I hope you like numbers. If not, well, tough. Skim them and hit the favorite trips down below. Or just look at the best pictures from this year above.
Round numbers are nice so the goal was 500/100/200k. That's 500 miles (I wound up with 509.3), 100 days on trail (101), and 200,000 feet of elevation gained (I topped out at 201,894). A little more math shows that I was on trail ever 3.61 days or roughly twice a week. My average trip length was 5.04 miles and the average gain was 403.78/mile. But math's easy. Let's look deeper.
I hiked in four states (Washington (duh), Oregon, Alaska, and Massachusetts) and on 37 new trails. Not bad for going where I haven't gone before.
14 of the trips were TNAB and 26 were on Twin Falls. Apparently, there's something to be said for getting out with a solid group of friends and a really, really familiar trail. (Plus, it's easier to get out when you're going at night or you're only gone for about an hour.)
The most meaningful stat I came up with (or manufactured, you decide) was that I had kids with me on 29 of the hikes. September was the only month that the kids didn't put boot to trail. Heck, I only got out six times in September and not once on Twin Falls.
We're trained to set goals that surpass what we did previously. Makes sense. Except when those goals get in the way of actually having fun. So, while it was all about 500/100/200k in 2010 I'm changing the focus in 2011. Drumroll please...
(Kudos to you if you're actually giving me a drumroll.)
Mileage goal: none
Elevation goal: 120,000 feet (10k/month)
Days on trail goal: none
Days on trail with kids goal: 33%
Trips: Mt. Baker, Glacier Peak (part of the bucket list); Mt. Si, Mt. Washington, and Mailbox Peak with Clara (her decision, not mine); Paradise with the kids; overnight backpack trip with each of the kids
So without further delay, here are the top trips from 2010 set to whatever music you happen to be listening to. (I love the idea of having a soundtrack, but I'm just too lazy to do it.)
Wilderness Peak
Romp to Stomp
Mt. Washington birthday party
Birdbox Ledges
Tiger's Talus Caves
Tusk o' Granite
Putrid Pete's Peak
Mt. St. Helens
Bandera Mountain
Franklin Falls
Mt. Rainier
Ancient Lakes overnight
Horsethief and North Navarre Peaks
Rampart Ridge
Twin Falls
Frozen Lake
Gastineau Peak
Noble Knob and Mutton Mountain
Lakes Lillian, Laura, and Twin Lakes
Three Forks Natural Area
Twin Falls
Hyak Lake
Mailbox Peak
Let's hope I learned my lesson in 2010 and 2011 is a lot more fun from start to finish. Let's go!
