April 2026 Newsletter
Staying Fit, Sociably
Sunday hikes start at 2:30 pm, go approx. 5 miles, last 1 1⁄2 – 2 hrs.
Tuesday hikes start at 07:00 pm, go approx. 3 miles, last about 1 hour.
The SPHC walks at a moderate speed of 2.5 -3.5 mph. (17-24 min. mile)
Hikers are expected to maintain that pace. Hikes start on time.
KNOCK, knock, Who’s there?
April. April who?
April Fools !!
Pink Moon: A full Micro moon occurs on April 1 at
9.12 PM. The Pink Moon gets its name from pink
wildflowers that bloom in the early spring.
HAPPY April BIRTHDAYS TO...
04/02 Kieran Duncan, 04/15 Charlotte Svobodny, 04/21 Barb Fitzpatrick
2026 MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS..
Annual membership dues are due March 1st.
$20.00 gets you an e-mailed copy of the Trailblazer and $25.00 a mailed copy.
Make checks payable to: St. Paul Hiking Club and mail to:
Rose Nelson, 2393 Eldridge Ave E., North St Paul, MN 55109.
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS:
Mike Fish
SPHC hiking miles through February = 1127 (Members 1113, Guests 14)
1127 miles is the approximate driving distance from St Paul to Atlanta.
National Walking Day is on the first Wednesday of April each year.
The day is promoted by the American Heart Association to encourage people to incorporate more walking into their daily routines for better heart and overall health.
A walk is not just good for your body, it’s good for your soul.
SPHC Challenge:
At present, Patty Peterson is only person in the SPHC’s 100 Club.
Earned by completing 100 hikes in a row
All hiking stats through February 2026 …
HIKE LEADERS WITH MILEAGE:
Vicky Beutel 58, Sharon Heaton 58, Vic Fickling 53, Viv Fickling 53, Sandy Herlick 51, Bernie Wildes 51, Patty Peterson 49, Brock Herlick 44, Jane Boyer 42, Jean Diekmann 40, Scott Lee 40, Shirley Lee 39, Aaron Erickson 36, Dave Van Wyk 36, Bryana Garcia 34, Judy Nelson 32, Cheryl Osborne 32, Bonnie Wold 31, Don Crawford 29, Sue Crawford 29
The average hike temperature was 25F:
Bob Tholkes’ hike on St Paul’s west side on January 25 was the coldest hike at 4 F:
Emily Peterson’s hike from the Washburn Library in Minneapolis on February 15 was the warmest at 51 F.
Vicky Beutel’s Hike from Rice Lake Elementary School in Lino Lakes had the most participants with 26 hikers.
The average Sunday hike had 21 people.
The average Tuesday hike had 17 people
April in MN is a vibrant time for birding,
marked by the arrival of early migrants like Canada Geese,
Bald Eagles and the Yellow-rumped Warbler,
plus species like Song Sparrows, signaling spring’s full arrival.
Earth day, April 22, 2024 No Earth, No Life.