The End / The Beginning

If all goes to plan this weekend I will be taking my 52nd hike since I conceived the "52 Hikes" concept.  In 2010 the day after my 34th birthday I was reflecting on how great it felt to complete the long and strenuous hike to the top of Larch Mountain.  If I kept up that pace for 52 hikes in a row I would surely lose the extra 52 lbs i had gained since college while also documenting my journey.

As in life, the 52 hikes journey has been full of ups and downs.   In 2010 the 3 hikes after Larch Mountain ended with a broken into car, a hurt leg and the first and worst blisters of my life.  In 2011 I ended up hiking 24 times including the most memorable hike of my life Munra Point.  In 2012 I had full intentions to continue the journey but my leg gave out (hernia) and I made it an excuse to give up after just 2 hikes.  This year, shortly after my 37th birthday and an 18 month hiatus from hiking I decided it was time to stop making excuses.  I had gained nearly 30 lbs, missed hiking tremendously and was just tired of being tired.

I walked to the end of our street, probably no more than a quarter mile and had to call Isobel to come pick me up.  From there I tried a few small hikes (around 2 miles) walking VERY slowly.  Things started to change on Herman Creek when I discovered that if I could make it past a few miles the endorphins kicked in and the pain in my leg was manageable....too much advil helped too.   By mid-summer I found myself hiking 15 to 18 miles on the Wildwood trail and over the past two weekends I earned nearly 8000 ft of up and 24 miles in the Columbia River Gorge.  So 52 Hikes, is coming to an end.

But this is just the beginning.  I will post my next 52 hikes

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