Best of 2019

Nick

-
.
Joined
Aug 9, 2007
Messages
12,949
The year is done. What have you done? Just like previous years, post up your favorite memories of 2019!

2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012: best of and best trips threads

2019 was a wild ride for me in so many ways. I've been the least active here on BCP than ever before, but I've still been busy exploring. Here's a handful of my favorite things from 2019.

I rafted through Saguaro forests and camped further south than I've ever been.
85791

I almost flipped my boat in a former class 6 rapid, and then again in a class 4 right below it, and then stumbled into one of the best campsites I've ever slept at.
85792

I didn't backpack for the first time in at least a decade, but the 'boatpacking' filled the gap just fine.
85793

I parked my truck and slept at places I'd been dreaming of seeing for years.
85794

I packed everything into bags and took planes, boats, rafts, packrafts, ATV's, shuttles and bush planes deep into the Canadian and Alaskan Wilderness to the furthest north and west places I've ever camped. Sage tried to sneak in there, but it didn't work.
85795

I packrafted into glaciers with good friends.
85796
85797

I turned 40 in the middle of nowhere, after rowing the hardest whitewater of my life. I watched a massive grizzly swim across a half mile wide raging river and crawl into the trees next to our camp soon after eating this wonderful dutch oven cake made by my friends. #DesertRat
85798

I sipped whisky off of thousand year old ice cubes. To get them, I hiked through a mile and a half of thick alders in dense grizzly country, then stripped down, swam into a lake full of icebergs, wrangled one the size of a small car, then straddled it in my boxer shorts and bludgeoned it with a rock to fill my backpack full of ice.
85800

85799

I watched icebergs the size of shopping malls fall to pieces, sending out tidal waves for miles. We spent a day exploring them on packrafts.
85801

The next day we rafted to the ocean and loaded our gear into bush planes on a dirt air strip in the middle of nowhere.
85802

I spent some quality time with family on a really fancy boat in the desert. 85803

We got to see Mesa Verde National Park like few people ever do.
85804

We finally did some exploring the San Juans, pushing my camping boundaries just a little further east then ever before. 85805

I got to see Gates of Lodore in prime fall color.
85806

I revisited some old favorites and introduced some friends to them.
85807

We finished the year camping in new places, seeing new things and reuniting with good friends.
IMG_2551 2.jpeg
85810

There's a lot I would change about 2019, but overall, it was pretty damn good.
 
Wow, so many great adventures, Nick! I would love it if you went back and edited your post to include a couple words to make it clear where the photos were taken. Happy New Year!
 
I had a pretty good year in 2019. I backpacked and got on more rivers than I ever have, plus I crossed off a lot of places that have been on my list for way too long. I hope to keep it going into 2020!

I started the year out right by watching the first sunset of 2019 at Delicate Arch all alone, thanks to the government shutdown and a well-timed winter storm.


Last Light on Delicate Arch
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr

I watched some amazing sunrises and sunsets...


Coyote Buttes Alpenglow
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr


Domes
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr


Crater Lake Morning Reflection
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr


Smoky Telluride Sunset
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr


White Rim Morning
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr


Edge of the World
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr


Morning Cliffs
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr

I found a Little Wave...


The Little Wave
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr

I did a little arch hunting...


Cave Canyon Bridge
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr


Hurst Bridge
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr


Phipps Arch
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr


Owachomo Bridge
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr


Otho Natural Bridge
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr

Found some really cool rock art...


White Ghosts Panel
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr


The Polychrome Panel
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr


Colorful Fremont Pictograph
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr


Canyon Spirits
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr


Masked Man Panel
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr


Classic Vernal Style
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr


Ruins & Pictographs
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr

Found some nice ruins, too!


Yellow Roof Ruin
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr


Keet Seel Glow
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr

Floated some rivers...


Canyon Light
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr


Floating Ahead
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr


Little Grand Canyon Float
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr


White River View
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr

Climbed some mountains...


Centennial Peak Summit View
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr


Red Mountain #2 Ridge
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr


Morning Sun Rays
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr

Saw another Brocken Spectre (Glory)...


Collegiate Peaks Brocken Spectre
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr

Finally saw the Cirque of the Towers...


Cirque of the Towers
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr

Tried staying in new places...


Jersey Jim Fire Lookout Tower
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr


Yurt After A Snowstorm
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr

Walked in some beautiful canyons and slot canyons...


Death Hollow
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr


Death Hollow Hiking
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr


The Music of Chimney Canyon
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr


Half-Tunnel Light
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr


West Fork Glow
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr


Little Death Hollow Scene
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr


Little Death Hollow Lines
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr

Saw some popular waterfalls...


Mooney Falls
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr


Secluded Waterfall
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr


Travertine Wall
by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr

Yep, it was a pretty great year!
 
I always like this opportunity to look back on my year. Makes me feel a bit better about life.
Started the year with a decent Lunar Eclipse.
IMG_2246.jpg

I continued my adventures in eastern Zion National Park. In March we went up Separation towards Parunuweep. Had some epic views looking across the east canyons into the Virgin River Canyon Continuing Adventures Eastern Zion
IMG_2668.jpg

Looking south towards towards Paranuweep Canyon.
IMG_2690.jpg

Yet another angle of East Temple
IMG_2705.jpg

In April I reached the west side of West Temple via the Chinle Trail
IMG_2808.jpg

IMG_2861.jpg



IMG_2889.jpg

June found us again in Glacier. This time with the friend who spent the summer of 1985 hiking with me in Glacier. glacier-national-park-june-
IMG_2986.jpg

We had a positive bear encounter
IMG_3087.jpg

IMG_3107.jpg

IMG_3111.jpg

IMG_3295.jpg

IMG_3301.jpg

IMG_3446.jpg

A fairly epic shot of Kurt in Virginia Falls
IMG_3405.jpg

July found me going up onto the West Rim in Zion National Park West Rim Zion NP
IMG_3527.jpg



IMG_3567.jpg

IMG_3601.jpg

Then back to Glacier National Park in August. Had a sunrise at Two Medicine Lake Glacier August 2019
IMG_3690.jpg

IMG_3701.jpg

Then off to arguably the best high country day hike - Dawson-Pitamakin
IMG_3799.jpg

IMG_3859.jpg



I'm sure they are just rodents but, damn Marmots have personality
IMG_3868.jpg

IMG_3870.jpg

Up and over Gunsight Pass
IMG_3936.jpg

IMG_3945.jpg

IMG_3952.jpg

Lake Ellen Wilson
IMG_4030.jpg

IMG_4055.jpg

I recently worked up an album of ALL the wildflowers I have seen in Glacier. I was at 185 different varieties.
IMG_4076.jpg

IMG_4079.jpg

Just a random catch along the trail
IMG_4154.jpg

Looking across to Helen Lake. A view I had never had before!
IMG_4202.jpg

In August I made my 8th trip up the Virgin River Narrows. Best day in the National Park Service. I made it all the way to Big Spring....for hopefully the last time.
IMG_4336.jpg

IMG_4347.jpg

IMG_4363.jpg

IMG_4370.jpg

IMG_4374.jpg

IMG_4383.jpg

IMG_4396.jpg

IMG_4417.jpg

IMG_4419.jpg



IMG_4424.jpg

A shot of the landslide that occurred off of Cable Mountain
IMG_4448.jpg

September found me making another trek in the Parunuweep section of Zion NP. I only have one more ridgeline to follow out to overlooks of the East Fork of the Virgin River.
IMG_4576.jpg





IMG_4616.jpg

IMG_4630.jpg

IMG_4632.jpg

In late September I made it to Great Basin National Park and Wheeler Peak Great Basin Nat'l Park
IMG_4673.jpg

IMG_4706.jpg

IMG_4722.jpg



IMG_4847.jpg

The last weekend of September I did something that I had never taken the time to do. Sunset at Cedar Breaks National Monument. Had a bit of fall foliage up there.
IMG_4915.jpg



IMG_4931.jpg

IMG_4984.jpg

IMG_4998.jpg

IMG_5006.jpg

In mid October I had my long weekend with Scott in Canyonlands. Tried to get to Monument Basin but settled on getting some beta, a drive on the White Rim and beautiful sunrise and sunset. monument-basin-canyonlands-
IMG_5069.jpg



IMG_5132.jpg

IMG_5174.jpg

IMG_5177.jpg

IMG_5198.jpg

IMG_5219.jpg

IMG_5290.jpg

IMG_5294.jpg

Was able to acquire a different perspective of Delicate Arch
IMG_5341.jpg

I made my 5th trip into Buckskin Gulch late in October. Buckskin Gulch
IMG_5391.jpg

IMG_5393.jpg

IMG_5401.jpg

IMG_5415.jpg



In mid November I did something that I have been putting off for years. Something that I figured would just be filler on a shorter day. I manage filling most of a day doing Lower Pine Creek in Zion Nat'l Park. Going up from the 2nd hairpin up to the exit of the canyoneering route.
IMG_5565.jpg

IMG_5575.jpg

IMG_5584.jpg

IMG_5593.jpg

IMG_5600.jpg

IMG_5609.jpg

IMG_5631.jpg

IMG_5633.jpg

IMG_5635.jpg

IMG_5638.jpg

Then I made the sort hike in from the 1st hairpin to the waterfall
IMG_5653.jpg

IMG_5663.jpg

IMG_5667.jpg

I am including this picture because I rediscovered it in 2019. I saw this and said "this is the best shot I have ever taken." @Jeffrey Chandler, Lake McDonald, Glacier National Park in 2004
DSCN4495.JPG

Best wishes for 2020
 
Last edited:
These photographs and memories are simply awesome!! BCP sure has some pretty neat adventurers and hellava good photographers!! Thank you all for sharing!! :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::heart_eyes::heart_eyes::heart_eyes:
 
I had many memorable trips this year, but the photography quality is poor compared the above posts. I've gone to using a subcompact for weight and have even taken a few with the phone. But, thought I'd share a few anyway.

March on Cannon Mountain, NH
85905

Mid-May in Zion, Bryce, Grand Staircase Escalante and the Wave (won as application #19, May 19, 2019)
85906

85907

85908
85909

85910

85911

85912

85921

September in Wyoming for a few weeks in the Wind Rivers with an overnight at Signal Mountain in GTNP
85913
85914

85915

85916

85917

85918

85919

85920
 
Awww so fun to reminisce! I will try to keep it to minimum favorite event per month.

January - Refreshing Storm Trip Point Reyes NS, CA

Wildcat-54.jpg

February - Las Vegas, NV in the Snow and Valley of Fire
IMG_574911.jpg

LV-63.jpg

March - Houston, TX hiking

Houston-70.jpg

April - BCP Fest San Rafael, Utah getting to meet so many great people!

Swell-88.jpg

May - Got stuck in the snow and Oregon for Bobbie's Birthday

20190504_114909.jpg

Oregon19-31.jpg

20190531_102313.jpg

July - Found a campground with a bar and made good friends! Dardanelle, CA

Dardanelle 07.19-19.jpg

Dardanelle 07.19-20.jpg

Dardanelle 07.19-26.jpg
 
Last edited:
K that is all the fake comments I am going to do.
@Nick I am very intrigued by your dutch oven birthday cake...
If I could figure out a way to make cake while backpacking, it would feel guilt free because I hiked all day! I love cake. Hah
 
K that is all the fake comments I am going to do.
@Nick I am very intrigued by your dutch oven birthday cake...
If I could figure out a way to make cake while backpacking, it would feel guilt free because I hiked all day! I love cake. Hah

One of the luxuries of whitewater rafting!
 
Always one of my favorite albums of the year. Greases the spokes for next year.
So, so many great shots and I just smile at all the places on offer, even if sometimes it is green with envy, most of the time it's just Wow.

@chandlerwest when I was younger we finished many summer hiking days in the pools of Pine creek.
 
Oh, speaking of envy, love the purple hair. If i had enough hair, that would be the shade. Maybe my beard could go from white to that color. Or I should ask to borrow it if it were a wig.
 
Let's try to keep the posts to around 20 or less photos each so that this thread doesn't take 5 minutes to load. Feel free to do multiple posts though. And plenty of comments will keep it all spread out better. Like this one. :)
 
Let's try to keep the posts to around 20 or less photos each so that this thread doesn't take 5 minutes to load. Feel free to do multiple posts though. And plenty of comments will keep it all spread out better. Like this one. :)
I just figured the slow loading was due to my 8 year old computer. It will get thinner now that my dump is in. ;) It has always been hard for me to edit. Just ask my poor family.
 
Oh, speaking of envy, love the purple hair. If i had enough hair, that would be the shade. Maybe my beard could go from white to that color. Or I should ask to borrow it if it were a wig.

Haha it was a wig that I have since disposed of. It was only $14 and it got sweaty and tangled when we were hiking. I am going to be dyeing my hair in the next couple hairs (part of my 5 year plan), I will either go purple or dark green.
 
Here, I broke mine up into two different posts...maybe that helps.

August - Made an attempt at Kayaking

Folsom 08.19-2.jpg

September - Leavitt Lake and back to Dardanelle

Dard09.19-10.jpg

Dard09.19-31.jpg

October - Half Dome, the squirrel, and back to Dardanelle for a costume party of exactly 4 people! Haha

HalfDome1019-46.jpg

HalfDome1019-72.jpg

20191026_145827.jpg

20191026_144749.jpg

December - Rainy day in Fort Bragg, CA

FortBragg.jpg

FortBragg-6.jpg

FortBragg-10.jpg

FortBragg-98.jpg
 
Last edited:
Similar threads
Thread starter Title Forum Replies Date
Devin Ashby Best Cedar Mesa/Bears Ears Guide Books? Trip Planning 8
ghsmith76 Looking for best multi-day Backpacking Trips near Livingston, MT Trip Planning 6
Parma The Best Arch in Utah is... General Discussion 20
forest dweller The best / ideal conditions/ criteria to backpack with a stranger / allow a stranger to backpack with you... General Discussion 6
forest dweller What do you think is the best way to meet other SERIOUS backpackers when you only backpack once or twice a year and... General Discussion 52
Perry Exploring above Cataract Basin - One of the Best Seats in the House Hiking & Camping 1
Nick Best of 2018 General Discussion 43
Outdoors24 Best computer for picture/video editing? General Discussion 26
Vegan.Hiker A Personal Best (ascent) - Pemi Loop, WMNF Backpacking 23
T Best practices for upcoming trip General Discussion 4
JDWalters Best time to photograph Zebra Slot? Trip Planning 3
Upgrayedd Best place to live? General Discussion 46
IntrepidXJ Meet the woman who knows Bears Ears best General Discussion 106
B Best Time of Year for Backpacking the Uintas in Utah Trip Planning 15
Perry Leona Spring Trail to UHT - A New Personal Best Day Hike Hiking & Camping 2
B Best Alternatives to the Sierras Backpacking 12
kimbur96 Best lens for backpacking? Photography 14
Kelin Best Route to Alpine Lakes? Trip Planning 4
Jimmy Best Backpacking Near Phoenix/Scottsdale? Trip Planning 1
JoshuaDyal Best San Juans hike Trip Planning 0
LarryBoy Best ranges for off-trail travel General Discussion 11
Langdon Greene 2016 might be your best chance to do Wonderland (Rainier) Trip Planning 2
muir_mountain Best Backpacking in early June Trip Planning 12
Mike Jones Best UL Mountain Hardwear Rain Jacket Gear 2
SwimsWithTrout Best time of year for San Rafael Swell/Cedar Mesa ? Trip Planning 4
Nick Best Packrafting Paddle Gear 8
Mike K Best Backpacking Pillow Gear 16
T Best place to backpack the Bob Marshall? Trip Planning 17
WasatchWill Best Cell Phone Camera: iPhone, G4, S6, or Other? General Discussion 6
Chuck the Mauler Best dual use camera? Photography 6
uintahiker What is the Best 3 day trip in the Uintas? Trip Planning 17
balzaccom Your best shot General Discussion 2
natylka Advice on the best lightweight sleeping bag for backpacking. Gear 27
natylka Advice on the best light backpacking tent Gear 39
Scott Chandler Help with the Best of the CPW Photography 9
jmerkley9 Best Car Camping - Uintas Trip Planning 2
Laura My tent shot is the featured photo for Best of May 2014 Photography 8
Antlerking Gear Review Best Hiking Briefs Gear Reviews 15
DrNed Best Hikes in Canyonlands Trip Planning 8
D Cedar Mesa to Hanksville, best day hike options? Trip Planning 3
Tater Head It was the best of times, It was the worst of times... General Discussion 6
Nick Best easy day hikes around Salt Lake General Discussion 25
Aldaron Best hike in the Uintas General Discussion 2
Aldaron The best part of BCP General Discussion 6
slc_dan Best Book for Hiking in the Uintas? Trip Planning 11
Nick BCP wins 'Best Adventure Blog'! General Discussion 16
uintahiker Aravaipa Canyon- what end is best? Trip Planning 2
Nick Album Best of 2012 Photography 45
intuitive cat what was your best/most satisfactory new gear this last season? Gear 18
Dan Best Camp Shoe - What's the lightest and most versatile? Gear 51

Similar threads

Back
Top