Hikes Worth the Money

With August coming to a close, and Hike-a-Thonners hiking like crazy to fit in those extra miles, one has to wonder if they actually remember any of those hikes, or if they’ve all gone by in a blur. Despite trying to fit as many miles into a day as one possibly can, a few trips have stood out for participants. Here are some Hike-a-Thon favorites.

Rebecca: Snowgrass Flats/Goat Ridge Loop – Gorgeous flowers and good mileage with moderate elevation gain made the miles go by fast. Rebecca’s runner up: Summerland/Panhandle Gap - With so many different parts of the mountain ecosystem (forest to meadow to glacier) and 35 goats in view, it was difficult to not choose this as her favorite.

Diana: Burroughs Mountain - We started our hike in the fog at 8:30am with a small patch of blue sky over us. The fog became thicker as we continued on to Third Burroughs. We had all been to this spot before, and knew that somewhere behind the clouds there was a magnificent view of Mt Rainier.

As we ate our

lunch, we were teased by the slowly drifting clouds, a peek of Mt Tahoma, then a peek of Rainier's glaciers. Considering there were no bugs to be seen on this foggy day, we had a very enjoyable hike, and as a bonus, I tallied up more miles for Hike-a-Thon.

Holly: Salmo Loop - This was my high mileage day! I was also able to enjoy the fruits of WTA dollars hard at work -- the WTA trail crew had been working on a rough section of the Shedroof Divide trail just the day before. The repairs look great! I did the complete Salmo Loop, plus side hikes to the Salmo Cabin (or what's left of it) and the summit of Little Snowy Top. This trip was one of my first backpacking trips. I remember how it took three days and two nights, and I was certain that I would die from exhaustion before I finished. I repeated the trip twice more before I realized  I was strong enough to do it in two days. Then I met a guy who did the whole thing in just one day, and I've wanted to try it ever since...And I did!

Kate: Barclay Lake to almost Eagle Lake- I thought it included the appropriate mix of adventure, mis-adventure, swimming, and Mexican food.

Adam: Fragrance & Lost Lakes: A beautiful hike including the best hiking company I’ve ever had. A perfect lunch spot and a totally quiet trail made this excursion my favorite.

What’s my favorite Hike-a-Thon hike? Well, I have hiked quite a few miles this month, raising over $2,000 for trails with a lot of wonderful people who made each outing a special treat. Though I'd be hard pressed to pick a favorite, I would say each of my 10 hikes this month were well worth money.

Hike-a-Thon is presented by Sherpa Adventure Gear