52 Hike Challenge
Last year I started seeing people post about doing a 52 Hike Challenge on Instagram. I was intrigued by the idea of setting a prescribed number of hikes to complete in a year. I mean, I do the same thing with my books on Goodreads and I usually set that goal at 65 - higher than the one-per-week model for the hike challenge. I'm a very goal-oriented person and I think this sort challenge is the motivation I need to keep me outdoors all year, not just when the weather is perfect and lines up with my weekends off. I also like that it feels just slightly out of reach. It really is a challenge, in every sense of the word, and one I can feel myself ready to rise to. In 2017 I went on 35 hikes. I know I have 17 more in me.
The Rules
- Hikes have to be longer than 2 miles (I can do loops multiple times or whatever I need to in order to make this mileage, though)
- The same hike can only be used 4 times (this is to prevent me from doing the Fountain Valley Loop 12 times when I realize I'm falling behind)
- Hikes don't need to take place once a week. In fact, I know they won't. But as long as the previous two conditions are met by December 31st, the challenge will be completed.
The Hikes
1. (1/1) Fountain Valley Loop, Roxborough State Park (3.7 miles)
2. (1/13) South Rim Loop, Roxborough State Park (3.0 miles)
3. (1/14) Emerald Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park (3.6 miles)
4. (2/3) Calypso Cascades, Rocky Mountain National Park (6.25 miles)
5. (2/23) Roxborough Loop - Version 1, Roxborough State Park (3.6 miles)
6. (3/3) La Senda del Medio, Rio Grande del Norte National Monument (5.0 miles)
7. (3/17) Chief Mountain, Evergreen CO (3.1 miles)
8. (3/25) Dream Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park (2.2 miles)
9. (4/8) Davis Ponds, Staunton State Park (2.15 miles)
10. (4/28) Devil's Head Fire Lookout, Sedalia CO (2.8 miles)
11. (5/26) Bierstadt Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park (4.2 miles)
12. (5/27) Gem Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park (3.1 miles)
13. (6/9 and 6/10) Goose Creek Trail, Lost Creek Wilderness (9.4 miles)
14. (6/16) Mills Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park (5.2 miles)
15. (6/23) Mount Elbert, Leadville CO (9.5 miles)
16. (7/4) Crater Lake, Maroon Bells Snowmass Wilderness (3.6 miles)
17. (7/5) Landscape Arch, Arches National Park (2.26 miles)
18. (7/6) Delicate Arch, Arches National Park (3.1 miles)
19. (7/7) High Dune, Great Sand Dunes National Park (2.76 miles)
20. (7/14) Beaver Brook + Chavez Trail Loop, Genesse Park CO (5.2 miles)
21. (7/21) Pattee Canyon, Lolo National Forest, Missoula, MT (4.88 miles)
22. (7/23) Hidden Lake Overlook, Glacier National Park (3.0 miles)
23. (7/24) Iceberg Lake, Glacier National Park (9.52 miles)
24. (7/25) St. Mary Falls, Glacier National Park (3.37 miles)
25. (7/26) Bertha Falls - partial, Waterton Lakes National Park (2.01 miles)
26. (7/27) Bertha Falls - complete, Waterton Lakes National Park (3.2 miles)