The Best of Anne’s Travels in 2015

The most popular pages on Anne’s Travels in 2015. Picture is from above Big Sandy Lake in the Wind River Range of Wyoming.

So it’s the end of 2015, and it’s time to do the second annual best-of-Anne’s-Travels! Last year, I simply posted the most popular posts of the year, but if I did that again, it would be nigh unto identical, with posts like The Best (and Worst) Hikes in Big Bend, Ditto for Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, DIY Bug Screens, and DIY Neck Pillows coming out on top. So this year, it’s the most popular posts in 2015 posted in the last 18 months (just to make it fair to all the posts in the latter half of the year). Enjoy!

Lupins over Hidden Lake from the Hidden Lake Lookout Trail

Hidden Lake Lookout, North Cascades National Park, Washington. One of my favorite (in terms of spectacular) hikes in Washington state (well, outside of the Mt. Baker area, anyway)! The views are never-ending after the first couple miles, and the gem of a lake, hidden in a craggy cirque, is just too beautiful to pass up! 9.3 miles with 3,226 ft. of elevation gain.
Views along Skyline Divide
Skyline Divide, Mt. Baker Wilderness, Washington. This is just one of those epic hikes I can’t ever get out of my head, and out-of-this-world pictures just don’t do it justice! Two steep miles through the trees, then mile upon mile of open ridgeline with totally awe-inspiring views… one of my absolute favorites around Mt. Baker! 4.2 miles minimum with up to 2,229 ft. elevation gain.
A list of my favorite hiking websites. The picture is of hiking through the upper reaches of Spray Park in Mt. Rainier National Park
Link Roundup: My Favorite Hiking Websites. Well, I’m glad my favorite websites are helping others. And it’s a great resource whenever I get the urge to start dreaming of new adventures…
How to make a hard sided rooftop camper from every-day (or easily available) materials. The picture is somewhere north of Lake Powell Dam and south of Skylight Arch in Utah.
DIY Hard Sided Roof Top Camper. We made the “Roof Top Hotel” almost 10 years ago, so I decided it was high time to post about it! With a used truck cap, plywood, and a few other supplies, we made a place to sleep on top of the van for just over $100!
Hiking the Mt. Chapin / Mt. Chiquita / Ypsilon Mountain Loop. Here we’re on the slopes of Mt. Chiquita.
Mount Chapin / Mount Chiquita / Ypsilon Mountain Loop, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. Well, I didn’t hike it on the nicest day, and the road past the trailhead was closed for much if not all of 2014, but that hasn’t stopped people from looking at this post – and hopefully enjoying the grandeur of the Mummy Range! 8 miles with 2,542 ft. elevation gain.
How to make your own shelving unit for the back of a van or other vehicle
DIY Shelving Unit for the Back of a Van or Other Vehicle. ‘Way back in 2001, we made the first version of a set of shelves for the back of the van so we didn’t have to unload everything into the parking lot just to make supper. Several improvements later, this is how we make our own custom shelves for the back of the van!
11 Amazing Trails of the West that are 1 Mile or Less in Length. The picture is a few yards from the String Lake parking area in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.
11 Amazing Trails of the West that are 1 Mile (or Less) in Length. Short trails with great views. Love ‘um. Well, most of the group does. I think they’re ok, but I love those long treks…

How to make your own hand sanitizer holder out of old blue jeans or any pretty, robust fabric
DIY Hand Sanitizer Holder. Well, I find this one funny. I posted it simply because I’d made the hand sanitizer holders for my group members. But apparently others like it, too!
12 places worth visiting at least 10 miles down a dirt road. The picture is from the Potash Road near Canyonlands National Park in Utah.
12 Places Worth Visiting at least 10 Miles down a Dirt Road. I don’t exactly take dirt roads for the view (although there are plenty on the right dirt roads), but such unimproved roads are often the gateway to hikes with some of the best scenery in America… in my opinion, at least.
Views along Ptarmigan Ridge
Ptarmigan Ridge (revisited), Mt. Baker Wilderness, Washington. “Ptarmigan Ridge or bust,” he told me. And I couldn’t possibly regret it. Who could, with Mt. Shuksan so beautiful and Mt. Baker so close it feels like you could reach out and touch it? 10.5 miles with 1,015 ft. elevation gain.
Views along the Lookout Mountain Trail
Lookout Mountain Trail, Mt. Hood National Forest, Oregon. With spectacular views of Mt. Hood, and its short length, it’s a wonder more people don’t know about and hike this trail. Or maybe it’s because of the miles of winding dirt roads you have to take to get to it that turn people off? 3 miles with 586 ft. elevation gain.
The views from Sahale Arm are actually quite a lot more spectacular than this, but I love this picture near the base of the trail.
Sahale Arm (revisited), North Cascades National Park, Washington. I don’t know about anyone else, but Sahale Arm is one of the most spectacular trails I’ve taken in North Cascades National Park (rivaled only by nearby Hidden Lake Lookout Trail). Both times I’ve hiked it, the clouds have rolled in, but that hasn’t stopped my jaw from dragging on the ground the whole way, up and down! 9.8 miles to 13.4 miles with up to 3,989 ft. elevation gain.
The 6 Best Hikes (in my opinion!) on the Mt. Baker Highway. Here we walk along Skyline Divide with Mt. Baker as our backdrop.
The 6 Best Hikes on the Mt. Baker Highway, Washington. If I had to pick the best of the best of my posts about the best, I’d pick this one. Mt. Baker is just spectacular. Amazing. Awe-inspiring. When can I go back?
Gear review for the Nalgene HDPE water bottles, 16 oz.
Gear Review: Nalgene HDPE Water Bottle. I suppose I do love our water bottles (mostly because they are nearly indestructible), so I reviewed the new ones we got last Christmas. Now I can say they’ve lasted the first year and have come out with flying colors… with their original writing more or less still intact!
Walking the coastline between Third Beach and Strawberry Point
Hiking Third Beach to Strawberry Point, Olympic National Park, Washington. Beaches. Sea stacks. Tide Pools. Rain forests. Need I say more? 11.7 miles with 325 ft. elevation gain.