2023 - The Year of Hiking
On my 26th birthday I spent the morning hiking at Rocky Mountain National Park for the first time
In 2023 I set the goal of completing 24 hikes, 2 hikes per month. I wanted to give myself something to work towards and this did seem doable if I really wanted it to happen. I have always loved hiking and considered it a main hobby, before 2023 I had spent plenty of time enjoying the trails in the Columbia River Gorge and Mt. Hood. I wanted to make hiking and the outdoors a priority for a couple of reasons, first because spending time outside chasing waterfalls and finding new views has always made me extremely happy and refreshed. Second, health was becoming more important to me. Moving my body, breathing fresh air, and spending my weekends with early wake-up calls for the mountains sounded like something I was ready to incorporate into my life, rather than going out on Friday and Saturday nights waking up feeling… not my best to say the least. These two things, my happiness and health, helped me to be motivated enough to complete my goal.
I ended up finishing with a total of thirty-eight hikes equaling about 130 miles and a year that was life changing. As I reflect on the 12 months filled with adventures, trails new and old and time spent in the great outdoors, I am pleased to say I am proud of myself and the person I have become. I made better choices overall, my body feels energized and well taken care of, I have become happier, well-balanced and calmer. This might not be the hobby or passion for everyone, but it did show how dedicating yourself and your time to something you love can tremendously transform your life for the better. Below are my top ten hikes I completed this year, ten things I learned this year (about hiking/the outdoors and myself) and the full list of hikes I completed.
1 - Silver Star - Gifford Pinchot National Forest, WA
Length: 4.7 Miles
Elevation: 1,430 Ft.
2 - Tolmie Peak - Mount Rainier National Park, WA
Length: 5.6 Miles
Elevation: 1,555 Ft.
3 - Emerald Lake - Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
Length: 3.2 Miles
Elevation: 702 Ft.
4 - Tunnel Falls - Columbia River Gorge, OR
Length: 12.2 Miles
Elevation: 2,142 Ft.
5 - Zig Zag Canyon - Mt. Hood National Forest, OR
Length: 4.7 Miles
Elevation: 885 Ft.
6 - Skyline Loop - Mount Rainier National Park, WA
Length: 5.7 Miles
Elevation: 1,768 Ft.
7 - Boyscout Tree Trail - Jedidiah Smith Redwoods, CA
Length: 5.2 Miles
Elevation: 952 Ft.
8 - Bench and Snow Lakes - Mount Rainier National Park, WA
Length: 2.2 Miles
Elevation: 449 Ft.
9 - Lewis River Falls - Gifford Pinchot National Forest, WA
Length: 8.3 Miles
Elevation: 1,230 Ft.
10 - Thunder Knob Trail - North Cascades National Park, WA
Length: 3.4 Miles
Elevation: 675 Ft.
10 Things I learned in 2023:
Do what you love - I cannot say this enough. Life is truly so short, if you aren’t prioritizing doing what you love and what makes you happy you WILL regret it. I am not saying you need to dedicate your entire life to your hobbies, we still need to pay the bills, but it is so important to take time to do what makes you truly feel good.
MICROSPIKES! If you live somewhere that has more than a couple months of cold weather, buy microspikes. These are a game changer, they make any winter hike 100 times more enjoyable.
Achieving a goal feels amazing. Before 2023 I have never set a real goal for myself, it was always “be better about this, do more of that” but never a written down, achievable goal. At the end of the year going through the hikes I did and seeing my progress made me so proud of myself.
The 10 essentials. After deciding to get a little more serious about hiking I did some digging and learned about the 10 essentials, this is a list of things you should be carrying with you on every adventure. Pro tip: get a backpack, fill it with these things and leave it in your car - always prepared.
Move your body - thats it.
Do your research before going on a hike/adventure trip of any kind. Check the weather and do it frequently, if you check 1 week before it is highly likely that it will be different the day before. Look at recent Alltrails reviews or ask about conditions on facebook hiking groups if you’re unsure. Know the stats of the trail, you need a lot more water and snacks hiking 12 miles rather than 2.
Foods in America are highly questionable!!!! Look at your labels, eat whole foods, think about what you are putting into your body. That being said, everyone deserves a treat every once in awhile.
Don’t be afraid to go alone. Sometimes it is nice to be outside with yourself, it gives you time to experience silence or the sounds of nature. Always tell someone where you are going and bring bear spray, of course.
Give yourself time to breath. This is in everyday home or work life as well as the trails! This year slowly taught me to stop letting little stresses ruin my mood or day, it just is not worth it, and probably won’t matter in a week… sometimes even less!
Drink water! Everyday, more than once, bring it with you, hydrate yourself.
List of other hikes completed in 2023:
Ramona Falls - Mt. Hood National Forest, OR
Wahcella Falls - Columbia River Gorge, OR
Elowah Falls - Columbia River Gorge, OR
White River Falls - The Dalles, OR
Natural Bridges - Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor, OR
Toketee Falls - Umqua National Forest, OR
Umqua Hot Springs - Umqua National Forest, OR
Mirror Lake - Mt. Hood National Forest, OR
Tamanawas Falls - Mt. Hood National Forest, OR
June Lake - Mt. St. Helens, WA
Wallace Falls - Gold Bar, WA
Heybrook Lookout - Index, WA
Icicle Ridge - Leavenworth, WA
Lyle Cherry Orchard - Lyle, WA
Crosstown Trail - Mt. Hood National Forest, OR,
Sprague Lake - Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
Spirit Falls - Carson, WA
Myrtle Falls - Mount Rainier National Park, WA
Carter Falls - Mount Rainier National Park, WA
Falls Creek Falls - Carson, WA
Drift Creek Falls - Siuslaw National Forest, OR
Hardy Falls - Beacon Rock State Park, WA
Panther Creek Falls - Carson, WA
Enderts Beach - Crescent City, CA
Fern Canyon - Redwoods National Forest, CA
