What’s in the works for 2018?

[Kattt]

Besides the GGG of course ;)

[Kattt]

Nothing major for me. I hope to get a Trinity trip in with the usual gang :), something in Stanislaus for an extended weekend, maybe a Big Sur/Ventana with Chris, an early spring trip to Switzerland also with Chris. No firm dates/plans  yet.

[AK Granola]

Chilkoot trail for sure

Road trip with day hiking on the haul road, all the way to Prudhoe Bay.

At least a couple, maybe more, local (Alaska) hikes of 2-3 days, maybe Chena Dome, Resurrection pass, Crow creek pass

Plus one Denali 3-4 day backcountry excursion

Still dreaming about a longer hike in the lower 48, but not affordable for a while yet.

[Brad Rogers]

One of the Kings Canyon High Basin Loops, but I am not sure which one yet.  I am thinking either #1 or #5W but I haven’t decided yet.

[BlackHatGuy]

Another Sierra trip, I hope. Might head over to Germany for some cycling.

[Kattt]

While I wish I got out backpacking more I also know that I am outdoors half the day in winter and 2/3 of the day during longer days. That much time in beautiful outdoor settings makes it less urgent to get away and explore. I feel extremely lucky that way. Not that the mountains don’t call to me…

[George F]

Not much hiking for me this coming year. I am getting both knees swapped out, four weeks apart starting Jan 22, so my big adventures for a while will be making it around the neighborhood. But I really haven’t done any hiking this last year either, I am on my feet all day at work and the thought of going up and down hills on the weekend hasn’t been appealing. At least now I can look forward to a better season in 2019.

[d k]

Best of luck on your knee replacements, George!  The story among people in my hiking group that had it done is that they were back hiking in 3 months, and recovered fully in 6 months.

 

I’m probably headed down that road one day, but not yet.  For now, I’m hoping that my knees will allow me to backpack some this summer for the first time in a few years (back injury, then knee problems).  No specific plans, but hopefully something in the Sierra in June.

 

[bjc]

885 miles left on the AT. Hopefully I can stay healthy and finish this year.

 

[Ken Thompson]

2017 was a bad year for me. Fat, injured was the norm.

Thinner and healthier I am looking forward to getting to Lassen, some time in the Sierra, Trinities and man, I want to see Crater Lake.

I’ll drive.

[Elliott Wolin]

If there’s enough time to prepare after we retire this spring/summer, my wife and I hope to do most or all of the PCT in Washington State.

Our worry is the long distances between resupply in Washington.  Most folks arriving in WA on the PCT are in great shape after walking from the Mexican border, and 20+ mile days are the norm.  We haven’t done much hiking in ages and I’m worried it will be a stretch for us to do 15 miles/day.  Given that most sections are over 100 miles between resupply, that means carrying 7 or more days of food (plus extra, in case we don’t even make 15 miles per day).

[Katherine .]

Hoh River Valley in Olympic National Park w/my son.

Hoping for a certain permit in Rainier for a trip w/my daughter. we’ll see.

Iceland, finally!

Timberline around Mt. Hood? Need to shoehorn that in the summer calendar.

Maybe a mid-Oregon late summer lake trip w/my son?

Whatever else the permit lottery gods decide for me.

 

[Donna C]

Hiking Death Valley for a week in Feb….spend another week hiking South Dakota Badlands area early June, and finally backpacking for a week on Isle Royale in September.  I hope to get some short overnighters in between the travel.

[David Thomas]

Karen: We enjoyed our Chilkoot trip two years ago.  We did it early so while there was some snow to deal with on the “Golden Staircase” and for the first two miles into Canada, there were FAR fewer people on the trail.  Like 15-20 each day instead of 50/day peak season.  That meant the cooking shelters weren’t jam-packed, there wasn’t huge competition for the tent platforms and you got to know the relatively few folks who started at the same time.

You’re in Fairbanks?  I’m in Kenai so I’m often hiking the Resurrection Trail.  Did that with the kids last year.  Maybe there’s a car-shuttle play to be had?  Or even a cabin-swap thing.  Two cabins, two nights each. 13 miles each day.  But the stoves, pots, and sleeping pads only have to go the first third in and out, not the whole way.  It’s getting to be time to book those cabins, exactly 6 months ahead.  Those cabins (save you tent weight and) really make it an all-weather possibility because who cares what the weather is if you’re only hiking for 4-5 hours each day.

PM me if you want info on Prudhoe Bay.  I’ve driven up in July and in January (slightly different experiences).  I’d suggest signing up for the paid tour of the oil field.  It’s the only way to actually dip your toe in the Arctic Ocean, otherwise, you have to stop 9 miles to the south.

[David Thomas]

For myself in 2018: Math/Snow/Sledding cabin trip in 2 weeks (a dozen kids from my math team/club for two nights at a hike-in cabin and yurts).  Then GGG-X.  Manfred’s after me to schedule a bear or caribou trip in May.  June 1-4 we’ve got a 5-family Father-Daughter kayaking trip out of Homer to the other side (State Park) side of the bay.

With our son on staff at MathCamp this summer in Golden CO and daughter returning to Sailing Camp in Inverness CA, there are few weeks we could schedule solo or a couple’s trip.

[John Smith]

Two weeks for sure on the PNT. Trying to get 300 in this year. Other than that a couple of 50 milers in Olympic National Park with my son and some of his friends.

 

Hopefully a bunch of 2-3 day trips I. The Goat Rocks as well.

[AK Granola]

Thanks, David, for the suggestions.

Managed to get our Chilkoot Trail permits for July; the process was more competitive than I had expected for little old Alaska. I’m used to just going, not getting reservations for things. Peak season, but it’s not exactly a wilderness hike anyway, so we’ll hope for companionable fellow hikers. We are taking our time and doing some side hikes, with perhaps a bit more solitude.

I had psyched myself up that it was going to be a brutal hike, then realized the overall elevation gain is less than the Kesugi Ridge hike, which I now try to do every summer, and which requires little recovery time. Re the Chilkoot one of the park rangers said, some people complain to the park service that they shouldn’t let anyone go on such a terrible and dangerous hike, and others comment that they were led to believe it would be hard, when it wasn’t! Hard to rank these things, when people cannot seem to estimate their own abilities accurately. Including me! I often psych myself out that I cannot do it, and then once out there, I wonder what the fuss was all about. I might be a bit slow or take a few days to recover, but it’s always, always, rewarding to go.

 

 

 

[Mike B]

Spring warm ups will be the Lost Creek Wilderness. Still working on building up the strength in the knee and that should give me some time on the trail to warm up. After that a couple of trips of low miles and fishing with the 2 boys that like the outside. After that maybe a family trip around the frying pan river , home base for this trip will be the camper and truck with some day hikes. The big trip will be some where in the San Juan’s. I am working out a couple of possible trips with lots of flyfishing 20’ish miles total on and off trail for 5-7 days sometime in late July or August.

[Author]

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