Let’s #TakeAHike with #MerrellCanada

 It’s been nearly a year and a half since I gave up running so it still seems odd to me not to be training (or thinking about training) for an upcoming race. The good news above giving up running is that it has left me open for all sorts of other fun outdoor activities. Biking, SUP’ing and new to the list this year – hiking!

My BFF’s and I have been talking for months about all the hikes we want to go on this year, and with the free Parks Canada passes thanks to Canada’s 150th birthday, we decided this year was our year!

Not only is hiking a great form of low impact, lower intensity (depending on the hike!) cardio, it also provides a wonderful way to connect with nature (a proven stress reducer), and is really accessible to a large majority of the population. With so many different hiking trails, you can find one to suit every fitness level, and with so little equipment needed it’s a wonderful, low-cost sport to take up.

It’s a little embarrassing to admit but some of the best-known hiking trails right here in Kings County I’ve never stepped foot on. Probably the most well known being Cape Split. We’ve been saying for at least three years that we are going to hike it together, though I think everyone else has done the hike before so I’m the only dork who hasn’t. So it was quite serendipitous when Merrell Canada contacted me to challenge myself and three friends to get together and #TakeAHike in their Siren Sport Q2 shoes.

Of all the perks of being a blogger, it’s the ones that I get to share with family and friends that I enjoy the most. It was such fun asking the girls for their shoe sizes and asking them if they wanted a brand new pair of Merrell hiking shoes in order to #TakeAHike with me!

The Merrell Siren Sport Q2’s were designed especially for women. The waterproof hiker is engineered for the way women move, offering support, alignment, and gender-specific stability! Merrell has taken into consideration the Q-Angle (Quadriceps Angle) which is the angle between the hip and the knee. Because women have a lower centre of gravity and wider hips than men, our Q-Angle is more pronounced which stretches the inner ligaments and creates a cycle of supination and pronation.

Merrell has combined a supportive and naturally aligning midsole with properly sequenced cushioning creating a technology that is 100% tailor to us (the ladies) and how we move.

Because Spring has been a bit slow in arriving here in Nova Scotia, Cape Split is still pretty mucky (according to my brother-in-law & his wife who were there just last week) so we decided to try out our new hiking shoes at a couple drier locations before heading there – hopefully in a few more weeks.

First up was Miner’s Marsh in Kentville a week and a half ago.

That was the first really nice day we have had this spring and we weren’t the only ones excited to get out and enjoy some fresh air. Not only were there lots of people out there was also some wildlife checking things out. We saw ducks and geese,

a red-winged blackbird (though you’ll have to take my word for it since I didn’t have my telephoto lens on at the time)

and a couple little frogs (though this is the only one who was willing to be photographed).

We really couldn’t get over just how beautiful it was out, or how much the ground had dried up in only a few short days.

And that sky, it seemed extra blue and was extra lovely.

While it wasn’t much of a challenging hike, it was still really beautiful and the perfect way to kick off spring. I mean just look at that view.

We decided to up the ante a bit this past weekend and headed to the Research Station for a proper hike in the woods.

Another gorgeous day and a beautiful trail to have some fun with friends on Good Friday before the busyness of Easter Weekend got underway.

Nothing says fun like hanging out on 5 foot high tree stumps,

climbing a big hill to check out a random little cave,

or balancing on a fallen log!

Please ignore my improper form, sometimes shortcuts are made when you are trying not to fall off a log. 😉

We were out for around 1 1/2 hours and saw lots of other people (and dogs!) out also enjoying the weather, and while it was my first time hiking there, it certainly won’t be my last. It was so beautiful, and a great place to take photos!

New sneakers can always be a bit of a gamble, especially if it’s a brand you haven’t worn before. I have Merrell winter boots so I already was a fan, but this easy hike reinforced in my mind that Merrell footwear is high quality and are built for outdoor adventures.

It was nice to not have to worry about traction when climbing hills, balancing on trees and scurrying over patches of ice that had not yet melted. In the past I’ve always worn, worn out running sneakers when hiking which are probably the worst thing you can wear since you slip and slide everywhere. But no more! Now that I have proper footwear for the sport I can spend more time enjoying the surroundings, and less time worrying about falling and slipping.

We are all so excited about this summer and all the hikes we are going to go on with our awesome new shoes. In fact, we have a list, and I don’t know if we’ll get through them all, but we are on a mission to mark off as many as we can!

If you are a Nova Scotian and looking to add some hikes to your summer Bucket List we found a few on this  17 Hikes in Nova Scotia You Need To Add To Your Bucket List This Spring which might give you some ideas.

Up next for us? Hopefully Cape Split, but if not there we have a few more local hikes in mind that we are excited to check out! Either way, you can be sure I’ll be documenting it all both here and/or on Instagram.

Win A Pair of Merrell Shoes!

Over on Instagram, if you use the hashtags #MerrellCanada and #TakeAHike when you post your latest hiking adventures, you will automatically be entered to win a free pair of MOAB2 or Siren Sport Q2 shoes, which they are giving away daily!

Not on Instagram? You can also enter to win a weekly “Take a Hike” prize pack on their website by visiting this link

Where To Buy

Not feeling lucky? You can purchase Merrell footwear at Sport Chek locations or online at www.sportcheck.ca.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for Merrell Canada. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.