By It’s that time of the year! It’s time to look back and recap what we did this year and start planning for the next year. I look forward to writing this post every December.
So let’s recap 2018. This year we hiked 253 miles, explored 31 new trails and finished a total of 45 hikes. We hiked fewer trails than 2017 but 17 of those 45 hikes were on the road. I like that. September and October were rough months for us. Xena lost two premolars and ate a fish hook that was still attached to a weight. We made too many vet trips than I’d like. Thankfully, it ended well and now we can all laugh about it. I might’ve gotten a few more gray hair because of it but at this point, I stopped counting anyway. Ha! All in all, it was another fantastic year for adventures and I plan to continue the trend next year.
Without further ado, here is a roundup of the top 3 popular posts from each category this year. Enjoy!
*Click on the name of the post below to get the full story and the hiking guide
Top 3 Most Liked Overall in 2018:
#3 – 7 Helpful Tips for Adventure Dog Photography
#2 – Essential Gear for Hiking with Dog
#1 – Camping and Hiking at Calf Creek
Top 3 Most Commented Posts in 2018:
#3 – 7 Helpful Tips for Adventure Dog Photography
#2 – Beach Camping at Lake Powell
#1 – Essential Gear for Hiking With Dog
Top 3 Most Liked Hiking Stories in 2018:
#3 – Two posts tied for the 3rd place
#2 – Birthday Hike
#1 – Camping and Hiking at Calf Creek
Top 3 Most Viewed Posts in 2018:
#3 – Beach Camping at Lake Powell
#2 – Solo Travel and Hiking with Dog
#1 – 5 Best Dog-Friendly Hikes in Malibu
And now, here are my personal favorites from this year:
Most Beautiful Hike: Kalepa Ridge Trail
This is one of the hikes I did while I vacationed in Kauai. This hike had the most awe-inspiring, wild view ever! It’s almost safe to say all hikes are beautiful in the Garden Island but this one just blew my mind. This short hike kicked my butt too. It was beautifully challenging and I absolutely loved every moment of it. I will share the photos from this hike soon!
Most Challenging Hike: Mt Baldy
The bare rocky Mt Baldy isn’t my kind of scenery but the hike to the Mt Baldy peak is a rite of passage for SoCal hikers. This hike is something I needed to do and check it off the list. I had to get in the mindset to do a 10-mile round trip with an elevation gain of 3,160 ft at a high altitude looking at a bare mountain. The real challenge for me was the fire road to Mt Baldy Notch in the lower part of the mountain. I just find this section so blah and it’s too long to be blah. The mental challenge is always harder to overcome than the physical challenge. We were lucked out with the overcast weather on that day because the fog made it more interesting as it always does.
Most Memorable Hike: Duck Lake Pass
Oh gosh! This is especially a tough category this year. There are so many to choose from! I realize it’s a good problem to have and it makes me smile. In the end, I chose Duck Pass. It was our 2nd time and it was as beautiful as I remembered if not more. I loved hiking it in the late fall when the trail was less traveled. This was one of our successful road trips 😉 and in fact, the entire trip was wonderful. I finally got to see the beautiful change of colors in the Eastern Sierra.
Most Fun Hike: Hidden Valley via Mormon Trail
South Mountain Park in Phoenix, AZ, the largest municipal park in the U.S., has an extensive trail system and we had a blast on this hike. So many fun obstacles! Adobe, unicycles, Hidden Valley Natural Tunnel and Fat Man’s Pass are some of the highlights from the day. Be sure to check it out when you are in Phoenix.
Most Fun Writing: 6 Yoga Poses Every Hiker Should Know
One day the idea came to me and instantly I was excited to write this post. It’s possible the idea came to me when I was practicing yoga but I can’t remember now. The article was in the works for about two months before it was published. The photoshoot was fun and Xena did very well without any coaching. I thoroughly enjoyed the project. It’s nice to see that it was received well too.
Top 5 Photos from 2018:
Did your favorite post make the Top 3 list?
Thank you all for following along our adventures in 2018 and for your likes, comments and encouraging words.
They all meant a lot to me so I sincerely Thank You.
May the New Year bring health, joy, peace and many amazing adventures.
Happy New Year!
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Hiking Girl with Dog 
What a great recap! Happy New Year!
Thank you. Happy New Year to you guys as well!
Great job, Jamie! And good health, joy, peace and many amazing adventures right back at you and Xena for 2019!
Thanks, Mike!! 🐾💚
Thanks for sharing all of your fun adventures with us last year. Look forward to many more!
Thanks for following!!