The Miles & Smiles of 2022
The Miles & Smiles of 2022!
It was a blast getting to meet and hike with so many hikers in 2022! We traversed trails throughout the Hudson Valley, The Catskills and beyond on day hikes, overnights, private hikes and corporate events! The extreme cold and wind atop some Catskill 3500 peaks in the winter, and the near-drought conditions in the Summer pushed us to the extreme edges of our comfort zones — but we were prepared with extra layers, extra water and did what we do best — stuck together to help each other reach our outdoor goals!
I am also so grateful to have been able to hire out more guides this year for events both big and small, including local day hikes and overnights, and on 100+ participant events! Major thanks to Lauren, Ash, Avalou and Henri for helping me to help others enjoy the outdoors! And thanks too, to podcast editor Ash, for making sure my interviews got out into the ether!
Thanks times a bazillion to everyone who took the time to come out on a hike, listen to an episode, like an instagram post, or otherwise. Your interest in the outdoors and the power of community is the fuel to my hiking fire! (***only light campfires where legally allowed, and always ensure they are out before hiking on)
And now for the numbers…
Girl Gotta Hike in 2022
Participants / Miles Logged:
• 2,170 total miles hiked by Girl Gotta Hike hikers (nearly the length of the whole Appalachian Trail — go team!)
• 4,744 additional miles hiked by GGH alum “NoSeeUm” & “Fireball” on the Pacific Crest and Appalachian Trails
• 359 total headcount for the year’s hikes
• 277 new participants hiked with GGH for the 1st time!
• 78 miles of local hiking utilizing Public Transit (Metro-North and New Jersey Transit)
• 143 miles of hiking in the Catskills + beyond
• 83 miles of trail hiked via overnight backpacking trips in the Catskills
• 24 times the Catskill 3500-ft mark was reached (with summits of 21 individual peaks, and only 3 were hiked twice!)
• 19 miles of trail hiked on corporate hikes
• 27 miles logged on privately guided hikes
• 225+ hikers guided by GGH guides on events for The North Face and Weight Watchers
• 5 new episodes of Girl Gotta Hike The Podcast published
• 14,500+ total podcast downloads and counting (!!)
The Girl Gotta Hike word was spread!
• via a super-fun podcast appearance on The Trek (okay, technically that was in Dec 2021)
• via a TV show appearance on TODAY All-Day with Shienelle Jones (!!)
• quoted in NY Magazine’s The Stragegist — Guide to Women’s Hiking Boots
In addition to that (& on a personal note):
• I logged an additional 175 miles on local Catskills trails and across the country with family and friends. Highlights include a 101-mile desert section of the Pacific Crest Trail, and day hikes in Joshua Tree, The Grand Canyon and Washington State!
• Girl Gotta Hike (a.k.a. me and my husband) have a new upstate basecamp (a.k.a. weekend house + property) in The Catskills, where we happily hosted a handful of hikers and co-guides throughout 2022. We’re working on renovations, and can’t wait to share it with future hikers, workshop attendees, fall foliage peepers, and short-term renter-adventurers in the coming seasons!
• My outdoor photography was featured on the cover (and inside) National Geographic’s 50 States 500 Campgrounds Book! My outdoor photography work will also be included in an upcoming Nat Geo Trails book in 2023 - whoo-hoo!
Thanks as always, to all of the GGH supporters near and far!! What outdoor adventures are on your radar for 2023?! Here’s hoping Girl Gotta Hike can help make ‘em happen! 😉