I'd been toying with making a Summer bucket hiking list, since I finally felt like I was fit enough and my health and plantar fasciitis feet issues were in the past. In the northwest the high country hiking begins when the snows leaves, so it's usually mid summer before these trails fully open up. So in July I presented my bucket list idea to my husband, at that time I only had 11 hikes on it. He said he was in and would like to make that happen for me. Throughout the hiking season he added some that he liked and before we knew it our list grew to 16.
Here's our list in order of when they were hiked, with a blogpost link for each one.
Sauk mountain: July 26
(To the hiker summit)
Scott Paul loop: Aug. 13
Excelsior peak via Damfino lakes: Aug. 15
Boundary way/Cowap peak: Aug.20
(to the hikers summit)
Heliotrope ridge: Aug. 22
Chain lakes loop: Sept. 3
Watson lakes Sept. 9:
Park Butte lookout Sept. 12
Yellow Aster Butte Sept. 16:
(to the hikers summit)
Goat mtn. to the overlook Sept. 20
(wanted to get to the Summit, but chose to stop at the overlook)
Lake Ann Sept. 23:
Hannegan peak Oct. 7:
(wanted to get to the summit, but turned around about 1/2 mile from the top)
The Portals Oct. 10
(chose to sit just below and enjoy the view, the trail to the end had a bit of snow and ice on it)
Church mtn. Oct. 12:
(to the hikers summit)
We ran out of our weather window and didn't get to Winchester mtn. or Welcome pass.
Thank you to my husband for assisting on the planning of when to do each hike and for driving our truck on some crazy roads. Each hike he walked along encouraging me to reach my goal. Also, our dog Scoutina did every hike with us she brought along energy to "go" and smiles to our days with her excitement for every sight, scent, stick, creek and person that petted her along the way.