Blog

I had already done what I’d set out to do for the month. On the final morning of Washington Trails Association’s 2026 Hike-a-Thon (the month of August), I needed to hike only two more miles with 840 feet of elevation gain to accomplish my personal goals.

After a rainy backpacking trip over the weekend, I knew the 20-mile hike I’d originally imagined as the grand finale wasn’t going to happen. Instead, I woke at dawn and headed east toward the Cedar Park stairs to see what birds I could hear.

Somewhere along the way, the goals stopped mattering. It was a beautiful morning. Birds were everywhere, including Hutton’s vireos heading south. My body felt better than I’d expected. And my feet just kept moving.

What Door Might This Open?

I joined WTA’s Hike-a-Thon as a tribute to my dog Ajax who died May 7. I even chose Angel Ajax as my team’s name, having never done any fundraising before. The goal was simply to try it. I didn’t know how to set up a charming page, had no idea there would be a weekly leaderboard — I wasn’t trying to compete. I was simply curious about what committing to daily green space in the month of August might bring.

What I hoped would happen is that hiking for 31 straight days would give me quality, dedicated reflection time with my dog’s memory, infused with another trail companion, Miles Marmot. As a participant I got a Bingo card, fundraising information, and a color cutout of Mile to take with me on my adventures, aka Flat Stanley-style. It reminded me of what I’d been doing for nearly 3 months, but with a playful twist.

Thirty-One Days of Showing Up

Each morning, as I did my outdoor pack walk – be it a CHS hike, a solo ramble, a slosh bag workout at a nearby green space — I kept the streak alive. After eight days, the first Miles Marmot newsletter came out. And Angel Ajax was number two in miles.

I laughed through my tears. The irony was not lost on me. My little guy was near the top of the leaderboard – and he wasn’t even physically around. That moment fueled something in me and I decided to give these 31 days everything I had.

When wildfire smoke caused not one but five of my outings to divert to other destinations or dates, I was determined to keep the streak alive. Nothing fueled me as much as my love for Angel Ajax. From walking to the local library to carrying Miles and Ajax 17 miles on a rescheduled trip to Snoqualmie Lake, one of the highlights of the entire summer where, at exactly three months after he passed, five of us were frolicking in the lake, having reached 100% participation.  

Every day counted, regardless of size.

What The Miles Taught Me

I have changed a lot this month. I’ve learned that no matter what life throws at me – from smoke to thunderstorms, from death of a cherished hiking companion to a monumental birthday – movement in nature is vitally important to me. And yet, I also realized that companionship is as well.

The month had a good mixture. I completed 16 hikes (8 out in the mountains, 8 urban greenspace hikes), 20 days as solo trips and 11 with family, friends, or Mountaineers. 5 required pivoting to happen, including Snoqualmie Lake, Union Bay birding, Wallace and Jay Lakes (originally scheduled to be Kendall Katwalk), our family backpack to Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie (originally planned as Goat Lake), and today’s urban ramble (originally slated as Tiger Mountain Trail from the south).

Lessons from My Second Backpack of Summer 2026

And perhaps most important of all is everything this past weekend’s backpack taught me. Most significantly, I learned that my husband was missing the internet and our comfy couch, and unbeknownst to me until we returned to the car, he’d forgotten his phone and wallet in the car. My daughter longed for her computer and comfy bed. After a night of unexpected rain, on my birthday I rose before dawn wanting to explore solo for as long as I could get away with.

I may never be a participant on the reality show, “Alone”, but I can fully appreciate “What’s around the bend?” Dingford Creek Falls were stunning, and I had a precious moment alone with Miles Marmot and Angel Ajax. And as I hauled our bear canister back to the car after being unable to start the wet stove, I added one more lesson: being capable of carrying something doesn’t mean I need to carry it. That applies to more than a forty-pound pack.

Angel Ajax Comes Home

This morning as Angel Ajax, Miles Marmot, and I rambled, we headed west from the Burke-Gillman trail in search of quiet and headed towards South Woods Park. We intersected Lake City Way and eased southwest and east around the perimeter of Acacia Memorial Park.

I thought softly about the past month and everything I’d accomplished.  We listened to the birds and stopped at a Little Free Library where three book titles jumped out:

“Closer than She Knows”

“Everything Is Illuminated”, and

“The Hill We Climb.”

I realized after feeling heavier-than-usual legs on my six steep stair climbs that I would have struggled to complete a 20-miler. But we were having so much fun at 2.5 miles – such a gorgeous morning – that we simply kept walking.

I hadn’t set out to draw anything. But when I looked at my GPS track, there he was: Angel Ajax, facing west, tail raised. All he needed was one forward leg to end at the blue dot indicating “Home.”

So, we finished the track: 6.25 miles and 1,286 feet, ending with his profile. A fitting end to the month.

Thirty-one days. My feet just kept moving.