The Great Outdoors and its soundtrack

Posted at 1:14 PM on May 25, 2011 by Alison Young (4 Comments)

Tune in tomorrow and Friday for a "Morning Glory" with host Alison Young as we continue to celebrate the great outdoors this week on Classical MPR. At 10 a.m., she'll play longer works composed by Schumann and Poulenc that were inspired by nature.

I just returned from a five-day backpack trip on the Superior Hiking Trail.

I'm a section hiker of this 277 mile footpath and try to catch as many miles as I can when I have a few days off. This was a particularly stunning time to be there as the leaves were just beginning to pop and wild-flowers were pushing their way up through mats of dead leaves.

Even with rain, it was stunning and I was inspired to sing a little Mozart here, a snatch of Debussy there - there was one moment when I got a bit carried away and tried singing all of the parts of "The Rite of Spring." Good thing it was just me, my hiking buddy and nature herself listening to that!

Minnesota is filled with an abundance of beauty outdoors. As we get closer to summer, we're wondering what you're up to. Where are your favorite state parks? What do you look forward to most when the weather gets nice and you can be outdoors without five layers? Are you a kayaker cranking through breakers along the North Shore trail? Do you prefer a lazy dip in the Saint Croix River? Or are you more the hang-out-in-my-hammock type in the shade? Maybe biking is your thing - or a round of disc-golf.

And if music plays a role in your outdoor adventure, we'd love to know that too. Maybe we can sing Stravinsky duets!

(Alison climbing "Sugar Plum Fairy" at Tettegouche State Park. MPR photo/Alison Young)

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Comments (4)

That is a glorious picture! One of my favorite MN places is rollerblading on the The Heartland Trail.

Posted by Diana | May 26, 2011 9:43 AM

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Don't know where I'll be going or what I'll be doing but MPR will be with me. Even on the Harley.

ps.

nice toes

Posted by Tom | May 26, 2011 2:37 PM

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Thia is a wonderful place that makes the picture so alive.Biking threw this place must be very relaxing.

Posted by Programmes tv | May 27, 2011 1:43 AM

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I'm the one at the end of my rope - the toe is a very trustworthy friend!

Posted by alison young | May 27, 2011 10:14 AM

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