To Do in 2019

Miya said:
My goals are definitely more vague haha, but I actually have some this year! I am still striving to hit what are probably considered basics lol
  • Day hike in snow
  • Hike and soak in a natural hot spring
  • See a cactus flower
  • Visit Fern Canyon
  • Backpack outside of California
  • Find a backpacking partner
  • Hike with my dad
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@Miya That is a fantastic list. I love it.
 
Shirt357 said:
2. Climb Longs Peak again this year but this time go via the Loft Route. If I get all wild, then will go up the Loft Route and down the KeyHole.
6. Would love to get over to Chicago Basin... but not so sure how that whole area is doing after the wildfires.
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2. I'm actually hoping to give Longs a shot later in the summer...
6. The fire did not affect this area at all.
 
LarryBoy said:
That's a cool lineup! If you're looking to get some CDT action in, there's a cool loop you can do beginning at Cottonwood Pass. From the pass, take the new CDT north to near Lake Anne Pass, then take the old CDT south all the way to near Alpine Tunnel. Jump back on the new CDT and head north back to Cottonwood Pass. Maybe 40 or 50 miles total? Idk
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I will have to look into this one for sure! Thanks :cool:
 
Here's my shortlist for the future...I'm sure I won't get to all of it in 2019.

Hike the Suluar Mesa Trail north of Green River
Finish off the Uinta Highline from Chepeta to the Mirror Lake Highway (inspired by @Nick)
Finish hiking the lower Price River to the confluence with the Green (I only have the lower 13 miles left to see)
Paradise Flats
The Gulch
Poke around the mouth of Horseshoe Canyon ;)
Ride my dirt bike from home to Ray's for a burger & beer, then back home in a day
 
Rockskipper said:
And I want to see the sandhill cranes migrate through Nebraska this spring plus spend some time in the Red Desert (WY).
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They sure make some strange noises. Very prehistoric. I live on the extreme edge of their migration corridor so sometimes hear some pass by (one flock a year, maybe). Don't have to go terribly far west to see more.
 
The only definite plan I have is a return to SEKI in July/August. I've got the plane and car rental booked and next month permits open. I'm hoping for 8 nights exploring the Upper Kern River area. Fingers crossed for no fires

I'm going to try to find time to take my kids for 3-4 nights to see the synchronous fireflies in the smokies in early June.

I hope to get a couple other 3-5 night trips here in the SE and then the usual car camping and kid backpacking.

Goals: 45 bag nights and a hike at least once a week and I'm going to attempt to hike at least once each month in the Red River Gorge
 
Carcass said:
Survive 2019. The rest is gravy.
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X2
In a few weeks I am planning on visiting Dominguez Canyon, haven't been there in maybe 5 years. I would like to see my favorite waterfalls frozen. And maybe a winter trip to Cedar Mesa.
Next spring, I am planning on taking my canoe down the San Rafael's Little Grand Canyon. A cooler of beer, and I will throw caution to the wind. If you happen to be on that stretch, watch out.
Also next spring I want to float the 100 miles through Labyrinth and Stillwater. I have never done them together.
Closer to home, I will backpack some of the upper Frying Pan River basin above Basalt, Co. Less people up there, not one of the go to places around here.
And then Nancy Lee (my wife) and I will float the Nancy Lee (canoe) down Meander Canyon, with our friends and their sea kayaks.
 
We will be driving from upstate NY (our home) to Alaska this summer. We will probably be gone for six to eight weeks. One of our Christmas gifts was a copy of The MilePost and we've been slowly making our way through it. So many options, so many potential side trips to make, it's overwhelming. We plan on camping most of the time, probably mixing in some motel/cabin stays along the way.
 
no big plans, I just want to survive the year and have a little bit of play time.

  1. get at least 5-10 camp nights
  2. do at least one hike per week
  3. go cross-country skiing and snowshoeing
  4. another week-long vacation in Yellowstone
  5. visit and soak in a hot spring
  6. do a few 20+miles day hikes
 
kwc said:
We will be driving from upstate NY (our home) to Alaska this summer. We will probably be gone for six to eight weeks. One of our Christmas gifts was a copy of The MilePost and we've been slowly making our way through it. So many options, so many potential side trips to make, it's overwhelming. We plan on camping most of the time, probably mixing in some motel/cabin stays along the way.
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My wife and I drove to Alaska in 2006. Make sure you check out Liard Hot Springs, nice campground with a couple hot springs to soak in, coming from FL it was very cool. Assuming you are driving back as well, you should look into Highway 37 that goes south from Watson Lake, we really liked Boya Lake Park and the towns of Stewart and Hyder (one in BC, one in AK) was nice, you can get up on a glacier if you are interested. Speaking of glaciers, you should plan on going through the Icefields Parkway between Banff and Jasper and take your time, you can get up on a glacier there as well, not to mention awesome hiking. Avoid the town of Banff, Jasper was ok.

Happy to answer any questions or provide more suggestions if you like
 
wsp_scott said:
My wife and I drove to Alaska in 2006. Make sure you check out Liard Hot Springs, nice campground with a couple hot springs to soak in, coming from FL it was very cool. Assuming you are driving back as well, you should look into Highway 37 that goes south from Watson Lake, we really liked Boya Lake Park and the towns of Stewart and Hyder (one in BC, one in AK) was nice, you can get up on a glacier if you are interested. Speaking of glaciers, you should plan on going through the Icefields Parkway between Banff and Jasper and take your time, you can get up on a glacier there as well, not to mention awesome hiking. Avoid the town of Banff, Jasper was ok.

Happy to answer any questions or provide more suggestions if you like
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Nice! We have already been to Banff & Jasper NPs, driving up the Icefields Parkway ... we took a couple nice hikes in Jasper, really liked that park.
We have never been to Glacier NP so that's on our travel list. Not sure if we'll head north from there or head west and possibly take a more westerly route up through BC. We are definitely planning on going to Haines, AK, on our way up (we have already been to Skagway). Another thing on our list is driving the Denali Highway ... it's one part of Alaska that we have yet to explore. If time permits we may head to Dawson City. A side trip to Sitka probably isn't in the cards this trip ... it'll have to wait until a future visit.
 
Rough goals for the year:

-Do my annual week-long visit to the Escalante area. I have the itch to go packrafting again, so I'm looking at an April trip rather than the October one I usually do to take advantage of the low Lake Powell level
-Possibly the ABQ balloon festival in October. It's been on my bucket list for years now, might be time to move it to top priority (especially if I free up time in October by doing a spring hiking trip)
-Continue exploring local state parks and within my own city/surrounding ones
 
My goals for 2019:
  • Camp every month. I've somehow missed this so many years now. Last year I camped on Dec 31 and Feb 1 but missed January! The year before that I missed MAY!
  • 50+ bag nights. Dialing it back a bit from 70 in 2018, but maybe...
  • Camp for the first time in New Mexico, California, Alaska and Canada
  • Visit Yellowstone in the spring
  • A little canyoneering
  • 2 weeks rafting the Tatshenshini-Alsek in July
  • 10 day road trip in August (probably Northern California)
  • A week long, wife-friendly, raft trip in the spring. Hopefully the full lower San Juan from Sand Island to Clay Hills if I can snag a permit
  • Raft the Colorado through Westwater Canyon
  • Raft the Snake through Alpine Canyon
  • At least two good, long backpacking trips. Most likely desert trips. I have a handful on my list, I'd be happy with any of them.
  • Explore more of the area north of Capitol Reef and west of Muddy Creek
  • More Bears Ears
  • More Gold Butte
  • Long end of year trip over Christmas and New Year's Eve. Or at the very least NYE.
 
Windy said:
Here is my long running hit list. Anything on this list that isn't crossed out is fair game in 2019. So much to do, only so much vacation. With the Grand Salmon tentatively on the books for the Fall we will see what I have time left for. Probably lots of weekend warrior backpacking.

Backpacking/Hiking:
Deadhorse Lake
Allsop lake
Priord Lake
Amethyst Lake
Ryder Lake
McPheters Lake
Kermsuh Lake
Red Castle Lake
Henrys Fork Lake
Four Lakes Basin
Naturalist Basin
Cuberant Lake
Kamas lake
Lofty lake
Teal Lake
Bench Lake
Ibantik Lake
Notch Lake
Clyde Lake
Booker Lake
Fairlyand Trail Bryce
Zion Narrows
Hackberry Canyon
Buckskin Gulch Paria Canyon
Dark Canyon
Salt Creek Needles
Needles/Chesler Park
Little Wildhorse
Goblin Valley
Happy Canyon
Spooky/Peekaboo
Coyote Gulch
Fifty Mile Canyon
Willow Gulch
Delta Pool
Negro Bill Canyon
Virgin Springs Canyon
Grand Gulch
Fish/Owl Loop
Muddy Creek Chute possibly float it
Robbers Roost
The Irish Canyons
Swett/Woodruff Loop
Maidenwater
Spring Canyon
Pleasant Creek
Sheets Gulch
Sulphur Creek
Lower Muley Twist
Halls Creek Narrows
Death Hollow
Little Death Hollow
Silver Falls/Choprock Loop


River Trips:
Grand Salmon – Middle Fork to Main to Lower – Boundary Creek To Hellars Bar (Sept – Oct)
Grand Canyon Colorado River
San Juan River
Green River Lodore
Green River Deso Gray
Westwater
Ruby Horsethief
Cataract Canyon
Yampa River
Dirty Devil River
Escalante River
Middle Fork Salmon
South Fork Salmon
Main Salmon
Lochsa
Selway
Owyhee
Bruneau
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That's a solid list, I might borrow from that ;)

Allsop and Piord can be done as a loop, but it requires some easy off trail travel. In fact, I'd recommend doing that because both drainages are full of cow patties, so while worth it, the first few miles are not exactly fun. Heck, you could even add Deadhorse Lake to the loop, but that pass is a step up in difficulty.
 
Goals for 2019.... Hmmm haven't really given this too much though yet. I fear 2019 won't be the year for longer trips but here is what I have planned so far.
  • 50+ days of backcountry skiing including a eight-day hut trip in BC. I have 6 days so far (counting this one in seasons) so I better get going once I'm back in Salt Lake
  • A 5-day trip to Vancouver Island
  • Taking my parents on their first backpacking trip.
  • A bunch of 2-3 day trips in southern Utah, the Uintas and the Winds. Haven't really given this too much thought yet.
  • Meeting @LarryBoy at least once on his RIB, preferably more often (if he allows ;))
  • Finally do the WURL.... As an overnighter
 
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Last year my alpine plans were severely curtailed down due to wildfires, so we'll see how this goes:
  • At least one Grand Canyon N rim route (e.g. Tuckup Canyon/Hades Knoll or Deer Creek/Thunder River)
  • Titcomb Basin w/ N Arete of Ellingwood Peak (Winds)
  • Bridge Mt (Zion)
  • At least one 35-50 mile in a day death march (e.g. Zion Traverse, Ruby Crest Trail)
  • At least one technicalish multi-day trek in Glen Canyon or Bears Ears
  • At least one overnight MTB trip
  • Bear Lakes Basin trip (Sierra)
  • Be able to trail run and do long moderate multi-pitch climbing routes again without disc or sciatic nerve issues (possibly wishful thinking)
  • Actually use my "unlimited" vacation
Adding:
  • Pick up at least 1 trash bag of trash/recyclables from public lands each month.
 
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fossana said:
Last year my alpine plans were severely curtailed down due to wildfires, so we'll see how this goes:
  • At least one Grand Canyon N rim route (e.g. Tuckup Canyon/Hades Knoll or Deer Creek/Thunder River)
  • Titcomb Basin w/ N Arete of Ellingwood Peak (Winds)
  • Bridge Mt (Zion)
  • At least one 35-50 mile in a day death march (e.g. Zion Traverse, Ruby Crest Trail)
  • At least one technicalish multi-day trek in Glen Canyon or Bears Ears
  • At least one overnight MTB trip
  • Bear Lakes Basin trip (Sierra)
  • Be able to trail run and do long moderate multi-pitch climbing routes again without disc or sciatic nerve issues (possibly wishful thinking)
  • Actually use my "unlimited" vacation
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Nice . ....
Look into from Kanab Creek (jump-off th) along the Colorado to deer Creek or thunder river.... Hiking this part of the Colorado is great...Kanab Creek really nice as well
 
Bob said:
Nice . ....
Look into from Kanab Creek (jump-off th) along the Colorado to deer Creek or thunder river.... Hiking this part of the Colorado is great...Kanab Creek really nice as well
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+1. And if you can incorperate (probably best as exit) Scotty’s Hollow, the lower part is a couple of the most fun and beautiful miles I’ve ever walked.

Edit: the (giant and awesome) trip I did down there a few years ago (with ropes and packrafts) was 150 mile-Matkat-Olo-Kanab-Jumpup-Indian Hollow-Deer Creek-Colorado-Kanab-Scottys. TR and pics Part 1 and Part 2

My plans for 2019 are:
-More of what I’ve been doing the last couple years, which is mostly Navajo Nation stuff.
-an Escalante packraft loop I’ve been eying
-Some parts of Wilson/Grey Mesa that I couldnt’ get to last time I was in the area
-some Glen Canyon exploring with the fam on the boat I bought last fall (‘74 16’ Starcraft)
 
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