100 HIKES
Flatirons Vista Trail in Boulder
This year, I decided to attempt 1000 Hours Outside with Ivey. According to the 1000 Hours Outside website, the average American child spends 1200 hours a year in front of screens. While that stat is unsurprising, it’s rather depressing. We will likely never be a screen-free family, but I would like to encourage Ivey to love being outdoors and I want to model a healthy attitude about fitness - we get outside and move our body because it feels good and makes us happy.
I’ll be posting more about our progress as we work towards 1000 hours, but today I want to talk about another goal we’re trying to achieve - 100 hikes in 2023. If you had asked me last year, I would have thought that this was a lofty goal. As we push to spend more time outdoors, though, I’ve realized that I prefer hikes to just about any other outdoor activity. I quickly grow bored of pushing a stroller around my neighborhood, Ivey is too young for most outdoor sports, the dogs benefit from trail time, and I want to see as much of Colorado as possible.
Because I’m a rule follower, I set a couple parameters for what I consider a “hike.” In order for me to count an outing as a hike, it must check these three boxes:
The majority of the trail must be unpaved. Small sections of pavement are okay, but I wouldn’t count paved greenways, for example.
The route must be listed as a trail on All Trails or the trail system must be otherwise mapped on All Trails.
Ivey must be carried (or walk on his own when he gets older). I don’t count stroller walks.
Juniper Valley Loop at Sandstone Ranch Open Space
Despite the fact that Ivey and I were sick for most of February and March, we ended up finishing Q1 right on schedule with 25 hikes! If you’re interested in stats, here are the trails we hiked:
1/4 - Cherry Creek Vista Trail - 2.5mi*
1/5 - Foothills South Trail to Old Kiln Spur Trail - 1.5mi*
1/6 - Dawson Butte Ranch Open Space Trail - 5.1mi
1/9 - Coyote Song Trail - 3mi
1/20 - Green Mountain Trail - 2.8mi*
1/21 - Flatirons Vista Trail - 3.5mi
1/23 - Dawson Butte Ranch Open Space Trail - 3mi*
1/26 - Rooney Trail Loop - 3.4mi
1/31 - Red Rocks Trading Post - 1.5mi
2/4 - Contemplative Trail to Sand Canyon Loop - 2mi*
2/19 - Juniper Valley Loop - 2mi*
2/21 - Nightbird Gulch Trail - 1.2mi*
2/27 - Juniper Valley Loop - 3.4mi
3/7 - Red Rocks Trail to Cherry Gulch Loop - 4mi*
3/8 - Skunk Canyon and Kohler Mesa Loop - 2.8mi
3/11 - High Line Canal Loop Trail - 4.2mi
3/12 - South Rim, Willow Creek, Fountain Valley Loop - 5.2mi
3/13 - Coyote Song Trail - 3mi
3/14 - High Line Canal Loop Trail - 4.2mi
3/17 - Dawson Butte Ranch Open Space Trail - 2.5mi*
3/21 - High Line Canal Loop Trail - 4mi*
3/22 - Eagle Pass Trail - 3.9mi
3/23 - Flatirons Vista Trail - 3.5mi
3/26 - Coot Lake Trail - 2mi*
3/28 - Cherry Creek, Pope, & Butterfly Hill Trail Loop - 4.4mi*
Asterisks indicate that I modified the trail from what is shown on All Trails by either shortening or extending the trail.
A note on hike 1 - this is a neighborhood trail that links up with the Cherry Creek State Park trail system but isn’t listed as a trail on its own. There are lots of short connecting segments and we just meander!
A note on hike 25 - in the past I had only done this trail with several inches of snow. I didn’t realize large sections were paved until the snow melted! I counted it this time but don’t plan to in the future. Bummer because it’s walking distance from our house!
Contemplative Trail to Sand Canyon Loop at Red Rocks Canyon Open Space
Have you tried any of these hikes? In Q2, we’re looking forward to driving farther from home (yay for better road conditions!). Let me know in the comments below if you have any recommendations for us to check out!