To Do in 2021

regehr said:
Lots of good stuff here. I had a pretty solid 2020 with six backpacks, since 100% of my work travel got canceled after February. I haven't made any real plans for 2021 yet but my wish list contains:
  • Rubies backpack
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Hmm, time it for a Crest Trail key swap, perhaps? I could ask for Leave from work early enough to have it granted....
 
John Morrow said:
Hmm, time it for a Crest Trail key swap, perhaps? I could ask for Leave from work early enough to have it granted....
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I could absolutely get behind this. Do you have a sense for what's the right range of weeks for this? I strongly prefer being in the mountains when the mosquitoes are not.

I intended to do this trip last summer:

Lakes Loop

Backpacking in the Ruby Mountains in Nevada. Lakes Loop Hike.
www.backpackingintherubymountains.info www.backpackingintherubymountains.info
but got distracted by the Jarbidge range instead. I'm not sad about it, but I need to get into the Rubies!
 
Janice said:
Have you been to Holy Cross Wilderness previously? We were there a few summers ago and really enjoyed it. :)
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I've done a couple of day hikes there, but no backpacking yet. You actually sent me some useful info and nice photos a year or two ago about the loop that you guys did, and I was planning on doing that route, but then I messed up my shoulder (mountain biking) shortly before that trip and had to cancel/postpone it. It's definitely on my list though (unfortunately it's competing with many others though!)...
 
Miya said:
I will take what I can get haha I will shoot for a week though! :)
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I did a week in the Uintas after the CDT and it was awesome :D I needed everything to break right for me (super low snow year allowed me to reach Canada by early September + a huge high pressure system parked over Utah in September) in order to make it work, but if the seasons work out for ya, that would be a great capper.
 
Miya said:
I will take what I can get haha I will shoot for a week though! :)
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Bob is very much correct on 2 days just getting you into the Winds. Don't bother if you don't have a minimum of 4 days to spend from car to car. Plenty of other places where a couple days will give you a good trip. The Winds isn't one of them.
 
If you're in good shape, 2 days in the Winds will get you the Cirque or the Titcomb (or Island Lake, at least). Not sure it's worth a drive from the West coast just for that, but I wouldn't call it a complete waste of time. There are some other overnight options that would also not be a waste of time. But I do agree... you need several days to really get into the best of the Winds.
 
b.stark said:
If you're in good shape, 2 days in the Winds will get you the Cirque or the Titcomb (or Island Lake, at least). Not sure it's worth a drive from the West coast just for that, but I wouldn't call it a complete waste of time. There are some other overnight options that would also not be a waste of time. But I do agree... you need several days to really get into the best of the Winds.
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I don't entirely disagree, but keep in mind she'd be in unfathomably good shape - 25mpd for sure. That doesn't really help with the whole "actually spending time" aspect of it, but with trail legs you can pretty comfortably knock out 50 Winds miles in a couple days, as long as you're not doing a whole bunch of 1mph scrambling. You could go from Elkhart Park over Knapsack to Green River Lakes, for example.
 
Like some on here, my plans are nebulous because I'm not sure what the state of things will be when summer rolls around, so for now, here's what there is:
  • xc skiing on a lot of weekends this winter. There are lots of trails up Gallatin Canyon and elsewhere nearby that I want to try.
  • It's iffy whether my standard April trip to Boulder Mountain/Capitol Reef will work, so I'm thinking I'll try some of the lower elevation stuff around here near Helena and the Missouri River in late April or May.
  • A few trips near home, Gallatins, Madisons, and Beartooths
  • I'd really like either to get back to the Southern Absarokas or to take my first trip to the Bob Marshall Wilderness in August
  • September Yellowstone trip with @scatman and @TractorDoc
  • Probably an October Yellowstone trip to the Bechler area to make up for the failed trip this year
And then plenty of local day hikes here and there.
 
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* Mt. Adams. Thinking of getting into mountaineering.
* Outer Rim Trail - Big Bend.
* Something in the Grand Canyon.
* Part of the High Sierra Route. A buddy of mine got 3/4 of the way through last summer and wants to finish. Gonna tag along.
* Escalante River Trail with my 8 year old.
* White Rim trail with my 8 and 6 year old. My wife has panic attacks at Lagoon so the White Rim is definitely a no go for her.
* Take the fam to Coyote Gulch.

Wish List
* Uinta Highline. It's been on my list for years and something always comes up.
* Mt Wheeler via Highland Trail.
* Death Valley.
 
RyanP said:
I've done a couple of day hikes there, but no backpacking yet. You actually sent me some useful info and nice photos a year or two ago about the loop that you guys did, and I was planning on doing that route, but then I messed up my shoulder (mountain biking) shortly before that trip and had to cancel/postpone it. It's definitely on my list though (unfortunately it's competing with many others though!)...
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Ah - thanks for the reminder! Awhile back I had wondered if you had ever done that trip but got busy and never checked back in! Sorry about your shoulder - hope it's better by now. I understand about the long list with lots of competing ideas. There are so many places we want to go to! Hope you're able to have lots of nice adventures this year. Best wishes!
 
Rockskipper said:
Not sure, but maybe at @b.stark's place, @Titans back yard, @Dreamer's, or on @Nick's patio - just for starters, as there are many more.
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You might want to hold off a while @Rockskipper. I’ve only got <300 sq ft which is tight in the winter and as soon as it snows a bit it’s a half hour trek to the end of the plow.

As to my plans/aspirations for the coming year:
1 - hunker down for the winter in my hermit hideaway, likely foregoing the routine Caribbean spring.
2 - drive west in mid to late April exercising strict isolation protocol.
3 - explore and backpack Four Corners New Mexico for the first time.
4 - explore and backpack Southern Utah for the second time.
5 - fly fish a lot, had a Tenkara rod for years, but just started with the trad rig last season. No comparison.
6 - explore and backpack the Divide Basin for the second time.
7 - explore and backpack the Winds for the 19th year. Do another trip of at least 50 nights without seeing a trailhead.

Happy New Year everybody!!
 
LarryBoy said:
I did a week in the Uintas after the CDT and it was awesome :D I needed everything to break right for me (super low snow year allowed me to reach Canada by early September + a huge high pressure system parked over Utah in September) in order to make it work, but if the seasons work out for ya, that would be a great capper.
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I think part of me has this high hope that I can finish in 4.5-5 months, then take another month to travel. HOWEVER, I don't want to rush it AND, if I make it all the way to the end, I might be tired and want to see family and not travel right away? Haha who knows how I will feel.

Jackson said:
What places are you considering?
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I don't know...haha Alaska and Idaho are the big contenders. Buuut I will be free to go anywhere! So maybe it ends up being based off a job or maybe I decide I love CA...but kind of unlikely haha
 
Nick said:
Bob is very much correct on 2 days just getting you into the Winds. Don't bother if you don't have a minimum of 4 days to spend from car to car. Plenty of other places where a couple days will give you a good trip. The Winds isn't one of them.
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Good to know! Don't want to do it if I can't do it right haha
 
Here are some of my goals for the coming year:

1. Get at least 5 backpacking nights in this year.
2. Try to get one backpacking trip out of Utah.
3. Float the San Rafael river if snow pack allows
4. Do three technical slot canyons.
5. Get 7 nights of car camping.
6. I will be headed back east this summer, so I would like to try climbing at Red River Gorge.

I hope I can accomplish these goals and more this year. The big set back for me is getting wrapped up in projects at home. I am hoping I can find a better balance with it this year.
 
donkiluminate said:
* Mt. Adams. Thinking of getting into mountaineering.
* Outer Rim Trail - Big Bend.
* Something in the Grand Canyon.
* Part of the High Sierra Route. A buddy of mine got 3/4 of the way through last summer and wants to finish. Gonna tag along.
* Escalante River Trail with my 8 year old.
* White Rim trail with my 8 and 6 year old. My wife has panic attacks at Lagoon so the White Rim is definitely a no go for her.
* Take the fam to Coyote Gulch.

Wish List
* Uinta Highline. It's been on my list for years and something always comes up.
* Mt Wheeler via Highland Trail.
* Death Valley.
Click to expand...
My 4 year old just told me over the weekend he wants to move to Yellowstone. I need to add:

* Convince the rest of the family to move to Montana.
 
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