hike2

2023 Hike 2 - Squaxin Park

Hike 2 - 52 Hikes With Mike

Squaxin Park - Olympia, WA

It was a wet Saturday morning, but that’s just the way it is some days here in the Pacific Northwest. The park is located in the city of Olympia, and rivals some of the state parks I’ve seen in other places. Squaxin has tall trees, old trees, and hills full of ferns. The trails have hills, which made it more interesting and there were views of Olympia from the high points across the water. Moss covered rocks and stump line the path and gorgeous boardwalks get you over the streams and swamps. Rainy day hikes are something I’ve longed for, and there’s plenty of that here.

Even though this counted as Hike 2, I’ll be going back to find new paths there! I hiked about 2 1/4 miles but there was definitely more to see! Happy hiking everyone. See you out there.

2022 Activities 5-7

So far, February has been quite good for hiking. A recent trip to Caprock Canyons State Park in Texas gave us two more for the year, with some amazing views along the way. With the end of our time in New Mexico rapidly approaching, we visited White Sands National Park near sunset for one last stroll in the desert before heading to Dallas/Fort Worth. Happy hiking!

Activity 5/52 - Hike - Caprock Canyons State Park (Quitaque, TX)

Distance/Time: 3.07 miles

Trail: Hanes Ridge Overlook

I’ve hiked at Caprock Canyons many times, but I’ve never hiked this trail! It was straight up, about 600 feet, over rocks and dirt. We stopped many times to take in the view, catch our breath, and get a drink. Once up the most steep part, we had an amazing view above the ridges in the park. The hike is worth the effort, I promise.

Activity 6/52 - Hike - Caprock Canyons State Park (Quitaque, TX)

Distance/Time: 1.5 miles

It was Sunday and we were spent from a weekend of hiking, hanging out around the fire, and sleeping during a windy night. We decided after packing up to go with my aunt on a short little hike around the rim on the Canyon Rim Trail. It was a short walk from our campsite to the trail and then a nice little stroll. We took the dogs and a beer and enjoyed the sunshine!

Activity 7/52 - Hike - White Sands NP (Alamogordo, NM)

Distance/Time: 1 mile

On our last weekend in New Mexico, we hit up our third national park together for a sunset hike on the dunes. It was a cute little stroll with the dogs. The amount of people on a Sunday night was a bit shocking, but it was sunset on a holiday weekend.

2022 Activities 3 and 4

The first weekend of February brought us closer to being “on track” for our 52 hike challenge. This coming weekend will bring a few more hikes and then we’ll be mostly good to go moving forward. We visited two nearby national parks and they did not disappoint. Happy hiking!

Activity 3/52 - Hike - Guadalupe Mountains NP (Salt Flat, TX)

Distance/Time: 2.34 miles

Trail: McKittrick Canyon

This particular Saturday was a whirlwind. My partner was supposed to be in Indiana, but flights got messed up and he was home. We had reservations for Carlsbad, but missed them and decided to head back to Guadalupe Mountains for another hike. By the time we got there, the day was winding down and McKittrick Canyon gates close at 4:30 pm, so we didn’t have much time to hike. We hiked the trail and stopped at the riverbed for a break in the sunshine. It was a nice little hike, more sunny than last time, and a different view in the canyon. The McKittrick Canyon trail is mild, though we had some icy spots, and mostly flat. It’s suitable for all sorts of hiking experience levels.

Activity 4/52 - Hike - Carlsbad Caverns NP (Carlsbad, NM)

Distance/Time: 3 miles

We made it to our reservation and walked down the natural entrance. We meandered down, in awe of the formations and just how far we were going in. It was nice to show my partner something I love and something so spectacular. This marks our second national park together as we quest to see them all. Carlsbad Caverns will take a couple of hours to get through, but it’s something new around every corner. Make sure you look up when you’re there, as the stuff on the ceiling can be just as amazing to see. If your knees don’t like downhill, you can enter with the elevator instead of the natural entrance.

2022 Activities 1 and 2

It’s a new year and new set of activities for the 52 hike challenge. This year I will continue having an open mind on what counts as one of the 52 hikes. Paddling, hiking, trail runs, bike rides, and more will count. The goal with my version of the 52 Hike Challenge has always been to get outside and see the world. If the events I participate in do that, I’m good with counting them.

January 2022 included two hikes with my partner Randall. We have plans to complete this challenge together this year and we’re going into February with a plan to adventure even more.

Activity 1/52 - Hike - Ocotillo Nature Trail (Carlsbad, NM)

Distance/Time: 2 miles

This trail is a little gravel path that winds up the hillside and takes you to a high point and view of Carlsbad. We did this trail at night, with the dogs, because of work and whatnot so the view was especially cool. The activity itself was not difficult, but it was dusty and dry. Enjoy some of the photos!

Activity 2/52 - Hike - Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Salt Flat, TX)

Distance/Time: 2.38 miles

This hike started with good intentions, and ended with good plans to return. I think the original thought was to hike through McKittrick Canyon and have a nice picnic at the Pratt Cabin. As we drove, other trails looked more enticing so we shifted our plans to hike the Devil’s Hall trail. We started off, with plenty of snacks and water but only brought sunglasses. The sun was sinking, and the canyon walls made it darker faster. We hiked just over a mile and decided it was getting too dark in sunglasses (we both wear prescription sunglasses) and it was time to just have a snack and head back to the car. This is where we planned to return for this trail, and others, before we leave New Mexico. Flexibility is an important part of adventuring and our safety and enjoyment are top concerns making the decisions to come back easy!

#hike2 - Tyler State Park

I'm experimenting with a post-hike video to kind of summarize the experience. We'll see how this evolves. Enjoy the first installment.

Date: January 13, 2018

Location: Tyler State Park - Tyler, TX

Distance: 8.41 miles

Trails: B, C, and D Loops

This morning was not agreeing with me, and I'm a morning person, but I finally hit the road about 8AM and made it to the park about 10AM.  I parked in the lot where the mountain bikers park, loaded up, and headed out.  To get to Loop B, you start on Loop A which is the designated mountain bike track.  I started down the trails on the east side, which weaves through the woods and takes you back towards the north end of the park.

Loop B felt like the longest trail, it probably was, with Loop C being the shortest.  Loop D was the most interesting as far as terrain, and was somewhere around 2.1 miles.  Loop C had a few issues with trail marking, so I did a little backtracking but eventually made it to the right path.  All paths went through the woods which consisted of mostly pine and oak and weaved through ravines.  There were several creek crossings, all with footbridges or something man-made to assist.

Tyler State Park Tidbits:

  • There are a lot of trails to take on and they're all pretty well marked with Loop C being the only area I had a little difficulty finding any marking or beaten down path
  • The trails I did are for hiking and biking and offer plenty of space to get out of the way of one another.
  • I went on a Saturday morning and I was surprised it wasn't very busy - could have been the colder weather?
  • The pines are gorgeous and regal blanketing the trails helping you stay quieter to take it all in even more.

Walking through the pines made me feel like I was in Michigan.  I found myself stopping, looking up while listening to the wind through the needles the way I would near Lake Huron or Lake Michigan.  The woods was very quiet, with few people and outside noises, making it an ideal hike for pondering things.  If it weren't for the yucca (or whatever it is) that grows in the sunlight, I would have never known I was still in Texas.  Enjoy a few photos from the hike and happy hiking to you!

 

Copyright © 2024 52 HIKES WITH MIKE, All rights reserved.