2011 Hiking/Backpacking Goals

[+SKS]

Decided to start a new topic specific to 2011 after seeing the old one come up.

 

My plans are mostly for the Cascades:

 

Mt Index

Mt Persis

Mailbox Peak

Monte Cristo

Goat Lake off Mt Loop Hwy

Lake Serene by Index, WA

Kendall Katwalk, Snoqualmie Pass

Eagle Lake by Skykomish

Rooster Mountain

Bathtub Lakes by Mt Pilchuck

 

and possible one Montana trip:

Grasshopper Glacier, North of Cooke City in the Bearpaws.

[+SeekerOfTheWay]

I just started thinking about where to go for good hiking caches. Trying to locate some in Florida.

 

I'd like to try Ocala, The Everglades.

 

Are there caches in the Grand Canyon? I'd LOVE to do a multi day rafting/caching trip.

[Shiraz-mataz]

I'd like to continue section hiking the Appalachian Trail, probably picking up where I left off in southern Shenandoah and going to "The Priest" in the Blue Ridge Parkway. My hiking buddy has shied away from hiking in favor of canoeing lately so I don't know how this is going to pan out. I might end up solo hiking.

[+briansnat]

I have no goals other than to get out and hike as often as possible. And I definitely want to spend more time backpacking. I think we only went backpacking once this year and canoe camping once.

 

I'd like to spend more nights under the stars whether it's by boat or boot.

[+TotemLake]

I have no goals other than to get out and hike as often as possible. And I definitely want to spend more time backpacking. I think we only went backpacking once this year and canoe camping once.

 

I'd like to spend more nights under the stars whether it's by boat or boot.

Hear hear.

[+belair56]

More backpacking trips, (I've been going to the gym) so hopefully I'll be able to accomplish this.

[+Team AZGems]

We're planning to return to the Grand Canyon this March for another hike to Phantom Ranch. That place is addictive!

[+Black Mesa Boys]

Hey, all...my first post!

 

In addition to taking my kids on their first car camping trips, my personal backpacking goals include a 2 or 3 day loop hike in the Pemigewasset Wilderness and finding something nice and remote in Vermont, maybe on the north end of the Long Trail.

 

I'm a Colorado boy transplanted to New England, so I'm trying to find places that aren't crawling with people. If anyone has any recommendations, I'd be eternally grateful.

[Dinoprophet]

I just got a new backpack. My goal is to use it.

[+Mike & Jess]

So far, the 2011 goals are (list not limited to this, as it is only the start).

- Complete EC GC17XT1 with my son (who will be 2 by summer). Completed it this past summer by land. Will be taking a different approach via kayak, but still camping the night with my little guy. It's a 5/5 cache

- Find a really cool, but hard 3 day Kayak trip to complete with a buddy of mine. So far, the best I have is a 65km river run (mostly flat water). Will need to arrange a pickup at the end as it will be a 1 way trip. The hard part about arranging this trip is it needs to have a highly physical challenge level to it (comparable to doing Ishpatina Ridge by land.

Edited December 17, 2010 by Mike & Jess

[+DanTheMan81]

I have no goals other than to get out and hike as often as possible. And I definitely want to spend more time backpacking. I think we only went backpacking once this year and canoe camping once.

 

I'd like to spend more nights under the stars whether it's by boat or boot.

 

Agreed.... I also want to begin my adventure of starting to section hike the AT. Living in MD, part of it is right in my backyard and I have only hiked a small piece here in the state a few months ago

[+G & C]

I was VERY happy to have accomplished my 2010 goals that consisted of several moderate local hikes, and an ascent of Half Dome in Yosemite.

 

So for 2011, the goals get a bit loftier. First is a snow/ice summit of our regions highest point, Mt. Baldy. Second is a summertime ascent of Mt. Whitney. Both should be easily doable, as long as I get the proper permit for the Whitney hike.

[+G & C]

Bumping this thread now that Spring is creeping closer and closer.

 

I got pretty close to my goal of a winter time ascent of Mt. Baldy. But our inexperience in general mountaineering slowed us way down, and we hit our turnaround time about a half mile from the summit.

 

On the other hand, we got two dates secured in the Whitney lottery, and will be trying in July and September. It looks like anything before mid to late July is going to be in the snow given the amount that they got in Sequoia and Kings Canyon this winter.

[+briansnat]

Back in Feb I attended the Adirondack Geo Winter Survival Campout event. It involved a 2 mile hike to the event location and in order to log the event you had to be in camp by midnight and still be there in the morning. Many of the participants hiked in at night.

 

It was one of the more fun geocaching events I've been to and 26 hardy cachers spent the night outdoors in the middle of the Adirondack wilderness. Hearing snow fall on the tent during the night is a soothing sound and the temps only went down to 12 overnight which isn't too bad for Feb in the Adirondacks.

 

So it's April and I've already matched my backpacking total from last year.

[polskikrol]

Have completed in Winter 2010-2011 the Catskills 3500 club requirements for both summer and winter patches. That was 140 miles of solo hiking in the summer and 123 miles of snowshoeing with ThirstyMick in the winter. Both times, summitted 35 peaks over 3500ft, half of which are bushwhacks through some thick spruce. (Kudos to BrianSnat for shutting my year for the Devils Path last year which was part of the above 'project'.)

 

With the warmer weather, have just finished all 40+ miles of the Lenape Trail in Essex County, NJ in one weekend.

 

Now focusing on section hiking the Long Path, Long Trail, and bagging the rest of the NH summits (22 down out of 48). So suppose those are my goals for the rest of the year in addition to planning some nice kayaking trips (maybe the Saco River?).

[+imajeep]

I am climbing Mt. Whitney August 1. Training includes Mt. San Antonio (Mt. Baldy, 10,000'), Mt. San Jacinto (10,800'), and San Gorgonio Mountain (11,500'), all in Southern California. Hiking an average of 40 mi/wk to get in shape, with about 5,000' elevation per week, excluding the big training hikes. I'll probably do the Grand Canyon back country once or twice this year. Did I mention that I really like living in California?

[+G & C]

I am climbing Mt. Whitney August 1. Training includes Mt. San Antonio (Mt. Baldy, 10,000'), Mt. San Jacinto (10,800'), and San Gorgonio Mountain (11,500'), all in Southern California. Hiking an average of 40 mi/wk to get in shape, with about 5,000' elevation per week, excluding the big training hikes. I'll probably do the Grand Canyon back country once or twice this year. Did I mention that I really like living in California?

 

That's great! We're headed up Whitney on July 7th for our first shot, but it's looking like we'll still be dealing with a good deal of snow. We'll see how it goes.

 

We did Baldy last week. Still snow everywhere on the upper end of the Ski Hut trail, but if you take Devil's Backbone, it's pretty clear on the trail.