To Do in 2025

[la_alpinista]

I'm so excited to be retiring this year! Finally I can take off for months at a time!

I'll be hitting the road in May with my dog and my Tacoma w/ popup topper. Backpacking, dayhikes, photography, mountain biking, exploring. Considering getting a packraft to add to my adventures.

Will stop through a few places in WY, MT, ID, WA for dayhikes and perhaps an overnighter or two depending on conditions. But my main goals are BC and Alaska.

In BC, I'll visit some friends near Anahim Lake and will explore that area and the coast around Bella Coola for a few weeks or a month. Cool wilderness with few people. Endless opportunities.

Then going north for my long-time dream trip to Alaska. Still working out all the wheres and whats, but Wrangell-St Elias and Gates of the Artic are definites for 7-10 day backpacks because they seem feasible for solo trips and some good trips are possible without having to fly (not ruling out a bush plane trip too). Also planning daytrips and shorter backpacks to get the lay of the land and test my gear in Alaska conditions before venturing on longer trips. Plan to stay in the north until it's too cold and dark for me. Not sure when that will be, but definitely looking forward to experiencing some Arctic autumn colors before heading south again.

In the fall/winter... too far out to say, but considering a trip to Mexico. And will almost certainly hit my fave Grand Staircase-Escalante on the way. Just was there for 2 1/2 weeks in Dec/early Jan. Awesome trip. I love it there in the winter.

 

[SEAlpine]

I'm so excited to be retiring this year! Finally I can take off for months at a time!

I'll be hitting the road in May with my dog and my Tacoma w/ popup topper. Backpacking, dayhikes, photography, mountain biking, exploring. Considering getting a packraft to add to my adventures.

Will stop through a few places in WY, MT, ID, WA for dayhikes and perhaps an overnighter or two depending on conditions. But my main goals are BC and Alaska.

In BC, I'll visit some friends near Anahim Lake and will explore that area and the coast around Bella Coola for a few weeks or a month. Cool wilderness with few people. Endless opportunities.

Then going north for my long-time dream trip to Alaska. Still working out all the wheres and whats, but Wrangell-St Elias and Gates of the Artic are definites for 7-10 day backpacks because they seem feasible for solo trips and some good trips are possible without having to fly (not ruling out a bush plane trip too). Also planning daytrips and shorter backpacks to get the lay of the land and test my gear in Alaska conditions before venturing on longer trips. Plan to stay in the north until it's too cold and dark for me. Not sure when that will be, but definitely looking forward to experiencing some Arctic autumn colors before heading south again.

In the fall/winter... too far out to say, but considering a trip to Mexico. And will almost certainly hit my fave Grand Staircase-Escalante on the way. Just was there for 2 1/2 weeks in Dec/early Jan. Awesome trip. I love it there in the winter.

What kind of popup are you using on your Tacoma?

 

[la_alpinista]

@SEAlpine I just got an AT Overland Atlas in Dec. Used it for 2 1/2 weeks in Utah in Dec/early Jan and really happy with it so far. Worked great out of the box, quick and easy to setup/take down. Seems well made. Propane heater rocks. People at AT Overland were easy to work with and nice. It fits all years of Tacoma with 6' bed so I can move it to new truck if needed. I plan to build out the back to optimize storage and to have a comfy place to sit on cold winter evenings. Only drawbacks I know of are gas mileage (10-20% decrease depending on speed and conditions) and I won't want to pop it up when it's windy.

 

[SEAlpine]

@SEAlpine I just got an AT Overland Atlas in Dec. Used it for 2 1/2 weeks in Utah in Dec/early Jan and really happy with it so far. Worked great out of the box, quick and easy to setup/take down. Seems well made. Propane heater rocks. People at AT Overland were easy to work with and nice. It fits all years of Tacoma with 6' bed so I can move it to new truck if needed. I plan to build out the back to optimize storage and to have a comfy place to sit on cold winter evenings. Only drawbacks I know of are gas mileage (10-20% decrease depending on speed and conditions) and I won't want to pop it up when it's windy.

The Overland looks nice, looking for something that'd fit my short-bed Tacoma. And I recommend the Trail Creek>Lost Creek loop down Nabesna Rd in Wrangell St. Elias, NP Preserve, beautiful and varied 3 day backpack, nice intro to backcountry Alaska. https://www.nps.gov/wrst/planyourvisit/upload/Trail-Creek-Lost-Creek-Loop.pdf

 

[scatman]

In a general sense, this is what my 2025 will look like health permitting.

• First week in July - a four night trip in the Salt River Range
• Deseret Peak Loop on my 61st birthday on Bastille Day
• First week in August - 8 or 9 day trip into the Absaroka Range (Washakie and Teton Wildernesses), taking in Eagle and Glacier Passes and potentially a day hike or two to explore a section of the Trident
• First week in September - A day hike through a section of Hayden Valley in Yellowstone, and depending on success in getting a permit, a return to the Bechler Area of Yellowstone for 5 nights.
• Third week in September - a three night stay at Ice Lake in Yellowstone. This will be my last trip with my friend Danny, who at 73 will be calling it quits after this trip. We've been doing September or October trips for decades now, but his body is at the point where he just can't pull these trips off anymore. I may open this trip up to BCP members once I get a count on the usual suspects who go on this trip. Probably do a day hike to Little Gibbon Falls and Wolf Lake, plus a second day hike to Cygnet Lakes and check out the old Plateau Trail to Mary Lake while I'm back in there.
• I'm also heading up to Seattle in June to see my daughter get her masters degree in June, and to visit my son in Portland. If I have any vacation time left over then potentially an October Columbus Day Weekend trip into the Teton Wilderness, weather permitting.
• Continue my local weekend hikes here in the Wasatch throughout the spring, summer and fall.

 

[LarryBoy]

In a general sense, this is what my 2025 will look like health permitting.

• First week in July - a four night trip in the Salt River Range
• Deseret Peak Loop on my 61st birthday on Bastille Day
• First week in August - 8 or 9 day trip into the Absaroka Range (Washakie and Teton Wildernesses), taking in Eagle and Glacier Passes and potentially a day hike or two to explore a section of the Trident
• First week in September - A day hike through a section of Hayden Valley in Yellowstone, and depending on success in getting a permit, a return to the Bechler Area of Yellowstone for 5 nights.
• Third week in September - a three night stay at Ice Lake in Yellowstone. This will be my last trip with my friend Danny, who at 73 will be calling it quits after this trip. We've been doing September or October trips for decades now, but his body is at the point where he just can't pull these trips off anymore. I may open this trip up to BCP members once I get a count on the usual suspects who go on this trip. Probably do a day hike to Little Gibbon Falls and Wolf Lake, plus a second day hike to Cygnet Lakes and check out the old Plateau Trail to Mary Lake while I'm back in there.
• I'm also heading up to Seattle in June to see my daughter get her masters degree in June, and to visit my son in Portland. If I have any vacation time left over then potentially an October Columbus Day Weekend trip into the Teton Wilderness, weather permitting.
• Continue my local weekend hikes here in the Wasatch throughout the spring, summer and fall.

I'm curious to see how your salt river range trip turns out!

 

[Ugly]

In a general sense, this is what my 2025 will look like health permitting.

• First week in July - a four night trip in the Salt River Range
• Deseret Peak Loop on my 61st birthday on Bastille Day
• First week in August - 8 or 9 day trip into the Absaroka Range (Washakie and Teton Wildernesses), taking in Eagle and Glacier Passes and potentially a day hike or two to explore a section of the Trident
• First week in September - A day hike through a section of Hayden Valley in Yellowstone, and depending on success in getting a permit, a return to the Bechler Area of Yellowstone for 5 nights.
• Third week in September - a three night stay at Ice Lake in Yellowstone. This will be my last trip with my friend Danny, who at 73 will be calling it quits after this trip. We've been doing September or October trips for decades now, but his body is at the point where he just can't pull these trips off anymore. I may open this trip up to BCP members once I get a count on the usual suspects who go on this trip. Probably do a day hike to Little Gibbon Falls and Wolf Lake, plus a second day hike to Cygnet Lakes and check out the old Plateau Trail to Mary Lake while I'm back in there.
• I'm also heading up to Seattle in June to see my daughter get her masters degree in June, and to visit my son in Portland. If I have any vacation time left over then potentially an October Columbus Day Weekend trip into the Teton Wilderness, weather permitting.
• Continue my local weekend hikes here in the Wasatch throughout the spring, summer and fall.

I think you have room in there...
Newfoundlands overnight?
Maybe you are interested in a Maybird Gulch overnighter in May? (it is for my birthday after all)... it is lovely in the snow- assuming we have snow still this year. Or there is always Freezefest, an annual short romp up in tame terrain behind Timpanogos in February...

 

[scatman]

I think you have room in there...
Newfoundlands overnight?
Maybe you are interested in a Maybird Gulch overnighter in May? (it is for my birthday after all)... it is lovely in the snow- assuming we have snow still this year. Or there is always Freezefest, an annual short romp up in tame terrain behind Timpanogos in February...

I just incorporated the Newfoundlands and Maybird into the Wasatch hiking weekends.

 

[RyanP]

• General:
  • ski a dozen days or so
  • backpack a dozen days or so
  • mountain bike a dozen days or so (broken up into many shorter rides)
  • Do some kind of camping trip with my whole family (either backpacking in CO/WY or car-camping in UT)
• Skills:
  • Learn what items I should be bringing for gear repair (for backpacking trips); learn how to use them; bring them
  • Learn how to use some of the fancy features in caltopo that I don't know how to use
  • Do two of the following:
    • spend time actually practicing mountain bike skills (instead of only going on rides for fun); maybe take a lesson
    • go on a snow climb requiring axe/crampons (this one likely won't happen this year)
    • go rappelling for the first time
• Gear maintenance:
  • Wash our down sleeping bags (for the first time ever!)
  • Get pack repaired (has a tear in fabric)
  • Learn how to do some kind of needed maintenance on my bike, and do it
  • Learn how to do whatever maintenance is needed for my skis (just bought my first pair!)
  • Organize basement full of gear/junk; get rid of the junk while keeping the gear
• Other:
  • Don't gain weight
  • Don't fall off bike (this is the hardest of all my goals---I'm going to do it for real this year though!)
  • Don't injure myself skiing

 

[Bob]

I just incorporated the Newfoundlands and Maybird into the Wasatch hiking weekends.

If I know you had more time... I'd talk you into another 5 nighter.

 

[TheMountainRabbit]

• Skills:
  • go on a snow climb requiring axe/crampons (this one likely won't happen this year)

I think we can make this happen this year - let's find a good weekend in the spring.

 

[Jorey]

• General:
  • ski a dozen days or so
  • backpack a dozen days or so
  • mountain bike a dozen days or so (broken up into many shorter rides)
  • Do some kind of camping trip with my whole family (either backpacking in CO/WY or car-camping in UT)
• Skills:
  • Learn what items I should be bringing for gear repair (for backpacking trips); learn how to use them; bring them
  • Learn how to use some of the fancy features in caltopo that I don't know how to use
  • Do two of the following:
    • spend time actually practicing mountain bike skills (instead of only going on rides for fun); maybe take a lesson
    • go on a snow climb requiring axe/crampons (this one likely won't happen this year)
    • go rappelling for the first time
• Gear maintenance:
  • Wash our down sleeping bags (for the first time ever!)
  • Get pack repaired (has a tear in fabric)
  • Learn how to do some kind of needed maintenance on my bike, and do it
  • Learn how to do whatever maintenance is needed for my skis (just bought my first pair!)
  • Organize basement full of gear/junk; get rid of the junk while keeping the gear
• Other:
  • Don't gain weight
  • Don't fall off bike (this is the hardest of all my goals---I'm going to do it for real this year though!)
  • Don't injure myself skiing

I also picked skiing back up!

 

[LarryBoy]

Hey folks, it's December! How did everyone do!?

 

[wick e. pedia]

Hey folks, it's December! How did everyone do!?

I did manage to check off the Gem Canyon route through the Grand Canyon back in March (Trip Report). I also pulled off the Crescent Lake/High Lake/Sportsman Lake trip into Yellowstone in August (whose trip report I keep meaning to finish and post here).

I have also been kicking around a 5/6 day trip in the SW corner of Colorado's Holy Cross Wilderness that would feature Strawberry Lakes and eventually further north to the Big Pine Lake basin. There's a lot of off-trail finagling that would require pretty perfect conditions to make it happen, but I've spent enough time in the peripheral area to really, really want to get into it more.

This I did not get a chance to do...at least not yet. I did get a chance to day-hike up the Eagle Lake Trail to near Fairview Lake to scout part of the route, though, and filed that away for what I hope will be my go-to trip in 2026.

Not bad!

 

[Bob]

I managed to drag Scatman and some crew around the country..........

 

[RyanP]

• General:
  • ski a dozen days or so --SUCCESS (I think I'm technically one day short but I will do that for sure by year end)
  • backpack a dozen days or so --SUCCESS. Didn't do a ton of backpacking, but the trips I did were a few of my all-time favorites.
  • mountain bike a dozen days or so (broken up into many shorter rides) --SUCCESS. This Spring and Fall were the best ever for mountain biking!
  • Do some kind of camping trip with my whole family (either backpacking in CO/WY or car-camping in UT) --FAIL. We got rained out for the 2nd year in a row. Next year will happen for sure.
• Skills:
  • Learn what items I should be bringing for gear repair (for backpacking trips); learn how to use them; bring them. --I bought a few items and brought them on my trips, but I should really practice using them on old shoes/packs/etc.
  • Learn how to use some of the fancy features in caltopo that I don't know how to use --SUCCESS. Caltopo is even more awesome now!
  • Do two of the following: --FAIL
    • spend time actually practicing mountain bike skills (instead of only going on rides for fun); maybe take a lesson
    • go on a snow climb requiring axe/crampons (this one likely won't happen this year)
    • go rappelling for the first time
• Gear maintenance:
  • Wash our down sleeping bags (for the first time ever!) --SUCCESS. A time-consuming process that I'm not anxious to repeat.
  • Get pack repaired (has a tear in fabric) --SUCCESS
  • Learn how to do some kind of needed maintenance on my bike, and do it --SUCCESS
  • Learn how to do whatever maintenance is needed for my skis (just bought my first pair!) --FAIL (but I still have a few weeks...)
  • Organize basement full of gear/junk; get rid of the junk while keeping the gear --SUCCESS. But it's already lost some of its organization...
• Other:
  • Don't gain weight --MAYBE? Forgot to weigh myself to start the year. I probably gained a couple of pounds though.
  • Don't fall off bike (this is the hardest of all my goals---I'm going to do it for real this year though!) --SUCCESS! (for once)
  • Don't injure myself skiing --SUCCESS (so far)

 

[b.stark]

Hopefully at least one bikepacking trip and one backpacking trip. We'll see what comes together. Hoping to get more miles of cycling in, the past couple years have not been good for time for cycling.

I wasn't successful with the bikepacking, but did do two overnight backpacking trips and one 6 night backpacking trip. My overall cycling miles were pretty low unfortunately, but I did do a notable amount of mountain biking.

 

[kwc]

I was successful in living vicariously through everyone’s trip reports and photos here on backcountrypost.

We did manage in travel cross country to Olympic National Park in July. Visited some really cool places on the way out and back.

 

[zionsky]

I didn't specifically plan these for 2025 as they have been on my "to do" list for sometime but I managed to successfully summit my top 4 backcountry peaks in ZNP (Mountain of the Sun, G2, Kinesava, and South Guardian)

 

[TheMountainRabbit]

I've been waiting to write my list until I had more concrete plans, but I'll just wing it. We'll call it an aspirational list.

Multi-Day Trips

• Beartooth Traverse (6 days) - this one got 'weathered out' in 2024, so it's a top priority in 2025. I'd have loved to do it in September as planned, but probably gonna do August to get a more reliable weather window. Hopefully climb up Granite and do some other peakbagging in the process.
• Absarokas (7 days) - I think this may (finally) be the year for a visit to the high peaks of the eastern Yellowstone border - probably 'the Trident', too. Might even sneak in a visit to Hidden Creek and see about this impassable waterfall I've heard tell of...
• Bob Marshall - a few different variations 'cooking'. Might join in on the BMWO this year, as I've wanted to for some time. Or I might just miss it and do a similarly 'flavored' route of my own shortly thereafter. If both of those are misses, I'll almost certainly go up in September.
• Brooks Range (6-8 days) - I was lucky to get up here in 2024, but the trip - despite being a wonderful adventure - went very much not to plan. If I'm very lucky, we might give it another shot in 2025. Late June, if it happens.
• Pecos Wilderness - TBD, but I want to get back down here in 2025 after @Nethos put it on my radar in 2024. Mid-June or October most likely.
• Sierra High Route - I have an open invite to do a few sections of this one again with a friend, but not sure it'll work out. Would love to see the Sierra again though.

Weekend Trips

• Headed up to the southern GYE in a few weeks for some x-c skiing and maybe some winter camping. Hopefully some more of that nearby, too - winter is a lot busier work-wise for me than summer/fall, so we'll see.
• Skiing - both the x-c and downhill varieties. My oldest son has fully caught the 'bug' for downhill skiing - we've been having a blast already this year and hope to keep that rolling.
• Climb the Grand Teton and Mount Moran - just gonna keep this on the list until it actually happens... I can't keep staring at these things without ever standing on top - it's a problem.

Multi-Day Trips

• Beartooth Traverse - still didn't quite go as originally planned, but had a wonderful time w/ @RyanP so I'm gonna call this a success. (Trip Report) Really want to get back out there for some peakbagging soon. (Pretty cool to meet up with @shredhiker to go up Wolverine Peak in Yellowstone right beforehand, too!)
• Absarokas - Still enough out there for a lifetime of trips, but an unequivocal success (Trip Report) - unless you ask my hiking partner's Achilles tendon...
• Bob Marshall - Nope. Ended up going up Slough Creek in September instead (Trip Report) - great trip, but 'the Bob' is still calling. Have a really gnarly route in the works for June 2026... still looking for a companion OK w/ some bushwhacking and sizable elevation gain, if anyone is interested in subjecting themselves.
• Brooks Range - Great trip! A few Alaska-typical curve balls, but a wonderful time. Still need to get around to a trip report...
• Pecos Wilderness - Took the kids and some flatland buddies out here in June for a short, but fantastic trip. (Trip Report)
• Sierra High Route - Didn't make it this year, but it was either this one or Alaska.

Weekend Trips

• Headed up to the southern GYE in a few weeks for some x-c skiing and maybe some winter camping. Hopefully some more of that nearby, too - winter is a lot busier work-wise for me than summer/fall, so we'll see. Did a couple overnight winter trips, but hoping to do more this year.
• Skiing - both the x-c and downhill varieties. My oldest son has fully caught the 'bug' for downhill skiing - we've been having a blast already this year and hope to keep that rolling. Great year for downhill with my 10 y/o - really hope I can get more x-c in this coming winter though. (Come on snow...)
• Climb the Grand Teton and Mount Moran - just gonna keep this on the list until it actually happens... I can't keep staring at these things without ever standing on top - it's a problem. Nope. This one'll still be on the list for 2026.
• Did a ton of great frontcountry camping and day hiking with the family in 2025! My kids are really growing into amazing campers/hikers - I try not to push them too hard to enjoy the same things I do, but it's been really fun and so far so good. (Bonus Trip Report)