We're almost to the finish line, ready to start a brand new page.

That means we can enjoy getting ready for 2026 hiking adventures.

To help that along a bit, I've got some fresh gear reviews and hiking resources for you.

As usual this month, we'll meet an inspiring female hiker.

Plus a dash of this and that to finish up the year.

Here we go...

INSPIRING FEMALE HIKER

Quick summary: She is the first Nepali woman to summit and safely return from Mount Everest. She went on to summit 10 times.

There is a Netflix documentary about her, if you're interested. It won a Peabody in the Documentary category and a Sports Emmy in the Outstanding Long Documentary category.

Mountain Queen documentary

But here's where it gets interesting for hikers in North America. Lhakpa Sherpa moved to Connecticut, and now leads hikes in the U.S. AND the Himalayas.

So if you're yearning for adventures big or small, take a look at her website:

Hiking With Lhakpa

But that's her day job. In her personal time, she has set herself an ambitious goal: to summit the highest points in all 50 U.S. states, saving Denali for last.

I'll update her story in 2026. She's strong, focused, and one of the women I focus on when I want to just give up and sit on a rock ;)

HIKING RESOURCES

The article's title should pique a hiker's interest: Physiological Responses to Trail Difficulty in Indoor and Outdoor Forest Walking Environments by Sugwang Lee and colleagues.

The gist of the article: The researchers assessed the physiological responses of middle-aged adults to varying trail difficulty levels.

There is a good graphic in this free article, which to me was the most valuable resource. It summarizes the increases as well as decreases in physiologic metrics with trail difficulty, broken out by gender.

Maybe it can play into your planning and preparation to tackle increasingly difficult trails for 2026?

HEADS UP: NPS Changes in 2026

If you're planning to visit the Parks, here are the free dates:

• February 16: Presidents Day (Washington's Birthday) • May 25: Memorial Day • June 14: Flag Day/President Trump's birthday • July 3–5: Independence Day Weekend • August 25: 110th Birthday of National Park Service • September 17: Constitution Day • October 27: Theodore Roosevelt's birthday • November 11: Veteran’s Day

The dates which have been removed for free entrance include Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth.

Also removed: Bureau of Land Management’s birthday, Great American Outdoors Day, National Public Lands Day, First Sunday of National Wildlife Refuge Week.

Beginning in 2026, free entrance on these days will be for US citizens and residents only.

For entrance on all other days, U.S. residents can purchase an annual pass for $80 to save money.

US citizens and permanent residents ages 62 and older can purchase an annual America the Beautiful—the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass for $20.00, or a lifetime version for $80.00.

Nonresidents will pay the regular entrance fee and any applicable nonresident fees ($100 if a new America the Beautiful Non-Resident Annual Pass has not been purchased for $250) every day of the year.

All the details are here:

2026 NPS passes

NEW REVIEWS THIS MONTH

Take a look and let me know if you've used one in the past, or have plans to add them to your gear list for 2026!

Ganesha UL backpacking stove review

Jetboil MicoMo cooking system review

Not sure how to go about selecting the best backpacking stove for your plans?

Surprise, surprise!! I've got a thorough discussion of the types of stoves and when/when not to use them right here for you:

Backpacking stove and fuel options

Holiday Best Wishes To You

My heartfelt wish for you this holiday season, whichever holidays you celebrate, is for peaceful trails both mental and physical.

Here's to a New Year filled with new adventures, new vistas, new gear, and new favorite memories!

Diane a.k.a. Happy Hiker

diane@hiking-for-her.com

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