2020 Goal: 200 Miles of Hiking
Last year, I made it a goal to hike 200 miles. To some this may be a low number, while to others it is quite a lot.
For me, it was an attainable amount given my work schedule but also a number that I would have to push for. I have revived this goal because - spoiler alert - I did not make my goal in 2019. Womp, womp. Despite hiking in New Zealand, Alaska and Utah, I was still about 60 miles shy, which I attribute to my travels being not very hike-oriented in addition to my more or less forgetting it was a goal of mine.
A few months into 2020, I quickly found myself with a lot of time on my hands to contemplate my goals. And my existence. And the meaning of life. What can I say? Lockdowns leave a lot of time for the imagination to wander. Once our quarantine rules were modified and it was acceptable to be outside again, I embraced it full force. With my sudden abundance of time on my hands, I decided to reinstate my goal of 200 miles.
I’m pretty close and still have a few months to get it in the bag, but the current impact of wildfires on the Pacific Northwest has not been conducive to being outdoors. Quite the opposite, in fact. Perhaps I’ll have a busy winter filled with snowy hikes. I love trails in winter so no complaints here. In any case, I want to have a place to share my progress, if only for myself and my own accountability, so here are the hikes and backpacking trips I’ve done thus far!
(A quick note on elevation gain: I calculate the roundtrip gain, not just to the summit or top of the hike. Sometimes it’s an uphill battle getting back and I like to take that into account.)
Current totals:
Miles hiked
200.3
Elevation Gain
58,075 feet
Cookies consumed
18
backpacking trips
6
Completed Hikes
25. Talapus & Ollalie Lake
Nov 27 | 6.5 miles | 1375 elev. gain
With my 200 mile goal in reach and the sunshine visiting the region, I was eager to get outside. It was the loveliest of afternoons as we frolicked among snow-dusted trees and tried (unsuccessfully) to avoid snow plops falling on our heads. The lakes were a sight for sore eyes and the air was crisp as could be. It was a great way to celebrate reaching my goal!
Read more: Hiking Guide: Talapus and Ollalie Lakes
24. Mount Peak (+ Grand Park-ish)
Nov 21 | 2.2 miles (+ 1.8) | 1100 (+635) elev. gain
Eager to head back to Mt. Rainier for some sunshine and snow, we planned to hike Grand Park via Lake Eleanor. With about two miles to go to reach the trailhead, the snow got a bit out of control and the car said “nope, not happening.” After getting stuck, we managed to park the car beside a few others who decided to huff it to the trailhead, too. We geared up and walked for a bit but became increasingly unenthused by a potentially 14-mile day. We decided to turn back and find another trail but enjoyed the sun on the way back.
We settled on Mount Peak, a city hike near Enumclaw, which would give us a workout and fresh air. Although it’s a short hike, it kicks the toosh; for one mile, we hiked 1100 vertical feet. There were no viewpoints, but it felt nice to salvage the day.
23. Crystal Lake
Nov 7 | 6.2 miles | 2300 elev. gain
We took advantage of what was originally a sunny day and headed to Mt. Rainier. The weather turned a little gloomy as we started our hike but the snowy winter landscape more than made up for it. A chilly snow plop was enjoyed at the lake.
22. Mount Baldy
Oct 31 | 10 miles | 3600 elev. gain
We had a scary good time hiking up Mount Baldy on Halloween. Okay, so we lost the trail once (and by “we,” I mean “I”), but no big deal. Okay, well that detour added 500 elevation gain… oopsies. But it made for a good workout! Once at the top (finally), we had an expansive view of Mount Stewart and enjoyed hot toddies and peanut butter cookies in the sunshine. It was pure bliss.
21. Margaret Lake, an attempt
Oct 14 | 3.8 miles | 1100 elev. gain
You win some, you lose some, and in the case of Margaret Lake, we did both. We lost by, quite literally, losing the trail to Margaret Lake. The actual trail apparently runs alongside a logging road, which we went incorrectly followed with complete confidence until reaching what felt like a dead end. With the sun setting, the night’s chill setting in and not wanting to bushwhack to the actual trail, we opted to turn back. The win? Enjoying a feast of Peruvian food back in Seattle afterwards.
20. Cascade Pass & Sahale arm
Sep 29-30 | 13.0 miles | 4240 elev. gain
Holy bajeezus, this hike is something else. Not only is the trail wonderfully diverse but our campsite may have been among the prettiest places I’ve ever waken up at. The entire overnight trip was graced with immaculate weather; pleasant hiking temps on the way up, clear skies for sunset and stargazing, and perfectly orange horizons as the sun rose the next morning. All in all, a phenomenal backpacking trip!
19. Lake Ann Via Esmeralda Basin
Sep 26 | 8.0 miles | 2220 elev. gain
As Seattle settles into full fall mode I wanted to take advantage of any remaining sun available. Just east of the Cascades the forecast claimed sunshine, so we eagerly headed that way. Unfortunately, it started to snow when we reached the top and by the time we returned to Seattle it was sunny as could be. So much for my sun-seeking plans… Even so, the dusting of snow over a very barren “Lake” Ann was a nice sneak-peak for the seasons ahead.
18. Mason lake via ira springs trail
Sep 21 | 6.8 miles | 2230 elev. gain
My friend and I maximized on one of the few remaining sunny days in Washington before fall hits at full force. We opted for Mason Lake, an ideal post-work hike due to its location, which is only an hour out of Seattle. I hiked this trail a few years ago and remember it being a gentle hike, which it was not. It wasn’t terrible, but the uphill was unrelenting. Either I blacked out the steepness of the trail on my previous trip, or someone has been chiseling away at the mountain.
17. Mount Ellinor
Sep 19 | 4.0 miles | 2415 elev. gain
After a 2-week wildfire hiatus, I really threw myself back in with a hike to Mount Ellinor, a deceptively short trail that is a serious kick in the hiney. There are two trailheads: 1) the longer trail with a gradual start, and 2) the shorter trail that starts gaining elevation right away. You guessed it, we did the latter.
For two very vertical miles, my hiking partner had the privilege to listen to an unending soundtrack of my ragged breathing. Alas, we reached the summit, along with ten other people, so we found a few lonely rocks overlooking the mountainous view. Only a few minutes after our arrival, fog rolled in and a chill settled marking our timely exit.
Ellinor, you are a beast of a woman.
16. Snow & Gem Lakes, Wright Mountain
Sep 4-5 | 12 miles | 3315 elev. gain
This trail’s insane popularity has consistently deterred me, so naturally the time I chose to go was over Labor Day Weekend… In my defense, we started on Friday afternoon and met your average number of hikers on our way to Gem Lake, and had only a handful of other campers for company that evening. Wright Mountain, a short but steep climb, was also free of people, making its 360 views that much more enjoyable.
Leaving that Saturday morning was when it became ridiculously busy and absolutely wild - we basically ran down the trail with 20-pound packs to escape the hoards. Despite the stress-inducing number of people on Saturday, it was a great weekend trip!
15. Mount Sawyer via Tonga Ridge
Sep 2 | 5.8 miles | 1300 elev. gain
I am often over prepared when I hike. While I carry a light load, I still have a Mary Poppins bag that has anything you may need. This makes it even more laughable that I forget the most essential item for this hike: my hiking boots. Whoops. Fortunately, I realized this on the way there and made a stop at Target. Their selection of boots is sparse in summer (read: nonexistent) but I managed to find a pair of rain boots that, for a short 3-mile hike, did the trick.
14. tuck & Robin Lakes
Aug 28-29 | 16 miles | 4210 elev. gain
If there were ever a trail to kick my hiney, this was unexpectedly it. The first three miles are suspiciously flat, making the next 2.6 miles to Tuck Lake an absolute grunt. With heavy packs, we hoisted ourselves atop boulders and grasped at tree roots to stay balanced until we blessedly reached the lakeshore.
We knew we wanted to stay at Robin Lake but we also knew the mile to get there often took hikers up to two hours to reach. Not only that, but the sun would set in an hour. We felt confident in our speed and had headlamps if needed, so we pushed on. It was a fun “scramble” over granite sheets with cairns leading the way, and we made it in an hour!
The next morning, we explored the Granite Potholes (we weren’t audacious enough to attempt Granite Mountain, but next time!). The Potholes offer stunning views of the Cascades and we even spied a little sunbathing marmot. You bet your bottom dollar that the sight of a chunky marmot made my whole weekend.
13. Mt. mccausland
Aug 26 | 7 miles | 1800 elev. gain
Taking advantage of solitary weekday trails, we did an evening hike to Mt. McCausland. We made it up just in time to crack open beers and enjoy the spectacular sunset, which lit up the lake and mountainside and colored the clouds in soft pastels before slowly slipping behind the tree line. The moon was also kind enough to make an appearance, which was an absolute delight to see so early in the evening.
12. West Foss Forks
Aug 10-12 | 18 miles | 5600 elev. gain
This backpacking trip was what I like to call a “lake crawl.” To be clear, “crawl” is not a nod to our speed but describes the whole weekend of events, which was akin to a beer crawl, but with lakes. And also beer.
We first passed Trout Lake and Copper Lake quickly followed. We continued to Little Heart Lake where we camped the first night alongside our 10,000 mosquito friends, all of whom offered us their unrequested and unrelenting company.
The next day, we made our way to Big Heart Lake and set up camp in a dreamy little meadow. From there, we did a day hike to Angeline Lake with the goal of reaching Chetwood Lake, but the former was harder than anticpated and we decided to skip the latter in favor of our lungs and legs. Overall, this is a fantastic trail and I can’t wait to return. Maybe we’ll even make it to Chetwood Lake!
11. lake ingalls
Aug 5 | 9 miles | 2860 elev. gain
I did this trail for the first time as a wonderful midweek solo adventure and it is now one of my new favorite Washington hikes. I love that it has varied terrain; a short walk through the forest, a cliffside trail with expansive views and wildflowers lining the path, a choose-your-own-adventure portion through meadows (home to goats!), and finally a refreshing lake dominated by the ever-so-rugged Mt. Stuart. Did I mention there were goats!? Baby goats! This is a trail I will happily do again and again.
10. Beckler peak
Aug 1 | 7.8 miles | 2195 elev. gain
The first time I did Beckler I was eager to see the 360 degree views everyone raved about. Alas, when we reached the top we were socked in and saw a whole lot of nothing. This time around I went on a sunny afternoon and finally saw what all the fuss is about. Plus, I enjoyed it with some equally lovely friends.
09. Blanca Lake
Jul 30 | 8 miles | 3365 elev. gain
I have a lot of thoughts about sweet Blanca Lake but I’ll keep it brief. 1.) This is a tough hike. 2.) The lake is a beautiful color. 3.) Humans are awful.
Number 3 refers to the outright disrespect I witnessed on this trail, from trash and vegetation trampling, to unaware hikers and a complete lack of trail etiquette. It’s still a stunner though, so at least there’s that.
08. Navaho pass & Peak
Jul 22-23 | 13.3 miles | 4140 elev. gain
What a beautiful trail this is. It’s not exactly easy - the elevation gain is gradual and unrelenting, but it’s not anything near impossible either. We set up camp in a lovely little meadow and then made our way up to the peak for sunset.
I had heard that reaching the peak would be tough, but I definitely underestimated it. Sure, it was only a mile, but it was a very vertical mile on gravel-like terrain. I’m pretty sure my heart rate was consistently at 190 until I reached the summit, and yes, I, too, am concerned for my heart, don’t worry. It was windy at the top so we didn’t stay long, but we did catch the sun dip behind the Enchantments and even caught a glimpse of Mt. Rainier in the distance.
07. Tom, Dick & Harry mountain via mirror lake
Jul 18-19 | 9 miles | 1710 elev. gain
For a friend’s birthday, we took a quick road trip down to our southern neighbor. The trail, situated in Oregon’s Mt. Hood National Forest, was a great choice to fit everyone’s physical level preferences as well. The hike to Mirror Lake, where we camped, is essentially a flat 2 mile walk. For outstanding in-your-faces views of Mt. Hood, we moseyed up to Tom, Dick and Harry Mountain.
We hiked up just before sunset and were therefore privy to mountain views in all different colorful shades; golden hour gave bestowed its warm glow, then the sun lit the mountain range in layers of rich color. Once it set, we settled in to wait for the darkness in order to see Neowise, the comet. All in all, the whole weekend was an absolute treat.
06. Blue Lake
Jul 15 | 5.3 miles | 975 elev. gain
Funny story here. Until this hike, I had never been to North Cascades National Park. I thought I had and even told people I had, when, in fact, I had not. I had been living a lie.
As a Washington native, I thought I surely had visited at least some point in my life. Just to be sure, I went through the memory reel. I recalled the hike I did near Mount Baker a few years ago that - at the time and until a few months ago - I was sure was in the park. But as it turns out, it was in Mount Baker Wilderness (doh) and not, in fact, in the park. Luckily, being only a few hours from my front door it was an error to be easily fixed.
Keen on doing a hike but also wanting time to see other sights, we opted for a short trail. Our hike of choice, Blue Lake, was easy-peasy but beautifully scenic trail. It was here that I quickly learned that you don’t have to work too hard to see phenomenal views in the park since the park is essentially just one big postcard-perfect vista.
After our hike we made ample stops along the highway overlooks and even took a dip in the lake. (Check out more about North Cascades by clicking here!)
05. Perry Creek falls
Jul 5 | 6.6 miles | 1350 elev. gain
Eager to get out of the city for the holiday weekend, we packed our camping gear and sought a dispersed spot along Mountain Loop Highway. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was busy out there. After driving for miles, bickering over possible sites, and finding the decent spaces were taken, we feared we would have to call it off. Frustrated, we pulled over for the umpteenth time and deliberated our options. As fate would have it, there was a small beaten down trail beside the car. Upon investigation we found ourselves in the perfect spot. It was a secluded slice of heaven, spacious and right on the river. We gleefully set up camp and had a delightful evening.
The next day, our two friends joined us and we did a day hike together. There are so many hikes along Mountain Loop Highway, but most were packed with people. We drove to the Mt. Dickerman trailhead but found it too busy for our comfort. On the way out, however, we saw another trailhead sign and decided to check it out. The trail, Perry Creek, was sparsely populated and offered amazing views. It was a lucky weekend all around.
04. Lena Lake
Jun 23-24 | 7.2 miles | 1300 elev. gain
It was in June that the reality of Coronavirus really sunk in and I finally accepted that it wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. This hike served as my first backpacking trip of the season, though it felt a bit different under the circumstances - almost taboo. Should we be outside? Is it safe? Are we being reckless? Ultimately, we decided to do it given that we practice safe social distancing and were mindful of the impact of our actions.
As far as the camping goes, there are two options: Lower or Upper Lena Lakes. I had the honor to accompany my friend on her first backpacking trip ever and to ensure I did not deter her from the hobby, we decided to stay at Lower Lena. Next time, maybe we’ll huff it up to Upper Lena to compare and contrast.
03. eightmile lake
Jun 20 | 6.6 miles | 1300 elev. gain
For a taste of the Enchantments, this is a great gentle hike. While the lake itself is lovely, I was most fascinated by the wildflowers, including whimsical orange ones that a friend and I dubbed “lantern flowers.”
02. dirty harry’s balcony
May 5 | 4.4 miles | 1400 elev. gain
This was our first post-lockdown hike. Not wanting to stray far from Seattle for too long, we made our way to Snoqualmie Pass. After being cooped up, it was nice to get that good ol’ mountain air back in the system.
01. gold creek pond
Feb 9 | 1 mile | 0 elev. gain
Did I expect to “hike” only a mile during the first half of 2020? No. When I went on this snowshoe, I thought it would be followed by a spring filled with hikes. Even so, this is an accessible - and busy - trail for wintertime.