Editor’s note: Unfortunately the statistics in this post were on images that were lost in 2023 when I had to do an overhaul of the site and I was not able to recover them…
It is interesting to look back over the last three years and how much has happened since I began in 2016. What I didn’t know, what I thought I knew and what I actually did know. And most of all, how much fun I have had and learned along the way. Blogs and websites are a lot of work, in case you don’t have one yourself, but the reward outweighs all the late hours and the absence of free time for things like, say, reading or watching movies. That is what books on CD are for, right?
Anywho, here are some interesting tidbits on what happened on Must Hike Must Eat this year and since 2016 as I have enjoyed sharing my love of the outdoors and tasty recipes with you.
Basic Statistics for Must Hike Must Eat In 3 Years:
Posts are blog articles or stories that get posted and show up on the blog feed and in WordPress Reader for those of you who have a WordPress blog. It includes recipes, as well. Pages are static information that you can find on the website via the categories on the menu above and the Page Index.
Word Counts By Year:
I guess I had a lot to say, that is just for blog posts. I’m sure if you add in all the pages it will be at least double that number. That is several novels worth!
Post Counts by Year:
That is about 2.5 posts a week but since I take much of the summer off, it is actually higher than that. And in case you thought I was slacking in 2016…
Page Counts By Year:
That was a whole lot of pages of hike descriptions and photo galleries in 2016. If there is one thing I would tell my baby blogger self, I would have told myself to take the time to add image information (SEO) from the beginning. Going back and doing it later is a P.I.T.A.
10 Most Popular Posts in 2018
So, what were the most popular posts that my readers found this year on Must Hike Must Eat?
- ETEE Reusable Food Wraps: Everything Touches Everything Else
- So You Didn’t Get An Enchantments Permit
- RussBe Reusable Food Storage Bags
- I Will Never Know
- The Definition of Courage
- Trail Meal Bases: 5 Grain Free Swaps
- How To Shop Paleo at Trader Joe’s For Hiking and Backpacking
- 10 Healthy Online Backpacking Meal Resources You Have To Try
- She Died Doing What I Love
- How Not To Climb The Manitou Springs Incline
It is so funny when you write up a post, you just never know which one is going to be a hit. I never would have guessed that a post on reusable food wraps would be a daily draw to the blog. And a random meeting of a stranger on the Pacific Crest Trail in I Will Never Know meant a lot to me and it makes me smile to know it meant something to a lot of others, too. You can read all my blog posts here or search the categories on the right hand side of this page.
10 Most Popular Recipes in 2018
What were the recipes that caught readers’ tastebuds the most?
- Homemade Bouillon Powder
- (You Won’t Believe It’s Not Loaded) Instant Mashed Potatoes
- Horseradish Mushroom Jerky
- Sweet Potato Rice and Mash
- Stone Age Bread
- Savory Kale Stone Age Bread
- Almond Ginger Chicken Satay
- Bacon Trail Mix
- Cashew Curry with Broccoli Rice
- Banana Blueberry Coconut Good Morning Muffins (Nut Free)
That mushroom jerky is still one of my favorite snacks to make and I am not surprised at all that people land here looking for it. And who can compete with bacon? You can find all my paleo (and sometimes vegan) and nightshade free recipes (breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner) here.
10 Most Popular Pages in 2018
And what kind of information on hiking, traveling and eating healthy were readers looking for in 2018?
- Hiking and Backpacking Recipe Index
- How To Go Backpacking Paleo
- How To Go Day Hiking Paleo
- Spade Lake
- Who Am I?
- My Latest Trip Reports
- Havasu Canyon and Havasupai Falls
- Eat Healthy After Your Hike
- The Kettles Trail System of Whidbey Island
- The Grand Loop and Pacific Northwest Trail: Deer Park, Grey Wolf, Lost, Cameron and Grand Pass
We have so many beautiful places to explore the outdoors here in the Pacific Northwest, it is interesting to see where folks are searching to go next. Havasupai Falls is an obvious one but have you heard of the kettles geological formations? You can find all my pages, from hikes to national parks to travel destinations, listed here.
10 Most Popular Posts of All Time:
And just because it is fun to compare, these are the most popular posts of all time. Is one of your favorites on this list?
- ETEE Reusable Food Wraps: Everything Touches Everything Else
- So You Didn’t Get An Enchantments Permit
- She Died Doing What I Love
- How To Avoid The Crowds On Pacific Northwest Trails
- RussBe Reusable Food Storage Bags
- The Definition of Courage
- I Will Never Know
- Trail Meal Bases: 5 Grain Free Swaps
- Nature: Do We Really Believe It Is For Everyone?
- Return to Eagle Cap Day 1: Oh, Hell No
The Definition of Courage is still one of my favorite posts and if you haven’t read it, it gives you a pretty good idea of who I am and how I got to where I am today. And I’m not sure why of all my backpacking trips that first day of our return to Eagle Cap was popular, but sometimes a catchy title gets you every time.
And what blog post kicked it all off? Well, it didn’t make the list (no surprise) but You Have To Start Somewhere was my first blog post on this day 3 years ago and I haven’t looked back since.
What Is Next For Must Hike Must Eat?
And what do I hope for 2019? I plan to share more about how I reduce my impact on the environment, make time for making my own backpacking meals, prepare for outdoor adventures, advocating for outdoor spaces and of course, more tasty paleo and nightshade free recipes! Plus, I am having fun with videos of my hikes like this one here:
If you have visited Must Hike Must Eat before, then you may notice the website has a new look today, spiffed up for the new year. I have spent the last month freshening up pages and photo galleries (over 300) and hopefully making the place a little easier to navigate. I hope you like it!
Thank you to everyone for making this a great three years and I am looking forward to many more in the future. I have met so many wonderful people these last 3 years both in the blogging world and in my own hiking community through Must Hike Must Eat and my life is richer for it. And if you have any suggestions for future posts and recipes, please write them in the comments below or send me a message via email on my contact page. I’d love to hear from you!
Thank you so much for stopping by Must Hike Must Eat!
If you need some healthy eating inspiration start here:..
Need some eating out suggestions when friends want to stop after a hike? I have a Pacific Northwest Eating Guide here.
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