Hiking the Annie Louise Wilkerson MD Nature Preserve

I just recently visited the Annie Louise Wilkerson MD Nature Preserve in Raleigh, NC and really like the way this park has been maintained!  It has several trails including a forest loop, a meadow walk that leads to a farm pond, and another trail that has large rocks beside the path.

The land for this park was left by Dr. Annie Wilkerson and has a total of 157 acres in North Raleigh off Raven Ridge Road. 

When it first opened, I checked out all the trails and my personal favorite was through the forest, down the meadow, past the farm pond, and then heading for the rock outcropping.  There seemed to be a problem within the first year with fire ants and, at one point through the meadow, I got bites on my feet and ankles (I had on shoes and socks!).

This park is very family friendly with programs for children, including backpacks for them to take on their hike with binoculars, a magnifying glass, compass, etc.

Another trail has been added to the forest loop which takes you to Falls Lake.

Rock Formation in Annie Louise Wilkerson MD Nature Preserve



I took my Day Hiker Bag, along with my favorite snack of Orchard Blend by Earth's Pride (available at BJ's).  I just sealed about 1 ounce of mix in a sandwich bag and then placed it in the sandwich/snack bag.  Of course I also brought my water and just hiked around for about 1 hour - what a great way to de-stress but be sure to bring your insect repellant!

The Day Hiker Pattern is Now Available

I just got the Day Hiker Bag Pattern uploaded to the site and am happy with the response I have gotten to this new bag! 

I do a lot of day hiking around Raleigh, NC and I wanted something to carry my water, my keys, my map of the Falls Lake trails, and my phone.  I also did not want it to be large or heavy and I also wanted a surface inside that could be wiped clean.

After testing out the prototype on an intense hike, I went to Florida to get photos of my model, Sheena, with the bag.  She is such a good sport because the mosquitoes were fierce and it's hard to hold still when you are being eaten up!

Sheena with the Day Hiker Bag Pattern

 

 

I saw this in my yard even before leaving for my hike!

 

I will be posting more hiking adventures with my Day Hiker Bag Pattern!

 

 



 

 



 



The Day Hiker Bag Pattern - Almost Ready!

The Day Hiker Bag Pattern is in the hands of my trusted pattern tester, Peggy and she is hard at work going over the pattern extensively!

This is my favorite part of the design process - just before launch and almost ready to go!  I personally took this bag on day hiking trips and it performed well with  easy access to cool water and snacks that weren't soggy (thank you, Insul-Bright insulation!).

I am hoping to have everything ready by the end of this week with uploads to ePurse Patterns and Etsy.

If you would like to be notified, just contact me at Henny Penny Patterns and I will let you know when this bag pattern is released!

New Pattern in the Works for Henny Penny Patterns

I am in the process of writing a pattern for a bag that can carry what I need for a day hike. This pattern has a cross body strap (adjustable), water resistant fabric inside, and a handy elastic strap to hold your bottle of water in place.

It also has a front map/brochure pocket, a back pocket big enough for a smart phone, and a lanyard that attaches to the handle to hold your keys securely in the front pocket.  Instructions are also included for a sandwich/snack bag that has outer water resistant fabric (to protect your food from the sweating water bottle!).

Best of all, this bag is lined with Insul-Bright, which helps keep your water and food cold!



This pattern will be released in mid-July in a downloadable format and will be called The Day Hiker Bag Pattern so, if you are interested to know when it is ready, just shoot me an e-mail!

Inside bag with sandwich/snack bag and water bottle