#Hikers365Challenge. Happy New Year! I think the question begs to be asked, will it really be a year of new and good, or a repeat of not-so-good that enveloped the past two years? Never give up hope, but oy vey, Omicron. What’s next?
A New Year
We ended 2021 cautiously (dare we dream) giving thought to returning to Portugal in early spring 2022. For a few weeks Portugal was the leading European country in successful population vaccination. Triple vaxxed, (who knew that word would become part of our vernacular) we dared to think maybe we could pull it off; spend a few weeks in Porto, Portugal. But then, just like that, the pendulum swung the other way and Omicron was the new word of the day.
A Multitude of Opinions
Our travel writers/bloggers community has definitely shrunk in size. Understandably so, but a bit sad just the same. There are a multitude of opinions when it comes to travel these days. While some feel once vaccinated they’re good to go, others are not so sure. Others have taken on a different mode of travel, while still others feel any travel at all in this time of Covid prolongs the stabilization of the pandemic. Don’t even get me started on the whole politicalization of the pandemic. Many of our travel writer colleagues have stopped traveling and/or writing, while others are writing/publishing less often. We fall in to the second category. We have a grandson still too young to be vaccinated, so his safety is first and foremost.
Exploring the Backroads
We have spent the past two years exploring our surrounding backyard so-to-speak. It’s actually been fun and educational to explore the backroads of Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania. It’s one of the perks of exploring by car, getting to go wherever we feel like going at any given moment. We gave ourselves a working perimeter of 100 miles. It’s far enough to feel as if we are truly getting away, but not so far that we can’t easily return home the same day. And, it allowed us to travel safely in this time of Covid, if not far and wide.
#Hikers365Challenge
With all of that being said, we felt the need to take on something different. We love our backroad travels, but we want to explore with a new purpose. That’s when I came across a post on Facebook, #hikers365challenge. If you’ve been with us for a few years you know we are avid walkers/hikers so any added excuse inspiration to go outside and take a hike works for us.
The #hikers365challenge is to walk 365 miles in 365 days, but not to think of it as a mile per day challenge. Also, while paved walking is certainly a good thing, the greater challenge is to walk/hike with dirt under your feet. Get outside and commune with mother nature. The challenge includes a log sheet, or you can use an app, and if the challenge is completed in 365 days, a tree will be planted to acknowledge the achievement. The organizers ask participants to share their challenge miles stats and photos on social media. A small donation is required to join the challenge. Well-worth a few dollars for the inspiration and a planted tree.
#hikers365challenge
#myadventurechallenge
The First Few Hikes
It was our intention to begin our #hikers365challenge with the the start of the new year. What better way to spend New Year’s Day we thought? As it happened, December 14 (2021) was a beautiful day, unseasonably warm, and a lovely day to take a hike. We were going anyway, so why not jump start the challenge? At the time of this post, we’ve taken several hikes and logged about 30+ miles. Truth be told though we’ve walked through our neighborhood multiple times, but I tend not to count those miles. Ask me again, in about 300 days, if I’m still not counting them. wink-wink. Here’s a look at a few of our first hikes. We’re fortunate in that we are surrounded by hiking trails within an easy drive.
Sligo Creek Watershed
Sligo Creek Trail is a mostly asphalt-paved trail which runs alongside Sligo creek for 10 – 15 miles depending on which site you reference. We walked four miles following the creek. The trail is also part of the National Recreation Trail System.
Anacostia Watershed
One of our nearby and favorite trails, we’ve logged 10+ challenge miles on the Anacostia Watershed Trail. It’s a beautiful wooded trail. We can actually access the trail with just a short walk from our front door, or we can drive to other sections.
Bethesda Trolley Trail
The Bethesda Trolley Trail is, you guessed it, a trail in Bethesda, Maryland. Although it’s an asphalt-paved trail it is unique in that the trail travels through neighborhoods, wooded areas and it follows along the perimeter of the National Institute of Health.
Anacostia Northwest Branch Trail
The northwest branch is approximately an eight mile stretch of the Anacostia Tributary System. An out and back trail, it’s a trail we often hike because it’s a peaceful trail with no hills to climb. And, because it follows the slow drifting river.
Have you found us on Youtube? We’ve had a channel for years but haven’t given it the time we should have. My bad. So, along with our #hikers365challenge I’ve taken on another challenge of updating our channel and teaching myself a few of the finer skills of video editing. So, don’t be shy, click that subscribe button and walk/travel along with us.
Challenge Yourself
As we cautiously step in to a new year, another challenging year, what challenge are you willing and able to take on? I’m not talking about new year’s resolutions, bah. I’m talking about doing something just for you, and/or with someone you love best. We all need some inspiration, a positive in our lives. Something, anything, but worrying about this relentless pandemic. It’s never been more important to go outside and breathe in the fresh air; so why not take a walk? And, while you’re out there communing with mother nature, think about all the things you’ve always thought about doing and make it happen. Make 2022 the year of the challenge. Go for it!
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John already commented, but I just wanted to say I love this post! You are so spot-on with your idea of finding a new challenge, something to take us away from obsessing about the pandemic. We love the idea of the Hikers’ 365 Challenge – maybe we can make it retroactive for two days since we had long walks with our pups on both Saturday and Sunday! And your YouTube channel is really cool – love the Anacostia hike video 🙂 Here’s hoping that 2022 brings you both everything you dream of.
Cheers,
Susan
Thank you so much, Susan. We appreciate the positive feedback and cheers to you and John in the new year. Let’s hope we all get some much needed peace of mind, good health, and a lot of good walking.
Patti,
I am glad you and Abi have taken on the 365 hikers challenge, if anyone can do it…you certainly can. I know how much you guys love your hikes. I will be looking forward to your updates.
Brian and I are currently in Brazil, loving being here with our adult children. We have not been on holiday with them both for a few years, so we are appreciating every moment together. Omicron has spoiled many peoples plans, we were a little bit unsure, but decided to take the plunge. Brian and I have all vaccinations and boosters we could get and so have our kids. We are also as careful as we can be…such as wearing masks, using hand sanitizers all the time when out and about etc.
I hope you and Abi have a fantastic 2022, keep enjoying your gorgeous grandson and having fun.
Wow! Brazil! Sounds as if you’re loving the time back “home” and with your kids, and it sounds as if you’ve covered all your bases. At some point life goes on. Enjoy and stay safe (and healthy) out there. I’ll look forward to reading all about your Brazilian adventures.
Best wishes and health to you for 2022!
Happy New Year, John and Susan! I look forward to following your 2022 adventures. Travel safely and in good health!
Great that you could keep exploring and hiking during the pandamic. The hikers 365 challenge sounds like fun too. It is always good to have goals – personally I like physical goals. Don`t let omicron deter you from coming back to Europe. We have traveled internationally during the pandamic within Europe and were always nervous before we left. But it got better when we were on the road. It pays to have plan B this days – what are you going to do, if the restaurant is packed, people do not wear masks etc. All the best to both of you for the new year 2022! Greetings from Berlin!
Natascha recently posted…Happy New Year 2022!
Happy New Year, Natascha! We have a 3 1/2 year-old grandson that we help care for. As soon as he’s vaccinated, we will feel much more comfortable to start venturing out far and wide again. We’ve been watching Europe (especially Portugal) closely. And, we completely agree with the Plan B theory (and Plan C) in these crazy times. Safe travels!
It looks like I’m going to be using a rolling walker for the foreseeable future. Walking is also my favorite form of exercise. In fact, I didn’t used to really consider it “exercise”. I especially liked when I could incorporate walking into my everyday existence. Living in Center City Philadelphia, we could pretty much walk to everywhere we wanted to go between the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers. Unfortunately, the only place I really have to go these days is to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania for treatments every other week. It’s a paved mile away. I hope you’ll continue to share your walks, especially on paved paths. I’m now very aware of accessibility issues. I look at terrain very differently. I can handle curbs, but more than one step is a problem as are tree roots, rocks and ruts. Maybe I’ll try the 365 mile challenge. In my case, it really will be a challenge. I have a free app in my android phone that uses GPS to map my walks and distances. Happy New Year to you and Abi.
You, Suzanne, are a true inspiration. You’re kicking cancer’s butt with your rolling walker. You keep walking and we’ll keep sharing our walks and thanks for the reminder. We all need to pay more attention to accessibility for everyone. I know I’ve tripped over more than my share of tree roots!
Great Video
We too miss traveling( Mostly to Baja Mexico) I have followed your post’s since you visited my friends Darrel & Roxanne in Cardonal Baja Mexico( Monkey Sister?) We lived in Leesburg VA.( Waterford) for a few years and loved the back country. We pray the pandemic will soon be over. I think the World we knew is changed forever
Hey Ted! Great to hear from you. Yes, my monkey sister, you’ve got a good memory! We agree the world we knew is no longer the world in which we now live. Grateful to be healthy and taking each day as it comes and hoping better days will come at some point in 2022. Virginia, does indeed have some beautiful backroads, we have a lot more ground to cover. Take care.