Tuesday, April 23, 2019

It's time once again for the Hike 50 Challenge, or, in case 50-miles isn't enough, the Hike-100 Challenge.  I completed last year's inaugural Hike50 Challenge by April.  So far this year, I am just over 38-miles along the Metacomet (New England Scenic Trail).

Here is the announcement via the NewEnglandTrail website:

In 2018, 340 of you completed the challenge, logging over 17,000 miles on the New England Trail! With over 1,500 signups from last year we have the feeling that some of you weren't able to complete your miles in 2018. Good news, we are launching a 2019 challenge! New year! Updated challenge!

In 2019, we are celebrating another important milestone on the New England Trail. March 30, 2019 marks the 10th anniversary of the designation of the NET as a National Scenic Trail. To celebrate a decade of adventures on the NET and to build on your momentum from 2018, we are launching a 2019 bonus challenge! In addition to our Hike50 challenge we are offering a Hike100 challenge where the rules are the same but the points required are doubled. To commemorate this anniversary, we will be offering a new special edition 10th anniversary patch for those who earn 50 or 100 points and complete the challenge in 2019!

The rules of the challenge are simple! Anyone who hikes 50 or 100 miles on the NET during the 2019 calendar year will receive a special edition 10th anniversary New England Trail patch. Hiking however, is not the only way to earn points and complete the challenge. This year we welcome you to design your own Hike 50 Challenge in a way that fits your lifestyle! We’ve come up with a list of alternate ways to earn points and celebrate our trail. Look here to learn about all of the ways you can earn points and receive a patch!