2013 Plans

[W I S N E R !]

While the changing of a calendar year is certainly pretty arbitrary, it's hard for me not to assess what I did in 2012 and plan for 2013. Not "resolutions", just some backpacking related things I want to make happen.

1. Simplify my gear. I paired down considerably in 2012, ending the year with less than I started with. I resolved to buy no new gear in 2012 and generally did well. I only fudged on two accounts: sold a Montbell Tachyon and bought a Houdini (which I love); sold a MSR Hubba, bought a Solomid, then sold the Solomid and bought another MSR. Somehow I lost no money in all of this. So all in all, a jacket for a jacket and an attempt at a new tent.
The main thing I'm looking at in 2013 is a new pack and hopefully one that will replace the two I currently own. I've been using a Jam for the better part of 4 years and a Granite Gear Vapor Trail for winter/more weight. I'd like to replace both with a single, larger pack, capable of water hauling, carrying extra stuff for the kids, and winter bulk. Likely a ULA Catalyst.

2. Start fishing again! I used to fly fish quite a bit, tie my own flies, etc. I think it's time to get bit by the Tenkara bug. It looks like it's the antidote to the doldrums of western fly fishing that I need. Less stuff, less effort=more likely to fish. I want to start fishing with my kids; I think Tenkara is the way to go for them.

3. Combine some surfing with backpacking in some way. I'm considering looking into leaving the country to do this. I've positively fallen in love with surfing again; riding a remote break with a tent pitched somewhere inland sounds like pure joy.

4. Get the kids out more. They're bigger and stronger; it's high time to step it up with them on some more involved trips.

5. Slow down. I used to be quite enamored with mileage; not so much anymore. I want to trips more centered on getting into and exploring remote places, off trail, rather than simply putting in miles.

Your plans?

[Ike Jutkowitz]

Good thread, Craig.

My plans:
1. Maximize my time outdoors- this I have never had a problem with

2. Maximize my time with family- need to work on this one more. I have spent so much of my time thinking about "what is the next great adventure?" I worry that it has cut into thinking about "What is the next adventure I can do with my kids?"

This was a particularly good one.

3. Multimodal travel- Combining hiking, biking, packrafting, and skiing in various ways to take advantage of the new routes through the wilderness. Planning a ski/coastal hiking trip in Ontario in two weeks, and a ski/packraft along a local river sometime soon.

4. Seeing old places in new ways- come spring thaw, I hope to packraft the northville-placid trail through the adirondacks, one of my favorite places in the world.

[BlackHatGuy]

1. Do a trip with Ike. We've been talking about it for close to a year now, and timing just hasn't worked out. I want to make it work out in 2013.

2. Get out a lot more. I hardly got out at all in 2012, I need to make it happen a lot more in 2013.

3. Get back out to a GGG. I miss my Cali friends, but wasn't able to get to a GGG in 2012. I need to make the fall GGG this year.

[HkNewman]

More trips but more spread out – I concentrated my hikes from May to August in 2012, so branching out season-wise and geographically. Hit the Pecos solo 1 weekene, with some old buddies the next, and new ones from BPL after that, so I can repeat that type of concentration.

Add that gear wise I need to replace some sleeping items for 15F nights.

[Hiking Malto]

1) Finish the AT. Could be a stretch but possible if I put in another 1200 miles like this year.
2) Nail down my winter gear. Now that I live in PA I want to be able to effortlessly hike or snowshoe in the winter as I do in the summer.
3) do the JMT or Similiar trail with my youngest son. I miss the Sierra and I think my youngest could get a kick out of a fast JMT hike.
4) do at least one trip where I don't give a $&@? What miles I do.

[John Whynot]

My only definite is another mountaineering trip. After Mt Baker, I'm hooked.

Maybe get out for a few days on the Lone Star trail, and back to the Hill Country

[Harrison Carpenter]

My plans are simple.

1) Find a way to finally get into the realm of true ultralight hikers, but cutting those last 3 ounces– without sacrificing anything in the way of comfort, durability, and quality; and

2) Take my one true love out into the backcountry, on her first hiking trip since 2002– by supporting her weight-loss goals and giving her all the help I possibly can to see her achieve them.

[Richard Lyon]

(1) More pleasure trips. I love my service trips but as I age I'd like some more time to smell the roses, so to speak.

(2) More packrafting.

(3) More trips with the girls and guys on the BPL threads.

(4) I have two bucket list trips [Siberian taiga and South Georgia Island crossing]. Maybe get one of them done next year.

(5) Sell my house in Dallas. So I can afford item 4.

Richard

[Eugene Smith]

Be creative, with what I have, when I can, wherever I can.

[Ken Thompson]

To be better in almost every aspect than the 2012 version.

Nah. Just put some trips together to make Doug happy.

[Alex Eriksson]

1. Start mountain biking again. Now that I can't downhill on a regular basis following a move to Texas I need that two wheeled dirt fix in some fashion. I'm a head full of bad wiring without it.

2. See [and backpack] Yosemite and/or Grand Canyon for the first time.

3. Amass enough gear that I can bring along my friends on backpacking trips who haven't sold their souls for a paycheck like I have. Maybe start paying off all the bad karma I'll be fostering in 2013 as a life-long hater.

4. Finally get a passport and use it, even if it's to go to Mexico, get chased by the cartels, and quickly come home.

5. Continue to not have kids. Sorry all ya'll family guys, but it's a cheat-code for a life of selfish living and I intend to use it!

[Jennifer Mitol]

1) do NOT buy more gear. Use what I have and enjoy it!

2) JMT. I've had a thru hike itch since taking an 11-day hike last year and not wanting to stop. Before I go and do something drastic and quit my job and sell my house, I thought a shorter thru (stretching it to 21 days) with resupplies might help me decide if yes, I really do want to hike 2600 miles.

3) get my backside out of the Midwest!!!! I've been eyeing Oregon (excellent place for my profession, and it's nice and liberal. Or so I hear…). I need to move out of Chicago finally…I can only hike these little trails so many times….

4) have fun!! Enjoy life! Spend time with my friends! Play fetch with my dog! Put exclamation points at the end of all my sentences!!

[Diplomatic Mike]

Get my leg fixed so i can walk more than a mile without crying. :-)

[Pete Staehling]

I plan to do the JMT in the summer and the Allegheny in the fall. I also hope to squeeze in plenty of mountain biking, canoeing, trail running, and maybe a bike tour or two.

[Joe Clement]

I did pretty well after reading Craig's "no new gear" post last year. I think it was Craig. Did find a bargain on a used Nunatak that I had always wanted. But the downside was I turned around, and put a bunch into bicycles. Oops.

@Mike Reid – I feel your pain. Not making a lot of plans, because I'm doing some post-op knee icing.

[Diplomatic Mike]

@Joe
I'm confused by the medical advice i'm getting.
I went over the handlebars of my bike, and tore my labial ligament in my hip. I had a keyhole repair job, and i now walk with a limp. A more recent surgeon has said that my pelvis is now twisted, causing the limp. I didn't have a limp, or twisted pelvis pre surgery. I now have severe pain in the affected leg, and take major painkillers just to cope with everyday working life. The latest surgeon said i need a hip replacement. I'm only 51 and was running ultras before this shit!

I may start a new thread on choosing a surgeon.

[Joe Clement]

@Mike
Wow, I'll quit whining about my knee now. And my hip has been hurting since I tried to start running last summer, and now I'm afraid to get it looked into! Anyway, good luck with yours; I hope you find someone who can fix it.

[Jacob Smith]

Planning 5 days of Tenkara fishing in Dolly Sods and buying a packraft and ULA Epic

[Ben Wortman]

My plans are to find things to do with my 2 girls outdoors. I plan on taking them car camping as much as possible. I also hope to get my oldest one out for at least 1 overnight backpacking trip.

Other than that, I will be getting ready for 2 more girls on the form of twins.

I'll be stocking up on dipers now and tampons in a dozen or so years. I just hope all 5 women in the hosuse don't get their cycles synced up or I'm screwed!

All in all, I'm sure it will be a good time.

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

My plan is to not have any more kids this coming year ;-)

My oldest is 15, he has had 4 years of living it up and not hiking with me much. I need to change that back!
The middle one is almost 3, he loves hiking (and bitty gear) and can do about 3 miles now.
The youngest is 10 months, walking and is 100% percentile. Yeah, I can't wait to haul him this coming year.

So that leads me back to my current goal – I am working out with my husband's trainer again. And it is doing wonders quickly.

All I care is I get outside and enjoy it. Alone or with my kids and husband. I am not picky!! We have plans for late winter…….and spring as well so far.

[Adan Lopez]

Change things around a bit at work so I can make some lifestyle changes and mix my schedule up. Less traffic. More running, biking, visiting friends, cooking.

Get a vehicle large enough to sleep my three kids. Outfit it appropriately. Drive around the west with our feet hanging out the window, sleeping everywhere and sharing fires with friends and strangers.

Get my kids out in true nature excursions, not focused on hiking around but on hiking into places and camping where one can study/examine natural environments in detail. They lovE this stuff as much as daddy does.

Try a new idea I have to run beautiful one-day off trail routes from a nearby basecamp.

[Paul Wagner]

We've got two trips in the plans…one from Sonora Pass to Hetch-Hetchy, the other one probably into Cloud Canyon in SEKI. And we'll fill in as usual with a few other 2-4 day trips as well.

That's if the weather lets up enough. Right now I am pleased as punch that there is a TON of snow in the SIerra.

[John Frederick Anderson]

2012 was a no over night hike year for me due to vast amounts of work, health issues, totally redecorating the appartment, lots of international travel, and general exhaustion when I had time off. I am chilling in a rural house in southern France for two weeks over the holidays, and hiking in the Black Mountains on day hikes everyday, thinking about next year and what to do.
Hiking really helps me think, and has since I started years ago. Just being in the mountains with fresh air and views clears it all away. I live in downtown Barcelona, so walks along the beach have to do during the the high intensity work periods. I am always thinking about how I could change my life to live in the hills and hike all the time.

2013 starts with too much work, but no big trips, so I can factor in some serious time off.
First thing I'm going to aim for is to save as much money as possible. We decided we have everything we need for a while, so, no worries.
Second is do more work for me, and finish a couple of projects, and show some work and organize a few shows.
Third is think about doing a few weeks in the Pyrenees in July, just wandering around, sections of GRD and HRP etc and convincing my wife to come along. I really missed my annual visit this year, but I had three weeks shooting in southern France in July, so I can't complain.
I have honed my gear down to the absolute minimum over the last few years, Golite Ion, Rab TopBag, MLD Cuben SoloMid and I go no cook, so fast and light for me. If the wife comes along, I will bring the palace, Golite Hex, and a stove for cups of tea. No need to buy any more gear this year.

I haven't made it past summer yet in terms of plans. We are thinking of relocating due to the political situation in Cataluña, so who knows what that may entail. Always up for an adventure.

All the best to everyone for 2013.

[David Goodyear]

2013 will be a banner year.

* 2012 was a transition year. I've been in decent shape and could do all of the hikes that I planned, but I never pushed myself. The Search and rescue group that I belong to added some serious physical/ and certification requirements. This, along with some bucket list goals that I have – put me on a fitness quest. I have trained for and completed a few mini-triathlons and plan on more. This cross training is great – as I can alternate the abuse I throw at my body. The result has been that I am down 25 lbs and I am looking at bigger and better goals for my "silver" years. This new fitness level has made everything easier and I have removed this weight from my gear list without sacrificing function. :)

*2013 – I am going on the trip of a lifetime. We are trekking to the lower reaches of the Arctic ocean with sled in tow – using the iced over rivers as highways for two weeks with no resupply. We are making/modifying most of our gear as the commercially available gear does not meet our needs or is too expensive. The prep has been a great learning experience.
– I will move up the ladder in my fitness quest and add longer races. I will continue to increase my certifications and spend more time off-trail in the woods.

Enjoy,

Dave

[Brian Morgan]

1. I have a 4-day kayak camping trip planned in February here in Texas.

2. Mountain bike more.

3. Improve at bouldering.

4. Take at least 2 long backpacking trips.

5. Keep my wife happy so she allows me to do the first four.

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