2020's "65 Hike Challenge" - How Did I Do?

All right, I've tallied the numbers, compiled the stats, and checked them against my 2020 goals.  Time for the reckoning!

 

Hike No. 28 - Windy Ridge to Abraham Trail, MSH

Yes, despite COVID, wildfires, and a few horribly rainy weekends, I was able to finish 65 hikes in 2020.  In addition to completing 65 hikes for the year, I set the following goals for myself:

1.   5 of the hikes must be overnight backpacking trips  
2.   25% of the hikes must be on "new to me" trails
3.   At least one must be a long (15+ mile) dayhike
4.   25 miles of this year's hikes must be new miles on the PCT
5.   One trail in a state I've never hiked in before 

Once again, I created a spreadsheet, totaling my mileage, elevation gain, and many other interesting-to-me stats.

 

Hike No. 58, Lower Deschutes River Trail

So how did I do?

Drumroll.....here are the results:

Total Hikes Completed:  65

Total miles hiked:   526.5 miles

Total Elevation Gain:  94,780 vertical feet

 

Hike No. 33 - Burroughs Mtn Loop, MRNP

Goal #1 - Didn't complete.  Didn't even go backpacking once.  I'd like to blame COVID, but it was just me being lazy.

Goal #2 - Completed.  A whopping 38% of 2020's hikes were on "new to me" trails.

Goal #3 - Completed.  My longest hike was 16.3 miles in one day

Goal #4 - Completed.  I logged a total of 25.5 "new to me" miles on the Pacific Crest Trail

Goal #5 - Not Completed.  And since out-of-state travel was not advised for most of the year, I totally blame COVID for this one!

Hike No. 57 - Hamilton Mountain

More Interesting (at least to me) statistics:

57% of my hikes were solo.  I was surprised by this because I felt like I hiked solo a lot due to COVID. But my hubby accompanied me on 16 hikes, my friend Young on 9 and my friend Catherine on 5.

July, August and October were the months with the most hikes, tallying 9 each.  In April I logged a big fat zero hikes, due to COVID shutting everything down.

40% of my hikes were out of state.  However, nearly all of these were in neighboring Washington (24 total) and only 2 were in Montana.  

My longest hike, at 16.3 miles, was hike #31, PCT on Mt Adams.  My shortest hike, 2.2 miles, was hike #36, the Cleetwood Cove Trail at Crater Lake National Park.  The hike with the most elevation gain (3200 vertical feet) was hike #33, the Burroughs Mountain Trail at Mt Rainier National Park.

I only repeated three trails - Gales Creek to Storey Burn Trail, Bayocean Spit, and of course Hardy Ridge, one of my favorite "go-to" trails. 

I must really like Mt St Helens, because in 2020 I made 6 hiking visits at various trails around the mountain.

 

Hike No. 36 - Cleetwood Cove, Crater Lake NP

Hike No. 48 - Lakes Trail, MRNP

My Favorite Hikes of 2020:

#1 - Frog Lake Butte to Lower Twin Lake, Mt Hood National Forest

#7 -Multnomah-Wahkeena Loop, Columbia River Gorge

#28 - Windy Ridge to Plains of Abraham, Mt St Helens 

#32 - Berkeley Park - Mt Rainier National Park

#33 - Burroughs Mtn Loop - Mt Rainier National Park

#36 - Cleetwood Cove, Crater Lake National Park

#43 - Boundary Trail from Johnston Ridge to St Helens Lake, Mt St Helens National Volcanic Monument

#47 - Skyline Trail, Paradise Glacier, Golden Gate Trail, Mt Rainier National Park

#48 - Lakes Trail, Mt Rainier National Park

#57 - Hamilton Mountain, Columbia River Gorge

#58 - Lower Deschutes River Trail, Eastern Columbia River Gorge

#65 - Bennett Pass snowshoe, Mt Hood National Forest

Hike No. 65 - Bennett Pass Snowshoe

Favorite New Trail - Gales Creek to Storey Burn in the Oregon Coast Range.  Not only is it close to home, this trail wanders through lovely, mossy old growth and second growth forests.  I liked this trail so much I hiked it twice in 2020.

 

Hike No. 61 - Gales Creek

Best Surprise Spur of the Moment Hike - Hike #21, PCT from Lolo Pass to Top Spur Junction.  A dismal rainy day, I almost turned around and went home.  But parking at Lolo Pass a couple of hikers gave glowing descriptions of a wonderful rhododendron bloom on the PCT so I decided to check it out.  Turned out to be an amazing hike - the trail was thick with pink rhodies!

 

Hike No. 21 - PCT from Lolo Pass

Best Sunset Hike - Hike #25, Coffin Mountain.  Normally I hike during daylight hours so this was a totally new experience.  But I picked a great place to watch the sun drop and the hike down in the dark wasn't too bad.

 

Hike No. 25 - Coffin Mtn

 

Best Wildflowers - Hike #32, Berkeley Park, Mt Rainier.  Since I missed the spring wildflower bloom (dang COVID!) I had to rely on summer blooms for my wildflower fix.  Berkeley Park was totally amazing!  Definitely going on my "must repeat" list for next summer.

 

Hike No. 32 - Berkeley Park, MRNP

Best Fall Colors - Hike #47, Golden Gate Trail, Mt Rainier.  Once again Mt Rainier NP for the win!  The slopes here were covered with a kaleidoscope of hues. 

 

Hike No. 47 - Golden Gate Trail, MRNP

Best Winter Hike - Hike #1, Frog Lake Butte to Lower Twin Lake.  I really enjoy winter hiking.  Not only did this trail have lovely scenery, the friendly gray jays were fun to watch.

 

Hike No. 1 - Frog Lake, Mt Hood NF

Best Selfie - I was very proud of myself for capturing a self portrait on each of my 65 hikes.  I had many favorites, and it was a difficult choice, but I think I have to go with the pic of me holding the golden larch needles (Hike #50)

Hike No. 50 - Larch March - Fret Creek, Divide Trail, Lookout Mtn

And finally.....my number one favorite hike of 2020:

Hike No. 7 - Multnomah-Wahkeena Loop in the snow!  I headed to the Columbia River Gorge on a frigid, wet March day.  It was so cold, the rain was starting to turn to slush as I drove through the Gorge.  I almost turned my car around multiple times, but badly needing a getaway I persevered.  At the trailhead, I donned full raingear and began climbing up the trail.  Then a magical thing happened.  As I gained elevation, the rain transformed into fluffy snowflakes, coating everything in a layer of white.  It was so beautiful!  An expected wet, miserable hike turned into a delightful trek through a winter wonderland.

 

Hike No. 7 - Multnomah-Wahkeena Loop

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So now - what are my hiking goals for 2021?

Well, I'm still trying to decide.  I've enjoyed recording all my hikes on a separate blog page, so I'm going to continue that tradition in 2021.  However, I'm not sure I'll set a goal number of hikes for this year.  Between COVID and wildfires, it was a huge effort to complete 65 hikes in 2020, and I'm not sure I want that pressure again.  

I'll create a new "hiking 2021" page in the next day or two and record my goals there.  So you'll have to check back and see what I come up with!

 

Hike No. 43 - Boundary Trail from Johnston Ridge to St Helens Lake, MSH

For a recap of all my 2020 hikes, check out the "65 Hike Challenge - 2020" page - this tab can be found directly under the blog header.