October 2026 Newsletter
Staying Fit, Sociably
Witching the SPHC a very happy Halloween!
Sunday hikes start at 2:30 pm, go approx. 5 miles, last 1 1⁄2 – 2 hrs.
Tuesday hikes start at 11:30 am, 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.
“If you’ve got it, haunt it!”
HAPPY October BIRTHDAYS TO...
10/4 Bry Garcia, 10/7 Mike Fish, 10/19 Paula Suchy, 10/22 Peter Berglund, 10/23 Lisa Barton, 10/24 Rose Nelson.
Individuals born in October are uniquely special, often embodying a mix of balance,
creativity, and determination, making them truly remarkable.
“Halloween was confusing. All my life my parents said don’t take candy from strangers.”
then they dressed me up and said “go beg for it.”’ - Rita Rodner
Thursday, October 1st 2026 is International Day of Older Persons!
All stats are through August
5011 miles of hiking with the SPHC Members 4887 miles, Guests 124 miles Interstate Highways in the USA. 5011 miles is longer than the length of Hwy I-90 which connects Boston to Seattle (longest east/west highway) and Highway I-95 which connects Miami to the Canadian border (longest north/south highway)
Women of the club 3577 miles, Men 1310 miles.
Top hikers with mileage ... through August.
Sharon Heaton 227, Vicky Beutel 203, Patty Peterson 193, Viv Fickling 183, Shirley Lee 180, Rick Nelson 180, Scott Lee 179, Vic Fickling 167, Rose Nelson 167, Don Crawford 159, Cheryl Osborne 157, Judy Nelson 155, Bernie Wildes 152, Jane Boyer 151, Bryana Garcia 143, Sue Crawford 142, Jean Diekmann 135, Gloria Larson 124, Brock Herlick 121, Wendy Chen 120, Dave Van Wyk 120, Bonnie Wold 113, Sandy Herlick 107, Jean Boyd 103, Aaron Erickson 101
The largest August hike was on the 2nd with 32 people. It went from the Krueger’s Christmas Tree Farm in Lake Elmo. The hike was led by Bonnie Wold.
The August 30th hike led by Jane Boyer and Bernie Wildes was the first hike that went into the new Heights neighborhood on the former Hillcrest Golf Course.
The National Library of Medicine says…
Having an active walking buddy increases your own chance of becoming a walker within six years by 70%
October can be considered “sparrow season" due to the migration of many species.
The Great Horned Owl is the “bird of the month" in some regions. Other notable October birds include the swan, migratory birds like the Swainson's Thrush and Ring-necked Duck, and raptors such as the Peregrine Falcon and Red-tailed Hawk.