on Cedar Creek in Congaree National Park
Mileage Challenge: 23 miles
Trail breakdown: Boardwalk Loop Trail – Green – 2.5 miles Weston Lake Loop Trail – Green – 4.5 miles Oakridge Trail – Green – 6 miles River Trail – Green – 10 miles.
Special Forces Challenge: 1 minute team push-up challenge
Dry Tortugas National Park
Dive Site in Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida
Mileage Challenge: 8.5 miles
Trail breakdown: Fort Jefferson Loop – Green = 1/2 mile; Bush Key Trail – Green = 1 mile; Islands Kayak Tour (even though we’re on foot) = 6 miles; Snorkeling around the islands = 1 mile.
Special Forces Challenge: 1 minute team jumping jack challenge
Everglades National Park
Grass Pink Orchid – An Example of Flora in the Everglades
Mileage Challenge: 11 Miles
Royal Palm Hammock (Learn more about Hammocks)
Anhinga Trail – 1 Mile; Gumbo Limbo Trail – 1/2 Mile; Mahogany Hammock – 1/2 Mile
Long Pine Key
Pineland Trail-1/2 Mile
Flamingo
Snake Bight/Rowdy Bend Trail – 7.5 Miles
Shark Valley
Bobcat Boardwalk Trail – 1/2 Mile; Otter Cave Hammock – 1/2
Special Forces Challenge: Psalm 1
Read Psalm 1 and think about the Psalm (as a family as possible). Read these thoughts as a start.
Who Influences Me? Note the progression in verse 1. From walking, to standing, to sitting. You walk beside the wrong crowd and before you know it, you are standing with them. Finally, you are sitting with them and your lifestyle and way of thinking is indistinguishable from theirs. Through the media, through our workplaces, in society, someone is trying to influence you. Are you being shaped by the “wicked” or the “righteous” (the two groups in this psalm)? Who is influencing you? Who are you influencing? Is the influence for good or evil?
Virgin Islands National Park
Yawzi Ruins Virgin Islands National Park
Mileage Challenge: 9.5 miles
Hiking is one of the most popular activities on St. John. Virgin Islands National Park provides a wide variety of hiking experiences and more than 20 trails to choose from but our focus is on four trails.
Trail breakdown: Ram Head Trail – 2 miles Reef Bay Trail – 4.5 miles Carambola Tide Pools – 2 miles Frances Bay Trail – 1 mile.
Special Forces Challenge: 10 minutes of meditation or quiet time for adults, 5 for kids.
Register Your Team
There’s still time to lace up your boots and start hiking the trail lengths of these and other National Parks. Learn more here or register your team now!
