For the longest time, Albert Leans Barb Olsen and Mary Tharaldson have been good friends.

When Olsen and her husband first got married in 1971 and moved to Albert Lea, she said Tharaldson was the first friend she made when they arrived.

Their husbands played softball together, they babysat each other’s kids and got together at least weekly for coffee or some other socialization.

However, in 1999, after all their children had grown up and left home, something started to change. The two women starting getting together more.

It started out as an idea to go to Estes Park, Colo., for a weeklong hiking trip — with no children, no husbands — just the two women.

“We had no idea we were going to keep it up,” Olsen said. “We found out the two of us are so much alike. We have the same passion for the outdoors, and hiking was a good way to stay in shape.”

Now, 13 years later, the two friends have become dedicated hikers.

They’ve expanded out from Colorado, and now also hike in Utah and hope to eventually hike in Yosemite National Park and Acadia National Park.

“The love of our hiking is found in the Rocky Mountain National Park,” Olsen said. “Every summer we go back.”

They go on two to three major hikes a year and have been to all the national parks in Utah, Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, the Grand Canyon and the Continental Divide, to name a few.

They’ve even tackled the Wave in the North Coyote Buttes region of southern Utah where there’s a competitive ticket raffle to get into the hike. At least 90 people show up each day to get the opportunity to be one of 10 people to make it in for the day.

Olsen and Tharaldson can say they’ve done that.

“Honestly the more we see, the more there is to do, and the more we want to go,” Olsen said. “We’ll never quit. We hope to hike 20 to 25 more years.”

While they used to see how fast and far they could complete the hike, now they take their time to enjoy the hike and take in the scenery around them.

Olsen loves seeing the wildflowers, while Tharaldson loves seeing the water.

Tharaldson said because it is just the two of them out on the trail, they can talk about things more freely going on in their lives.

They are both the same age, in their early 60s, and each has three kids.

“It’s been letting a friendship blossom,” Olsen said.

Each woman pushes the other to succeed but at the same time knows when to stop pushing.

When Olsen and Tharaldson hike, they like to get up early and get into the park first thing.

Because they like air conditioning and beds, they don’t usually camp so they have to make arrangments ahead of time for cabins or other sleeping facilities.

But it’s more than just the hiking that makes the trips fun, the two women said. They also get to try out new restaurants and look around at little shops.

“As long as we have our health,” Olsen said. “When we are on the trail, we’re appreciating everything there, but we’re always planning for the next one.”

They said they’re saving some hikes in northern Minnesota for at least 20 years down the line.

Olsen and Tharaldson reside in Albert Lea. They stay in shape when they’re not hiking doing other exercises.

They have a combined total of eight grandchildren.