2025 was the first time in several years where we weren’t focused on achieving a specific hiking goal. It also marked the first year in which I had significantly more vacation time than Heather. We also adjusted our off-season modus operandi from “one hike a month” to “at least one hike a month and more if the weather cooperates”. These factors along with some medical restrictions resulted in a very different set of hikes in 2025 than previous years. For the first time since 2014 we didn’t spend any time backpacking, spent minimal time hiking in either Eastern or Southern Oregon, and for only the second time since 2012 failed to hike at an elevation above 8000′. In fact, it was the first year in which the average highest elevation of our outings came in under 3000′ at 2947′.
One thing that did not change was our focus on visiting new trails or, in the case of areas we’d visited before, new sections of trail. Together, Heather and I spent 46 days exploring trails, and I headed out on an additional 20 days. The 66 days for me marked the most days hiking in a calendar year topping the previous high of 64 in 2017. With multiple stops on several of the days the number of trailheads I started off from was 98 (75 for Heather). Fifty-eight of those ninety-eight stops, and twenty-eight of the days were entirely new. The only hike that was 100% on trails previously hiked was to celebrate our friend’s birthday with a hike to Dimple Hill in the McDonald-Dunn Forest. The hikes on our 46 days together came to 402.8 miles with another 245 miles on my 20 solo hikes resulting 647.8 miles for me in 2025. Of those miles 440.6 were new. Our shortest hike was just 0.9-miles when we stopped to check out McCredie Hot Springs on the way home from Bend in October, and my longest was the 17.8-mile Obsidian Loop in the Three Sisters Wilderness in July.
As far as where we spent our time the Central Cascades were at the top followed by the Oregon Coast & Coast Range, NW Oregon, and Washington. The hikes in Washington were one of the reasons for the low number of hikes in Eastern and Southern Oregon. Our two vacations were spent at National Parks in that state, Olympic and Mt. Rainier.
Locations of the trailheads we started from in 2025. (There are 96 THs since we hiked multiple trails on a number of days.)
Our northernmost hike this year, Ozette Triangle in Olympic National Park, was also the furthest north we’d ever hiked. This was also the furthest west we would be all year.
Looking north from the most northerly location we’ve been.
Our southernmost hike was on the Cow Creek Trail SE of Roseburg, OR in the Umpqua National Forest.
Downed trees that marked my turn around point, and southernmost point, on the Cow Creek Trail.
Not surprisingly our easternmost hike was our sole hike in Eastern Oregon in the BLM’s Criterion Tract.
Roughly the furthest point east we reached this year.
The 2025 wildfire season was comparatively tame to the last few years however there were still more than 1,100 fires from early June to mid-October. According to the Office of the State Fire Marshal over 700 of those fires were human caused which is disappointing as these are by and large avoidable.
While none of the fires directly impacted our plans this year, sadly 200 homes and structures were lost this past year and several trails we’d previously hiked were burned.
On a more positive note, we once again were blessed to be able to see and experience so many beautiful places. So many in fact that in addition to our usual wildlife and wildflower galleries we’re adding one for the waterfalls we saw in 2025.
January – Driftwood Beach, OR
February – Clackamas River from Milo McIver State Park, OR
March – Catherine Creek/Coyote Wall, WA (This area burned in July 2025 in the Burdoin Fire.)
April – Devil’s Lake Fork, Tillamook State Forest, OR
April – Basket Slough Wildlife Refuge, OR
May – Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, OR
May – Hoh Rainforest, Olympic National Park, WA
May – Devil’s Punchbowl, Olympic National Park, WA
May – Rialto Beach, Olympic National Park, WA
May – Little Badger Trail, Mt. Hood National Forest, OR
May – Deschutes River, BLM Criterion Tract, OR
June – Blue Lake, Hampton Family Forests (Private Timberland), OR
June – Fivemile Butte Lookout, Mt. Hood National Forest, OR
June – Champoeg State Park, OR
June – Clearwater River, Umpqua National Forest, OR
Elk Camp Shelter, Willamette National Forest, OR
July – Mt. Hood, OR
July – Bays Lake, Mt. Jefferson Wilderness, OR
July – Three Sisters Wilderness, OR
July – Craig Lake, Mt. Jefferson Wilderness, OR
July – Big Lake, Willamette National Forest, OR
August – Walupt Lake, Goat Rocks Wilderness, OR
August – Mt. Rainier National Park, WA
August – Mt. Freemont Trail, Mt. Rainier National Park, WA
August – Snow Lake, Mt. Rainier National Park, WA
August – Naches Peak Loop, Mt. Rainier National Park, WA
August – Lava Canyon Trail, Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, WA
September – Zigzag Canyon, Mt. Hood Wilderness, OR
September – Twin Rocks, Rockaway Beach, OR
September – Three Sisters Wilderness, OR
September – Duffy Lake, Mt. Jefferson Wilderness, OR
September – Fuji Mountain, Willamette National Forest, OR
September – Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, WA
September – Charlton Lake, Deschutes National Forest, OR
October – Head of Jack Creek, Deschutes National Forest, OR
October – Nehalem River, Nehalem, OR
October – Silver Falls State Park, OR
October – Maxwell Butte, Mt. Jefferson Wilderness, OR
October – Willamette Mission State Park, OR
November – Silver Falls State Park, OR
November – Clear Lake, Willamette National Forest, OR
December – Little Rock Creek, Santiam State Forest, OR
Looking ahead to 2026 there are still trails we’ve yet to explore and many that we’d be more than happy to revisit. We’re looking forward to continuing the journey for as long as we are able. Happy Trails and have a wonderful New Year!
This trail is part of the 
Damaged footbridge over Morganroth Creek at the 0.2-mile mark.
The Wetland Loop Trail split off just beyond Morganroth Creek. I stayed right and planned on returning via the loop.
This was a muddy trail which isn’t surprising for an area that receives 120″ of rain (3 meters) on average annually.
Youth-on-Age
Approaching the Bogachiel River.
Bogachiel River
The other end of the Wetland Loop was approximately a half mile from the Olympic National Park boundary.
Kahkwa Creek. The log down in the distance was crossable but I opted to ford the creek on my first pass.
Ford at Kahkwa Creek.
Signs at the park boundary. The trail name changes here to the Bogachiel River Trail.
Wilderness permits for back country camping. At this point I was not only in the park but also the 
The dry creek where I turned around.
The log crossing over Kahkwa Creek.
The Wetland Loop Trail junction was near the Kahkwa Creek crossing.
The Wetland Loop began along Kahkwa Creek.
Skunk cabbage
The Wetland Loop traversed up and down along a hillside above some wetlands.
Scouler’s corydalis
Wetlands below the loop trail.
Completing the loop.
Fairy lanterns
Notice regarding the petroglyphs on Wedding Rocks. By the time we were on the beach we’d completely forgot to look for these. We did run into another hiker who had seen them on a prior trip, but he couldn’t remember where. He thought they were located at some rocks near where we’d run into him, so we searched those rocks for several minutes with no luck. As it turns out he was mistaken as to where Wedding Rocks was, it is located on the first rocky headland nearest Cape Alava at the northern end of the triangle hike. We were much closer to the southern end.
Ozette River leaving Ozette Lake.
Bunchberry
Slug on a skunk cabbage leaf.
Skunk cabbage
Bog laurel along the trail.
Closer look at the bog laurel blossoms.
Squirrel
First view of the ocean.
Beach bunny
Ozette Island. The signpost is used to identify inland trails that bypass the beach.
Heading south along the beach.
We had heard sea lions somewhere in the direction of Ozette Island as we were approaching the beach.
There is a seal in the foreground and a couple of sea lions on the rocks beyond.
Seals lounging on the rocks.
One of several campsites along the beach.
Approaching Wedding Rocks. There is a bypass sign ahead if you look closely. At higher tides it is not possible to go around the rocks along the beach.
A couple of crabs taking a defensive position as we were passing by.
Wedding Rocks
On the other side of the Wedding Rocks. As I mentioned before this is where the petroglyphs are, but we’d already forgotten to be looking for them. In Heather’s defense she had started to come down with a cold the previous day and was not feeling 100%. I however had no excuse.
Looking back at the Wedding Rocks.
Robin
Bald eagle
Whimbrel
Hole in a sea stack.
Seals and cormorants
The second rocky headland where there was an inland bypass route. On the far side is where we ran into the hiker who thought these were the Wedding Rocks where he’d seen the petroglyphs before.
Path through the rocks. It made sense to us that this would be where the petroglyphs were given there were several passages between the rocks here.
Coming out the other side.
Looking back at the rocks that weren’t the Wedding Rocks.
Sandpoint ahead.
Semipalmated plover
View south
One of the groups of backpackers heading north from Sand Point.
Chickweed on the headland.
Evergreen huckleberry blossoms.
Bench along the trail.
Groundcone. Heather had a sharp eye to pick this up on the forest floor.
There were a couple of missing sections of boardwalk along this side of the triangle.
Ozette Lake
Map of the area trails at the trailhead.
Anyone know why the spelling on the sign is different?
Violets
Bridge over an unnamed creek.
Trillium
Coltsfoot
Fairy bells
Depending on the volume of water there are up to four channels which was the situation on this day.
Heather on the bridge above the falls.
Storm King Ranger Station
Forget-me-nots (non-native) along the trail.
Lake Crescent
Storm King Trail to the left.
Marymere Falls Trail junction with the Barnes Creek Trail.
Footbridge over Barnes Creek.
Barnes Creek
Trillium
Footbridge over Falls Creek almost immediately after crossing Barnes Creek.
Falls Creek
Start of the clockwise loop.
Marymere Falls
The trail climbing up from the first viewpoint.
Marymere Falls from the second viewpoint.
Final viewpoint before the loop curved away from the falls and descended back to its start.
The footbridges over the two creeks.
Unnamed fall on Falls Creek from the footbridge.
It was now almost 9am so there were a few cars parked here already.
Various poems were located along the first mile of the trail.
This trail is open to a variety of users.
Haiku
A second haiku.
Common whipplea
Starflower
Valerian
Clear water in Lake Crescent.
Paintbrush
Something in the pea family.
Nearing Devil’s Punchbowl.
There was a fair amount of poison oak along the trail to Devil’s Punchbowl.
Madrones
Honeysuckle
Common cryptantha
Rejoining the railroad trail on the far side of the tunnel.
Butterfly
Another type of trail user.
View west.
View east.
Big deervetch
Fairy slippers
Chipmunk
Woodpecker
Lake Crescent Lodge on the far side of the lake.
Squirrel
Wallflower
The second tunnel.
Thimbleberry
White crowned sparrow
Going through the tunnel.
I went a little further around this bend while Heather took a seat on a log after exiting the tunnel.
Paintbrush
View across the lake toward the Barnes Creek Valley.
I believe the snowiest peak is Lizard Head Peak.
Saxifrage
Chickweed
Swallow
Oregon sunshine
Lupine
Stonecrop
Variable-leaf collomia
This was a longer tunnel and had little light near the middle.
Descending to the trailhead.
The lake from the picnic table.
Common loon
These mallards came flying in then waddled up to see if they could scrounge something from us, but we explained that we do not feed the wildlife (
Stellar’s jay
Trying to find the route to the lodge.
Mushroom
The lodge is just on the other side.
Interpretive signs explaining the creation of Lake Crescent by glaciers.
This trail had good signage unlike the area near Bovee’s Meadow.
Chair near the lodge.
Lake Crescent Lodge.
Hall of Mosses pointer.
Spring fed Taft Creek.
Start of the one-way loop.
Interpretive sign along the loop.
Looking up from the interpretive sign.
Maple Grove
Nursery log
Fallen sign for the Spruce Nature Trail.
This was another interpretive loop.
Hoh River from the trail.
This huge root ball was hosting its own mini forest.
The trail extends all the way up to Glacier Meadows below Mt. Olympus.
Violet
Fungi
Another type of violet.
Hoh River
Bunchberry and strawberry bramble
Slug
Trillium
Squirrel
One of the “ups”.
Star flower
Hoh River
Mineral Creek
Scouler’s corydalis along Mineral Creek.
Mineral Creek Falls
Unnamed creek a short distance beyond Mineral Creek.
Waterfall on the unnamed creek.
Sign for the spur trail to Mount Tom Creek Camp.
Wren
Vanilla leaf
Water droplet on a vanilla leaf.
More violets
Salmonberry along the trail.
Big leaf maple canopy.
There were a few obstacles such as this closer to 5 Mile Island.
Cougar Creek crossing.
Marker at the spur trail for 5 Mile Island Camp.
Hoh River at 5 Mile Island Camp.
View upriver from the same spot.
Privy at 5 Mile Island Camp.
Crow
Cat Peak, Mount Carrie, and Ruth Peak partly under clouds.
Cat Peak
We saw a lot of robins, on this hike and the over the next four days.
Slug
Candy flower
Almost back to the trailhead.
wanderingyuncks 