Okay, I'm back for a fourth year of hiking documentation! I've discovered I really like having a yearly record of hikes - it's been fun to go back and see how many miles I've trod and remember the wonderful places I've been. I enjoy recording all my hikes so much that I'm creating yet another page for 2022.
But should I continue the yearly hiking challenges? Well, they do get me out hiking more, so yes, I've decided to continue. That decided, what should my hiking goals be for this year? I pondered this for quite a few days, the main question being, "Do I up the ante or set modest goals instead?" Several thoughts on both ends of the spectrum ran through my head. One school of thought: "Do you really want all that pressure? You didn't accomplish most of last year's goals, maybe it's time to choose something more realistic." However, the other voice in my head reminded me "You're not getting any younger, good health is not guaranteed, and if you want to do ambitious things, the time to act is now."
Well, the second voice in my head won out. I've decided to go big this year. Yes, there's lots of things that could derail me - weather, wildfires, COVID, another health emergency. But you don't know if you don't go, so I've decided to aim high and challenge myself. Not sure if I'll be able to complete all these goals but even if I don't, I'm gonna have fun trying!
And so.....(drumroll) it's time to unveil my hiking goals for this year. I bring you the 2022 version of my hiking challenge:
- 30 new PCT miles for 2022.
- 5 backpacking trips (a goal I didn't accomplish for the last two years, but I'm gonna try again.)
- 25% of my hikes must be on "new to me" trails.
- One hike must be a long (16+ mile) dayhike.
- One hike must be a high elevation gain (4000 feet plus) dayhike.
- Capture a creative selfie for each hike and post it on this page.
- I'm gonna hike the Hardy Ridge trail once every month of 2022.
- And, perhaps the most audacious goal of all - 100 hikes in 2022! Yes, you read that right. I'd considered this particular challenge for last year but at the last minute chickened out. Not this year! I'm going for the gusto!
Wish me luck (I'm gonna need all I can get!) And please follow along throughout the year to monitor my progress.
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Hike No. 1 - 1/1/22 - Dry Creek Falls via the PCT, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon. Hubby and I kicked off 2022 with a quick ramble through the snow to Dry Creek Falls. It was a cold day (eighteen degrees when we started!) and the trail tread was very icy. But the partially frozen waterfall was most lovely, as were the icy cliffs surrounding the falls. Short, but sweet, it was good to get out and enjoy some exercise on the first day of a new year. 5.3 miles, 1000 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 2 - 1/9/22 - Gnat Creek Trail, Oregon Coast Range. After a week of solid rain, I was more than ready to get outside! Catherine and her daughter joined me exploring a new trail in the Oregon coast range. We wound through a lovely, mossy forest following gushing Gnat Creek. The trail passed through a fish hatchery (we used their nice picnic area for a lunch break) and then continued on through more beautiful green woods. We even saw Sasquatch! (well...actually it was a cute wooden cutout) A small slide on the trail about a half mile from it's terminus caused us to turn around prematurely, but as Catherine said, it just gives us a reason to come back. 6.8 miles, 1000 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 3 - 1/12/22 - Cape Horn, Columbia River Gorge, Washington. Finally a rain-free, sunny weekday! Perfect for a hike. I convinced my friends Debbie and Barry to join me (it didn't take much persuasion) on a ramble along the Cape Horn Trail. This trail's close proximity to Portland makes it a favorite if one is wanting a nice hike without a lot of driving. It's a trail I usually don't visit during winter months, but I noticed lack of leaves on the trees opened up great views of the Columbia River that are hidden in warmer times. Debbie even showed us a new viewpoint that Friends of the Gorge have created. All in all, a spectacular day! 7.3 miles, 1600 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 4 - 1/15/22 - Boomscooter, Unfit Settlement, and Hares Canyon Trails, Stub Stewart State Park, Oregon. This fairly new state park in the Oregon Coast Range has been around since 2007 but today I finally decided to check it out. Bonus - it's only a 40-minute drive from home! I discovered there's a plethora of short trails here, so I cobbled together a loop using three of them. Lots of lovely mossy, forests and a couple of nice viewpoints. It wasn't too busy, especially for a sunny Saturday. I'll certainly return again to check out some more trails! 5.2 miles, 1000 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 5 - 1/16/22 - Unnamed trail below Coyote Wall, up the cliff, return on Little Moab Trail, Coyote Wall, Columbia River Gorge, Washington. I teamed up with friends Young and John who introduced me to a new trail that climbed through the valley below Coyote Wall. It didn't take long for us to encounter snow, and the first 2.5 miles was slow going, post-holing through about a foot of crusty snow. Then John had us climb a scary steep (but thankfully short) and slippery trail up the cliff itself to the top of Coyote Wall. After a well-deserved lunch break we made our way down via the Little Moab Trail. Although the day was foggy, we did get a few views once we descended below the cloud layer. A challenging day in the gorge, but lots of fun hiking in the snow. 5.3 miles, 1700' elevation gain.
Hike No. 6 - 1/21/22 - Trillium Lake, Mt Hood National Forest. After catching a nice sunrise at Timberline Lodge, I headed back down Timberline Road to the Trillium Lake trailhead. The trail was so packed down, I didn't need my snowshoes and instead just walked in. After a foggy start, the skies cleared just in time for my arrival at the lake. Mt Hood looked as good as she always does, and my early start meant having the lake to myself nearly the entire time. A good short, but sweet early morning adventure! 4.35 miles, 443 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 7 - 1/29/22 - Hardy Ridge Trail, Columbia River Gorge, Washington. Yes, this year I'm serious about my "hike Hardy Ridge once a month" goal. So today I checked the January edition off my list. Snow at the top of the ridge limited how far I traveled and I only made it to the first viewpoint. Also I didn't take the east trail back down per my usual loop route, due to a large amount of icy snow. So today's trek ended up as an out-and-back on the west Hardy Trail. I lost one of my gloves on the way down, and not keen on climbing back up for it, decided just to write off the loss. Then a nice trail runner caught up to me and - he had my glove! His kindness made my day. An icy, but sunny and windy day in the Gorge. 7.5 miles, 2250 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 8 - 2/2/22 - Upper Twin Lake from Barlow Pass Trailhead. New snow had finally fallen on Mt Hood and I took advantage of it by going snowshoeing on groundhog day. Trying to keep out of the ski tracks, I ended up breaking trail for most of this hike. It was hard work and I ended up with blisters on both my heels. Although the weather wasn't sunny I still enjoyed views of the new-fallen snow on the trees. Another good outing! 7.6 miles, 1350 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 9 - 2/5/22 - Klickitat Trail, Columbia River Gorge, Washington. This hike was more of a photo outing, but Cheri and I did cover 4 miles on trails, so I'm counting it! We first hiked the short Klickitat-Balfour Trail in search of eagles. Many eagles were found, and photos taken. Then, hoping for more eagle sightings, we crossed to the other side of the Klickitat River and hiked a couple miles on the Klickitat Trail. The steep gorge of the Klickitat River was quite lovely, and I'm going to plan a return trip for just hiking and scenery photography. Total milage between the 2 trails was about 4 with negligible elevation gain.
Hike No. 10 - 2/7/22 - Moulton Falls Loop, SW Washington. I've passed by this area many times on my way to the Silver Star Mountain Trailhead, but never stopped. Until I saw a photo of the lovely arch span bridge on this trail that intrigued me to check it out. I hiked a loop suggested in the Oregon hikers website, starting on the Bells Mountain North Slope Trail, stopping by Moulton Falls County Park, and then returning on the Moulton Falls Trail. The second growth forest along the first trail was green and moss-covered and I had the place to myself. But after stopping by the Moulton Falls Park area (and finding that bridge!) I ran into lots of people, even on a weekday. I ended my trek with a fast 2 miles on the Moulton Falls Trail back to my car. The East Fork Lewis River was beautiful and it was a pleasant 7.7 miles and 1000 feet of elevation gain.
Hike No. 11 - 2/9/22 - Dalles Mountain Ranch Loop trail, Eastern Columbia River Gorge, Washington. I hiked with some of my old trail buddies John and Dorene plus Debbie and Barry today. It's been way before pre-pandemic times since I've hiked with such a large group of friends and it was absolutely wonderful! We had a sunny, lovely day and even a strong wind didn't deter our glee in visiting this beautiful wide-open country. We saw lots of Lewis woodpeckers (and I kicked myself for not packing my zoom lens). It's amazing to think that in two short months this area will be covered with spring wildflowers. 7.5 miles, 1000 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 12 - 2/23/22 - Cape Lookout, Oregon Coast. I teamed up with friends Debbie and Barry again for a jaunt at the northern Oregon coast. Having not hiked the Cape Lookout trail for several years I decided we were due for a visit. This trail has a reputation for being extremely muddy. However, it was an unseasonable frigid day, and we discovered many of the muddy sections were frozen. Instead of mud, it was ice we had to carefully navigate. But as the temperatures rose there was still plenty of mud to wade through! (Running the ice, mud, and tree root gauntlet made us compare this trail to army basic training!) We lunched at trail's end entertained by a curious chipmunk and friendly song sparrow. The sunshine was wonderful, giving us spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean. Another great day at the coast! 5.6 miles, 1000 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 13 - 2/26/22 - Hardy Ridge Trail, Columbia River Gorge, Washington. Today was time for the February edition of my Hardy Ridge monthly hike. There was considerably less snow than in January, but the wind was absolutely howling! I made the climb with friends John and Young, and we didn't make it very far past the first viewpoint on the ridge. After beating a hasty retreat we made up milage with a side trip on the Hardy Bridge Trail. Despite the windy, cold weather it was nice to get out - and I just barely beat the day's predicted rainfall! 9.5 miles, 2650 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 14 - 3/1/22 - Cooper Mountain Nature Park, Portland West Metro. Several days of heavy rain kept me housebound. Finally I couldn't take it anymore and headed out to a local nature park for a wet "close to home" hike. The rain transitioned to sprinkles for most of the time and I got a good 4.3 miles and 400 feet of elevation gain for my efforts.
Hike No. 15 - 3/2/22 - Chehalem Ridge Nature Park, near Hillsboro, Oregon. Morning commitments that day prevented traveling anywhere far for a hike, so I again turned to a local park to get some miles in. This was a brand new nature park that I'd wanted to explore. The rainy weather kept people away, and I had the place to myself for the entire time. Funny story, I was so intent on getting out of the house I forgot my backpack sitting by the door! I made do, but missed having my trusty gps to give me an accurate record of mileage and elevation gain. Nice trails, lovely woods, but not much for views. Still it was nice to only drive for a half hour to get in a good hike. 6.6 miles, 200 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 16 - 3/12/22 - Hollie's Point of View and Bumping Knots Loop, Stub Stewart State Park, Oregon. I took a hiking hiatus for a week of skiing in Central Oregon, but today was back in my boots exploring another part of nearby Stub Stewart State park. It was a beautiful morning to prowl the mossy forests of the coast range, and these two trails were beautiful. The best part, even though it was a Saturday, I only met a handful of people the entire time. You can't say that about any of the Gorge trails! I finished before the day's predicted rain began to fall and was back home for a restful afternoon. 7.65 miles, 1500 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 17 - 3/16/22 - The Labyrinth to Catherine Creek loop, Columbia River Gorge, Washington. Debbie and Barry joined me for a wonderful loop through the Labyrinth over to the cliffs below Catherine Creek, up to Atwood Road, and back. The day's highlight was coming upon a tree full of squawking Lewis woodpeckers! I lugged my big zoom lens along and it came in handy for some great images of the birds. Purple grass widow flowers were also blooming and it was a sunny but windy day. 7.5 miles, 2000 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 18 - 3/18/22 - University Falls, Oregon Coast Range. I had just a short amount of time today so I squeezed in a quick hike at the nearby coast range. The trail to University Falls is always a pleasant stroll and today's overcast but dry skies made the mossy greens absolutely pop! I once again hefted my big zoom lens in my backpack hoping for a glimpse of some pygmy owls, but there were none to be found. But it's always great to get outside and saunter in a beautiful place. 5.7 miles, 925 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 19 - 3/20/22 - Hardy Ridge, Columbia River Gorge, Washington. Time for the March edition of my Hardy Ridge hike challenge. The calendar said today was the first day of spring, but you'd never know it on top of Hardy Ridge! Temperatures were downright frigid and the sky was spitting snow at the higher elevations. Hiked with my hubby and we didn't make it very far past the first viewpoint before we got stopped by snow - again. That's three months in a row I've been skunked in reaching Phlox Point. Maybe in April I'll be successful... Constrained by time we did a shorter loop, going down via the road. But I got it done for the month of March. 8 miles, 2100 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 20 - 3/23/22 - Trail of Ten Falls, Silver Falls State Park, Oregon. Usually an autumn destination, today I chose to come here to see the waterfalls in all their spring runoff glory. I wasn't disappointed! It misted/light rained on and off all day, soaking me, my backpack, and camera bag. But conditions were perfect for photographing waterfalls. The bright green hues of early spring were in full force and I even spotted a couple of tiny wildflowers blooming. I visited 8 of the 10 featured waterfalls and covered 7.2 miles and 800 feet elevation gain. Not bad for a soggy spring day!
Hike No. 21 - 4/9/21 - South Caddywhomper Way Trail, Stub Stewart State Park, Oregon. After a couple weeks of traveling I'm back on the hiking trail once again! I'm really liking this "new to me" state park only a short drive from home. Today I tried yet another new trail. I didn't like this one as well but it was still good for some exercise. Spring has sprung - electric green new leaves are everywhere as are the wildflowers. I saw lots of trillium, yellow violets and even some calypso orchids! 6 miles, 1050 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 22 - 4/13/22 - Champoeg State Park, Oregon. It's been a week of frightful weather, beginning with an unexpected snowstorm on Monday followed by torrential rain. So when I saw a clear couple of hours on Wednesday afternoon, I summoned friends Debbie and Barry for a short jaunt through a nearby state park. It was more of a birding outing than hike, with sightings of acorn woodpeckers and sparrows topping the list. Nice to get out for a few rain-free hours! 4.35 miles, 200 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 23 - 4/17/22 - Dalles Mountain Ranch Loop from Crawford Oaks trailhead, Columbia River Gorge, Washington. The wildflower bloom was on, and I was determined not to miss it. So, taking advantage of a rare dry day, I joined my friend Catherine and her husband and daughter for a romp through the famous flower fields. Things didn't get off to a great start when I noticed a tick on my pant leg in the parking lot. But thankfully no other ticks were spotted the entire day and we had a great hike enjoying mother's natures flower garden. The balsamroot flowers looked a bit past prime (I think last week's snowstorm didn't do them any favors) but the lupine was just getting started. It was weird to think that just two months ago when I'd previously hiked here this place was a brown, barren plain. 7.2 miles, 1200 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 24 - 4/19/22 - Rowena Crest and Memaloose Hills, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon. Today's hike(s) were a wildflower reconnaissance to check the status of this spring's bloom. After Cheri and I wandered around the Rowena Plateau I introduced her to the beauty of Chatfield Hill. The flowers were just getting started at Rowena, but they were going strong in the Memaloose Hills. I'm planning another trip in a week or so to hopefully catch full lupine bloom. 4 miles, 300 feet elevation gain.
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| Photo by Cheri |
Hike No. 25 - 4/24/22 - Amanda's Trail, Oregon Coast near Cape Perpetua. I took a quick trip to the coast to one of my favorite places, Cape Perpetua. I'd heard of an interesting trail nearby created as a memorial to the forced relocation of local Native American tribes. A woman named Amanda De Cuys was a blind native woman captured along with her tribe and force marched 80 miles to a reservation. The highlight of this trail is a statue in Amanda's honor. I hiked the trail in reverse, starting at Cape Perpetua stone shelter. It was a lot of ups and downs through typical thick coastal forest, but I finally reached said statue. And it was a beautiful place where many people had left necklaces and other offerings. After reaching the statue, I turned around instead of hiking all the way into Yachats. 4.7 miles, 1350 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 26 - 4/25/22 - Cook's Ridge and Gwynn Creek Trails, Oregon Coast near Cape Perpetua. Many hiking trails are found south of Yachats spreading out into the coast range. These two trails were hiked as a loop using one mile of the Oregon Coast Trail to reach my starting point. I loved the huge old-growth Douglas Fir and Sitka Spruce trees on this trail as well as the abundance of white trillium flowers. A beautiful quiet saunter through lovely coastal forests. 6.65 miles, 1500 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 27 - 4/27/22 - Hardy Ridge, Columbia River Gorge, Washington. Today it was time for the April edition of my Hardy Ridge monthly hike. I was happy to see bright green new leaves and a few small wildflowers on my way up. I also noticed glacier lilies just starting to bloom on the ridge. However, my conquest of Phlox Point was foiled by some lingering snow. I made it farther today than the past three attempts, so maybe I'll get there next month! My left foot appears to be having trouble with plantar fasciitis so the return trip was a bit painful. Hopefully I can get a handle on this so it doesn't doom the rest of my hiking plans! 8.3 miles, 2270 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 28 - 5/3/22 - Triple Falls Trail, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon. This trail, closed since the devastating 2017 wildfire, finally reopened a month ago. One of my favorite gorge trails, the abundance of waterfalls gave this short trail a lot of "bang for the buck." So I recruited Debbie and Barry to join me in a long overdue visit. The record April rainfall had all the waterfalls positively gushing and the wildflowers were out in huge numbers. Although it was sad to see so much forest destruction, on the positive side it did open up more views. Took the Oneonta Trail to the scenic highway on our return trip, so made a loop out of the hike. So good to be back on this trail! It was like seeing an old friend after a long absence. 5.1 miles, 1100 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 29 - 5/11/22 - Mosier Plateau and Rowena Plateau, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon. Today's walking adventure combined two short wildflower-rich trails. First I climbed up Mosier Plateau and reveled in not only the amazing river views but also the abundance of colorful wildflowers. Lupine was at peak and everywhere! Then I drove over to nearby Rowena Crest and hiked out on it's wide-open tableland. Again, wildflowers were mighty fine. A great way to spend a rare (this year anyway!) sunny spring day. Total mileage 5, total elevation gain, 925 feet.
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Hike No. 30 - 5/15/22 - Lyle Cherry Orchard Trail, Columbia River Gorge, Washington. I'd been wanting to check out the wildflower bloom on this trail. However, continuous rainy weather kept me away and when I finally got there today it was almost too late. The prolific lupine bloom saved the day, however. In the wildlife dept, I saw a western tanager, a baby rattlesnake (I think) and picked up a tick on my pants (which was whisked away very quickly!) I didn't cover the entire trail - my plantar fasciitis riddled left foot continues to interfere with this year's hiking goals. But I did cover a respectable 3.5 miles and 1100 feet of elevation gain and beat the afternoon's rainstorm.
Hike No. 31 - 5/16/22 - William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge, near Corvallis, Oregon. Friends Debbie and Barry were interested in a birding hike and since I'd never visited this particular wildlife refuge I was all in. We first explored the Woodpecker Loop, where besides seeing a red-breasted sapsucker, we also saw a orange-crowned warbler and flycatcher. Then we waded through a super-muddy trail to the Mill Hill Loop, where Debbie heard and then spotted a wrentit. It was a lovely place and fun to see and learn about some "new to me" birds. Hoping for some good photographs, I hiked the entire way holding my huge zoom lens! A good workout, that's for sure. 5.75 miles, 600 feet elevation gain.
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| (Photo courtesy of Debbie) |
Hike No. 32 - 5/17/22 - A short portion of the Boundary Trail and Hummocks Loop, Mt. St. Helens, Washington. I'd been wanting to visit MSH for some time and when a sunny day was finally forecast, I hightailed it up I-5, high gas prices be damned! I was hoping to capture photos of the resident mountain goats, but they were too far away for good images (although of course I tried!) Late season snowfall covered the trails around Johnston Ridge, so I only hiked about a mile on the Boundary Trail before turning around. I then drove to lower elevations and sauntered along the Hummocks Trail, always a good spring hike. Besides stunning mountain views, I also spotted birds and two elk! A great morning spent in one of my favorite places. Five miles and 800 feet elevation gain between the two trails.
Hike No. 33 - 5/21/22 - Hardy Ridge, Columbia River Gorge, Washington. Time for the May edition of my Hardy Ridge hiking challenge. This time I finally got all the way to Phlox Point - no snow to be seen anywhere! Woo-hoo! Glacier lilies were blooming and I spotted a few small patches of phlox at the top. It was a gorgeous sunny, blue-sky day - very much appreciated after so many days of rain. My foot behaved and I was able to cover the entire distance with minimal pain. 8.8 miles, 2400 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 34 - 5/23/22 - Wilson River Trail from Elk Creek Campground, Oregon Coast Range. It was a lovely rain-free day. I didn't want to waste this good weather so of course I went for a hike. Wanting to keep drive time to a minimum I headed towards the Coast range and hiked a portion of the Wilson River Trail. First I hiked towards Idiot Creek, hoping the seasonal bridge would be in. When I found it wasn't yet, I turned around and hiked the other direction, past Elk Mountain trailhead for about two miles. Lots of wildflowers blooming and a good trail for some exercise. My foot wasn't too happy with me though.... 5.8 miles, 1050 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 35 - 6/22/22 - Multnomah-Wahkeena Loop, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon. I did not intend for nearly a month to pass between hikes, however, a 2-week South Dakota trip coupled with a persistent case of plantar fasciitis has had me sidelined most of June. When I couldn't take the inactivity any more I decided to tough it out with a short hike in the Gorge. Debbie and Barry joined me on the first warm, sunny day this spring/summer (or so it seemed!) Wildflowers were going gangbusters and their presence helped take my mind off of my throbbing foot. I survived, and hopefully there will be more hikes in my near future. 5.7 miles, 1600 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 37 - 7/12/22 - Mirror Lake Trail, Mt Hood National Forest, Oregon. Since my foot behaved on the last hike, I thought I'd try again. I chose a short trail, only 4 miles round trip to Mirror Lake. Although normally very heavily-trafficked, I started early and saw minimal people. The rhodies were blooming along the trail, which was a nice surprise. Once at Mirror Lake, high water kept me from circumnavigation of the lake, and I was forced to turn around and retrace my steps. This detour added about an extra mile, and I think that's what broke the camel's back (or Linda's left foot....) I ended up with 5 miles, 800 feet of climbing and a very angry left heel. Sigh....good thing I have a podiatrist appointment in two days.
Hike No. 38 - 7/19/22 - Umbrella Falls Trail, Mt Hood National Forest, Oregon. I finally visited my podiatrist and she taped up my ailing left foot. Worked like magic! In a few days, I felt good enough to venture out onto the hiking trails once again. Debbie and Barry joined me for a short loop on the Umbrella Falls trail. It was a hot day and we didn't get a very early start. Usually this trail is laden with wildflowers by July, but our wet spring had delayed the bloom. We saw some lupine and a few other blossoms, but nowhere near the normal floral level. But it's always fun to hike through the place where I ski in the winter. And my foot did well, which was very encouraging. 5 miles, 1000 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 39 - 7/28/22 - Sitka Sedge and Nestucca Bay Wildlife Refuges, Oregon coast. Friends Debbie and Barry wanted to escape the oppressive heat that's been plaguing our area all week, so they invited me to join them on a trip to the coast. We explored two wildlife refuges and took short hikes in each. Sitka Sedge was situated on a beautiful tidal marsh. We saw a few birds besides the always present seagulls. Nestucca Bay was a long hike through the woods to a small viewpoint. My foot did okay for the first hike but midway through the second it was starting to talk. Ugh - I feel like I'll be stuck with this damn plantar fasciitis forever! It was still wonderful to hike in a cooler environment. 5 miles total, about 100 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 40 - 8/10/22 - Forest Trail, Tlingit Trail, and part of the Bartlett River Trail, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska. My hubby and I recently made a bucket list trip to Glacier Bay National Park in Gustavus, Alaska. Although most of our time there was spent riding in some sort of boat, we carved out time on our last day for a hike around the park. The weather was drizzly but we threw on raingear and made the best of it. The forests in this part of Alaska are very dense and full of greenery, very similar to the Oregon coast. We hoped for a moose or bear sighting but no such luck today. After exploring two trails, my foot acted up on the third, forcing us to turn around prematurely. But I made it about 5.5 miles, with probably 200 feet elevation gain so I took this as progress.
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| Kim took this photo of me - thanks Kim! |
Hike No. 42 - 8/17/22 - Timberline Trail from Timberline Lodge to Zigzag Canyon overlook. Kim and Linda buddy up again for another fun hike! This time I showed Kim how beautiful the Timberline Trail can be during wildflower season. And boy were there wildflowers! It was a toasty day, but thankfully we didn't hike very far and were done by noon. Saw lots of PCT hikers, and I even ran into a blogger I follow. And best of all, my foot did great! Yeah! 5 miles, 950 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 43 - 8/25/22 - Skyline and Golden Gate Trails, Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington. I'd missed my annual wildflower trip to MRNP last summer, and wasn't about to make it two years in a row. Ailing foot or not, I rose early and made the long drive in order to hike the Skyline Trail. The wildflowers were still in bloom, however they were past peak. I saw a pika and loads of marmots. Trying to keep my mileage low, I opted to bail out onto the Golden Gate Trail. It was still a wonderful morning and totally worth the early wakeup. 5 miles, 1250 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 44 - 8/26/22 - Wonderland Trail to Frozen Lake, then Sourdough Trail to Sunrise Lodge, Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington. The Sunrise area of MRNP is one of my favorite places to hike. Constrained by my PF foot, I couldn't hike the long trails but I did manage a loop using the Wonderland and Sourdough Trails. Saw a grouse and two chicks but that was my only wildlife sighting (besides chipmunks, but they don't count.) At Frozen Lake I was tempted to hike further west on the Wonderland Trail, but common sense prevailed. I'm looking forward to hiking here next summer when hopefully I'll be back to full health. My selfie is just a crummy cell phone photo, as I had too much trouble trying to set up my camera. 4.6 miles, 850 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 45 - 9/1/22 - Umbrella Falls Trail, Timberline Trail and Bear Grass Trail, Mt Hood Meadows, Oregon. Back to Meadows this time with Debbie and Barry! This time we hiked a longer loop around the ski area. Wildflowers were still going strong and the views were absolutely magical. One highlight was seeing four sooty grouse near the trail. Great day to be up on the mountain. Oh, and I hiked 5.5 miles and 1000 feet elevation gain and my foot did great!
Hike No. 46 - 9/3/22 - Thomas Lake Trail to Blue Lake, Indian Heaven Wilderness, Washington. Today I teamed up with friends Catherine and Larry to visit this beautiful corner of SW Washington. The day started foggy and chilly with a few raindrops thrown in, which was a huge departure from the hot, sunny weather we've experienced all summer (and most welcome!) Huckleberries were ripe and we indulged in quite a few picking sessions along the way. I made it over 7 miles, which is a new record for my post-PF foot! 7.3 miles, 1100 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 47 - 9/5/22 - PCT to Lower Twin Lake then Frog Lake Butte Trail to Frog Lake. It was Labor Day and hubby and I wanted to get out and get some exercise, so I picked this short trail that wasn't too difficult to reach. Our trek started out with cool temps, which were much appreciated, after a record hottest August ever. Fall colors were just getting started in the forest. Climbing up to Frog Lake Butte, we heard and elk bugle 3 times. So cool! But then we met a couple of hunters and realized it was just them calling for elk. 5.5 miles, 1125 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 48 - 9/9/22 - Swing Donkey, Boomscooter, and Hares Canyon Trails, Stub Stewart State Park, Oregon. Just a short jaunt through the nearby state park with my friend Kim. High winds and smoke from faraway wildfires caused us to cut our trek short. But we had a nice early lunch at my favorite park viewpoint and saw a few birds. 3.6 miles, 500 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 49 - 10/2/22 - Sawtooth Trail and PCT, Indian Heaven Wilderness, Washington. Yes, life is getting in the way of my hiking goals! After a 2-week trip to see my family back east, I'm trying to resume the hiking challenge. Remembering last year's magnificent fall colors along this trail I just had to do a repeat. Hubby joined me for the trek and we did the loop up and over Sawtooth Mountain. Although I was tempted to extend the hike to Wood Lake, my tender healing foot made me rethink that goal. But I covered 6 miles and 1050 feet elevation gain no problem and enjoyed a lovely fall day full of color.
Hike No. 50 - 10/16/22 - Black Butte from Lower Trailhead, Deschutes National Forest, Oregon. Well...I didn't quite summit Black Butte today. I got within one mile and 1,000 feet from the top when I knew I had to turn around. I misread the trail description in my hiking book, and thought the summit was only six miles round-trip from the lower trailhead. No....turns out it's the upper trailhead that is six miles round-trip from the lower trailhead. When I reached the upper trailhead I discovered I still had two more miles and 1500 feet of climbing before me. Being stubborn, I tried anyway and about a mile later realized 10 miles and 3300 feet of climbing wasn't a good thing for my healing foot. So I admitted defeat and turned around. I'll try again another day, this time starting from the upper trailhead! 7.8 miles, 2400 feet elevation gain. I felt it the next day!
Hike No. 51 - 10/18/22 - Metolius River Trail, from Wizard Falls to Metolius Spring. In Central Oregon for the week, I'm trying to get in as much hiking as my body allows. Today was a lovely trek taking in the vibrant fall colors along the Metolius River. Although a bit past peak, the leaves were still beautiful. Lots of photos may have been taken! 5 miles, 470 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 52 - 10/19/22 - Tumalo Mountain, Central Oregon. I've skied Mt Bachelor for years and the view from it's slopes is a parade of Cascade peaks. Included in this skyline view is nearby humble Tumalo Mountain. I've always wanted to hike up this little mountain but for some reason I've never tried. That is, until today. Making the most of my time in Central Oregon I'm trying to check a bunch of trails off my bucket list and Tumalo Mountain was on today's agenda. It was a warm morning and the steep trail about did me in. But I persevered and was rewarded with lovely views. Sadly I didn't get a great selfie with my camera so a crummy cell phone image will have to do. 4.3 miles, 1426 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 53 - 10/20/22 - Black Butte, from Upper Trailhead, Deschutes National Forest, Oregon. Normally I wouldn't attempt two steep hikes on consecutive days. But rainy weather was forecast for the day after and after my recent failed summit attempt I really wanted to stand on top of this mountain. My foot was feeling okay, so I headed back to Black Butte once again, this time braving a bumpy road to the upper trailhead. Not a quarter mile into the hike a rare woodpecker landed on a tree right next to me and posed for my camera. It was then I knew it would be a great day. And it was! I had tons of energy and powered up the steep trail. Views on top, although smoky in some directions, were fabulous. I'm so glad I persisted and gave this trail a second chance! 4.1 miles, 1560 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 54 - 10/23/22 - Deschutes River Trail, from Dillon Falls to almost Benham Falls, Bend, Oregon. It was a sunny but chilly fall day and I persuaded my brother to join me on a trek along the most scenic Deschutes. Autumn colors were peaking, especially the lovely aspens. My gps locked up about 2/3 of the way into the hike, so I'm guessing a bit on milage. But my foot felt it, so I'm going to believe it was at least 6 miles. 6 miles, 300 feet elevation gain. Enjoying the last of the fabulous fall weather before the rain returns!
Hike No. 55 - 10/25/22 - Wolf Tree and Homestead Trails, Smith Rock State Park, Oregon. I had one more day in Central Oregon so I returned to my favorite state park in the area. Looking for more fall colors I had a pleasant walk along two of the less popular paths. Not many people but lots of autumn color and birds. The morning sunshine illuminated both the vegetation and the colorful rock spires. Great way to spend a morning! 4.5 miles, 200 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 56 - 11/1/22 - Silver Falls State Park, Oregon. It wouldn't be autumn without a visit to my favorite state park for waterfalls! No place does fall better than here, and I rarely miss a visit in this season. Today I hiked from the loop from South Falls to Middle North Falls and back. Autumn colors were great in some places, past peak in others, and not even started in a few areas. But with 10 waterfalls and dazzling scenery if you have a bad day here it's your own fault! I even beat the crowds - and the rain. 5.2 miles, 400 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 57 - 11/3/22 - Eagle Creek Trail to High Bridge, Columbia River Gorge Oregon. Time to revisit my favorite hiking trail in the Gorge! Doing a repeat of last year, I again invited friends Debbie and Barry to join me. This trail is lovely in all seasons, but during the autumn leaf transition is when it really shines. Even seeing the fire damage along the trail didn't dampen our spirits. And when rain began in earnest about halfway back, we just smiled and reminded ourselves how lucky we are to have this amazing trail so close to home! 9 miles, 800 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 58 - 11/9/22 - Multnomah-Wahkeena Loop, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon. Another great trip in the gorge, on one of my favorite loops. Fall colors were in top form, although much muted from previous years. Nevertheless, Debbie, Barry and myself enjoyed a cold, but sunny day traversing this popular trail. Waterfalls were running full from recent heavy rains and we traversed many blown-down trees. But a good time was had by all! 5.5 miles, 1600 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 59 - 11/11/22 - Hamilton Mtn, Hardy Creek Trail, Beacon Rock State Park, Washington. Hamilton Mtn trail on Veterans Day is my yearly tradition. I talked Catherine into joining me and, as always, it was good to catch up. However, extremely strong winds made us decide to forgo the summit and instead hike up the Hardy Creek Trail and back. (We even got snowed on for a short bit!) Fall colors were out in force and it was beautiful. We lunched by the famous picnic table and Catherine had me pose on a mossy log that she said looked like a great place for gnomes. 5.8 miles, 1200 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 60 - 11/13/22 - PCT from Bonneville Trailhead to Greenleaf Overlook, Columbia River Gorge, Washington. Reuniting with friends Young and John, they suggested this trek due to it's showy fall leaf colors. Although the leaf colors weren't as colorful as usual (due to our dry summer) I still thought it was beautiful. I'd done a portion of this trail before, but never ventured beyond Gillette Lake. The PCT beyond the lake was quite lovely, with lots of autumn foliage and two scenic creek crossings. The weather was cold, but sunny. A great day to be out in the gorge with old friends! 8.2 miles, 1500 feet elevation gain, including one new PCT mile!
Hike No. 61 - 11/15/22 - Hoyt Arboretum, to Pittock Mansion and back, plus other various trails, Portland, Oregon. I kept it close to home today, exploring some trails in nearby Hoyt Arboretum with friends Debbie and Barry. It's been years since I've hiked here, and today's visit made me realize I really need to come more often. We took in the amazing view of downtown Portland and Mt. Hood from Pittock Mansion's impressive overlook. Fall colors have been weird this year, with some trees still yet to change, while others are done. The highlight of the day was spotting a barred owl! 5 miles, 1000 feet elevation gain.
Hike No. 62 - 12/2/22 - Widowmaker, Hares Creek, Banks-Vernonia Trails, Stub Stewart State Park, Oregon. It had been a couple of weeks, and I was itching for a hike, so I invited Kim to join me for a short jaunt at nearby Stub Stewart State Park. We were surprised to find snow - evidently this park is at a higher elevation than where I live. The snow and ice on the trees were melting and falling on us as we walked along. But it was a nice trek through an unexpected winter wonderland. 4.6 miles, 500 feet elevation gain.
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