August 2026 Newsletter
Hello August
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.
“Breathe the sweetness that hovers in August.” - Denise Levertov
HAPPY August BIRTHDAYS TO...
08/2 Maureen McDonnell, 08/08 Liz Delay, 08/11 Anna Clarke, 8/13 Nat Case, 08/17 Vicky Beutel, 08/18 Bernie Wildes, 08/23 Brock Herlick, 08/25 Sue Crawford, 8/25 Linda Koutsky, 8/30 Teresa Buhl, 08/31 Phyllis Swenson.
Be Tick AWARE: There are a variety of tick repellents on the market today. For most effective tick bite prevention, products with the active ingredients DEET, Picaridin, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE)*, or Permethrin are most effective. The CDC recommends using products that are registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Hiking stats for the first half of 2026...
Top 25 hikers with mileage:
Sharon Heaton 175, Patty Peterson 151, Vicky Beutel 148, Viv Fickling 145, Shirley Lee 136, Rick Nelson 136, Scott Lee 134, Vic Fickling 129, Rose Nelson 128, Don Crawford 123, Bernie Wildes 122, Cheryl Osborne 119, Jane Boyer 117, Judy Nelson 112, Bryana Garcia 109, Dave Van Wyk 105, Sue Crawford 104, Jean Diekmann 102, Sandy Herlick 95, Brock Herlick 93, Gloria Larson 90, Aaron Erickson 88, Bonnie Wold 87, Wendy Chen 84, Martha Moore 83
SPHC mileage through June = 3842
Club hikers 3742, Guests 100
That mileage is the approximate distance from St Paul, MN to Hilo, Hawaii
The longest current consecutive hikes streak started on May 10th with 15 straight hikes goes to both Shirley and Scott Lee.
The warmest hike was 86 F on June 30th from Celeste Riley’s house
Highest and Lowest Elevation (feet above sea level) of a hike starting point.
Lowest 737 feet on May 19th on Bernie and Sharon’s hike from the Park and Ride at 432 Point Douglas Road in St Paul.
Highest 1048 feet on January 13th on Judy Nelson’s hike from the Oakdale iHop.
“Club members whose last name starts with ‘B’ have the most mileage with 385
followed by ‘N’ with 376 and ‘H’ with 373”.
SPHC ANNUAL WIENER ROAST...
Will be on Sunday, September 20th. We will meet at the Como Park Fire Rings on Como Ave. (between Hamline & Lexington Pkwy., on the south end of Como Park) The hike will begin at 2:30 pm, followed by the Wiener Roast. The menu: Hot dogs, fruit, chips, s’mores for desert. Bring your own drinks and lawn chair. Cost is $5. payable at the picnic. Contact Terese with questions: 651.261.2123.
August is National Wellness Month,
a time dedicated to taking care of yourself across all dimensions of well-being.
What happens when you walk an hour:
After 2 min. – Blood starts flowing faster, waking up your muscles and brain.
After 5 min. – Heart rate picks up, boosting circulation and oxygen supply.
After 10 min. – joints loosen, stiffness fades, and mood starts lifting.
After 15 min. – Your body burns fat for energy, your stress begins to drop.
After 30 min. – Endorphins kick in, improving mood and lowering anxiety.
After 45 min. – Blood pressure and cholesterol levels start improving.
After 60 min. – Body shifts into fat-burning mode, metabolism stays elevated for hours.
The bird that symbolizes August is the Belted Kingfisher.
The female belted Kingfishers are more brightly colored than the males, which is somewhat of an unusual trait to find in birds