52 Hike Challenge
While some people don’t need a little push to keep going on an exercise routine, I am not most people. I do love hiking but some days I like to sleep in and not move at all so having that little voice in the back of your mind reminding you to finish a goal is important. The 52 Hike Challenge kept me motivated for the entire year so far. (affiliated links for 52 hike challenge appear in this post)
This is my second year completing the challenge and after finishing last year I went on to complete another 30 or so hikes so I was exciting about doing it again this year.
The Adventure Series
Last year I competed in the original 52 Hike Challenge. That was perfect for me as a beginner hiker with the only goals being to complete 52 hikes that were atleast a mile long over the course of the year. Well this year I decided to step up a little bit and try the Adventure series.
The Adventure Series is more of a scavenger hunt of hikes that I really enjoyed as a more accomplished hiker. There are missions such as, hike to a waterfall, hike a national park, journal about your hike. This was great for me because it encouraged me to find new hikes and expand my horizons a bit.
The Highlights
There were so many exciting moments for me during this years 52 Hike Challenge. I ended up hiking 228 miles with 43,780 feet of elevation gain during the 52 hikes that counted on the challenge. I was also able to visit 7 national parks (Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, and Rocky Mountain) and 3 national monuments. (Colorado National Monument, Horseshoe Bend National Landmark, Meteor Crater National Monument.)
One other thing that I liked about the Adventure series is that not all of the hikes that I did counted towards the final 52 so it kept me motivated to try and find new and adventurous places to go.
The Finish
I finished the challenge at Herman’s Gulch. Herman’s Gulch was the first hike I did last year that was actually in what I would consider an alpine setting. The lake at the end of the hike sits just at the cusp of 12,000 feet of elevation and is surrounded by rocky peaks. Doing that hike last year opened my mind up to so many other high altitude hikes and made my journey what it is today so going back had a very special meaning for me.
Without Video did it even happen?
Here is a little video that I put together of my journey and the final hike of the 52 Hike Challenge for 2021. This definitely won’t be my final hike of the year though! I hope you enjoy the video and if you do, please consider subscribing to my YouTube Channel for all of the updates.
My Interview with 52 Hike Challenge Co-Founder, Karla
More from the Fatman
Of course the journey doesn’t end here and I hope that I can be a little bit of help on your own personal journey. If you are looking for hiking suggestions make sure to check out my hikes page. And, if you are looking to start your own journey make sure to check out my “Getting Started Tips” where I have some guides for you.
If you have any questions or comments feel free to email me at Fatmanlittletrails@gmail.com. You can also follow me at any of the below social media platforms. Happy Hiking!