Album Your favorites from 2016

[Nick]

This crazy year isn't over yet, but for most of us the majority of our camping and exploring is in the books. Just like 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012's best of and best trips threads, this thread is for your personal favorites of the year. Not necessarily your best shots, or your most frame-worthy, but the photos and experiences you like the most for whatever reason. Maybe it was an epic trip you'd planned for a long time, or maybe you just really liked it. Be sure to tell us a bit about the photos and include links to trip reports if you posted one!

Here's a few of my favorites of the year to get things going...

My year started off just like it ought to: camping. This was the sunset on the first day of 2016 from near our campsite out on Alstrom Point. With the New Year falling over a weekend this year, it's going to be hard to keep me from heading out again this year. (Trip report here)

I spent a good chunk of my spring camping and doing work hikes. I didn't have company for a lot of it which was good in the sense that the boredom inspired me to get the camera out at night once or twice. (Trip report here)

This scene from our packrafting trip in Cataract Canyon will be something I'll never forget. This moment was so exhilarating - racing down Dark Canyon and then hopping on the mighty Colorado in the late evening light in our tiny rafts, totally unsure of what we would find downstream. Yeehaw! (Trip report here)

Spring ended on a wet note which made me have to cancel work hike weekends for the whole month of May so I had to go into overdrive to catch up in June. Once again, work led me to hikes that I've avoided due to their popularity, and once again I kicked myself for not going sooner. (Trip report here)

We spent a LOT of nights out on the boat this year. It's our third year trying to dial in how to explore Glen Canyon out of a boat, and we got a lot better at it. After last year's epic floods, I am happy to say that I didn't sleep in a tent one night out of 20+ nights in Glen Canyon this year (although we did set one up just in case on some trips). (One of many trip reports here)

To further complicate life, I added a whitewater raft to my fleet. I named her Fiftymile and we took her on her maiden voyage down the Colorado River in July. (Trip report here)

We went on our last Glen Canyon trip of the year (as of today) in September. One of the best things about this year for me was figuring out better ways of exploring canyons by foot. And even better that that, is sharing it all with people through my Glen Canyon Rising page where tens of thousands of people have seen the posts and hopefully have thought more about restoring Glen Canyon than they would have otherwise. (Trip report here)

This fall I started work on more work trails, but this time primarily mountain bike routes. That isn't really my favorite thing, but it's been fun and some of the trips have been amazing. Ever since I first hiked up to the Maze Overlook in 2012, I've been wanting to go back and see it with the late evening sun on the Chocolate Drops. And this October I did! (Trip report here)

More from me later...

 

[Yvonne]

you had a lot of awesome trips this year!!!

 

[pstm13]

The Wind Cave looking out to Darby Canyon just outside GTNP. The lone hiker at the bottom adds a little perspective to the cave opening.

These two are my favorite reason why I have NOT made it into the backcountry much in 2016. Anyone who says, hay, take your little kid camping never did it with twins. They are both future members of BCP. I will make sure of that. Please forgive the shameless proud parent post.

 

[Udink]

From a solo trip in February to GCNRA:

Buttes and Henry Mountains by Dennis Udink, on Flickr


A hike from the Maze Overlook to the Harvest Scene:

Maze Overlook Route by Dennis Udink, on Flickr


And my favorite trip of the year, my first-ever Colorado 14ers:

Mount Sneffels summit by Dennis Udink, on Flickr

 

[scatman]

Mine had to be having a grizzly bear hang out next to our campsite 3T2 on Mist Creek in Yellowstone National Park for two days. We got to see him roam in what I would describe as a circular fashion throughout the meadow, grazing and digging along his way.

Literally standing by our tents when I took this shot.

 

[Jackson]

I love these threads. Here are a few that come to mind right now.

Winter backpacking at Spring Canyon in January. Such short days, but it was so nice to have so much solitude.

First time up at Red Castle. Great trip, but so many thunderstorms and downpours.


And a great loop in the Wind Rivers. With one of the best sunsets I've ever seen. It probably helped that it was preceded by rain, hail, and snow.



And that isn't me with the yellow pack. My friend is often ahead of me.

I'll probably come across more, but these will do for now.

 

[Perry]

I love these threads. Here are a few that come to mind right now.

Winter backpacking at Spring Canyon in January. Such short days, but it was so nice to have so much solitude.
View attachment 50753

First time up at Red Castle. Great trip, but so many thunderstorms and downpours.


And a great loop in the Wind Rivers. With one of the best sunsets I've ever seen. It probably helped that it was preceded by rain, hail, and snow.



And that isn't me with the yellow pack. My friend is often ahead of me.

I'll probably come across more, but these will do for now.

That sunset! Wow!

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

[Ross]

That Forbidding Canyon video is so cool - just the sound of the paddling and the view from behind the paddler.

 

[Absarokanaut]

Wow, awesome stuff folks, thanks for sharing.

 

[cteckholm]

Manistee River Trail. Ultralight hammock backpacking for one night, two days. Had the pleasure of waking up and hiking 15 miles in a full day of hail


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[AustinCronnelly]

These two are my favorite reason why I have NOT made it into the backcountry much in 2016. Anyone who says, hay, take your little kid camping never did it with twins. They are both future members of BCP. I will make sure of that. Please forgive the shameless proud parent post.

I'm right there with you. I managed to get our twins out on a very pedestrian car camping trip this year and we all felt this way at the end of the weekend.

 

[Mike K]

All great stuff from you guys. It's crazy to think another year has come and gone (almost). It was fun to do a quick scan of my photos and reminisce a bit. This was a slower than usual year for me due to having our first child. I hope we still get out a lot going forward! =)

Cool reflection on first hike of the year on New Year's Day:

Beautiful Zion in January:

More Zion:

Steep slope near the top of Table Mountain in March:

Beautiful wife and beautiful Oregon Coast:

Old car in southern Utah:

Cloudy Yosemite:

Green Hobble Creek area (usually so dry and ugly around here). =)

1st time on Fairyland Loop:

Accidental View:

Favorite local trail in late fall:

And last but not least, the beautiful addition to our family on her first camping trip. She put up with 29* lows at night. Brr!

 

[danger02ward]

2016 was an awesome year. Here are some highlights from my year in pictures.
I got to take my wife to Arches for her first time to see the ever popular but beautiful delicate arch. I got to explore Devils garden for the first time with my sons. This is the beautiful double o arch.

Had an awesome trip to the Uintas with my brother and son. Took my brother for his first visit to the beautiful Ruth Lake where on the way back we caught this beautiful reflection of Hayden Peak in an unnamed pond below Ruth lake.

My wife and I went to Grand Teton National Park and saw the beautiful Jenny Lake for the first time. Exploring cascade canyon was awesome. I now have the Teton Crest Trail on my to do list. I loved staring at the beautiful Tetons and couldn't get enough of those beautiful mountains. This view was taken from lower schwabacher landing where we enjoyed the views and watched beavers working on their dam.

My favorite trip of the year was my first backpacking trip to the wind rivers. I got to explore Titcomb Basin, climb Fremont Peak, and camp at the beautiful Island Lake. The view from Fremont peak looking down into Titcomb basin was simply spectacular. Here you can see summer ice lake, upper Titcomb lake, and mistake lake.

Another awesome backpacking trip this year was in the Uintas where I got to visit the beautiful dead horse lake for the first time. Here is my favorite picture from that trip. This is the view of dead horse lake from dead horse pass.

Last year I found out that my 72 year old father had a trip to the bottom of the Grand Canyon on his bucket list. I was more than happy to learn the permit system and make this trip happen for him. It was awesome experiencing the Grand Canyon below the rim with my father. We hiked down south kaibab, camped overnight at bright angel,and hiked up the bright angel trailhead. I will always treasure this trip with my dad. Here is a view of the mighty Colorado before heading up the bright angel trail.

Now it's time for snowshoeing and planning next years adventures.

 

[Artemus]

Mt. Hood from an ill-fated attempt to circumnavigate it by bicycle.

City of Rocks from a climbing trip

 

[Yvonne]

Mount Hood!!! Next summer I'll be staying on its top

 

[Artemus]

Mount Hood!!! Next summer I'll be staying on its top

You know there is no hut on top, right?

 

[Yvonne]

You know there is no hut on top, right?

that's why I will stay overnight at the lunch counter half way up and then finish the climb first thing the next day.
Just standing on top of Adams.

Hood will be next after that and than Mt.St. Helens

 

[Yvonne]

I had a busy year with school and work, so I did not get out as much as I wanted. But I managed to spent a good amount of my summer break in Hawai'i. Other than that I explored more of the local trails nearby and camped many times in the Gold Butte area in Nevada
Here are some of my favorites:

Super Bloom in Death Valley

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, AZ

Delano Peak in the Tushar Mtns

numerous early morning paddle trips at Sand Hollow

Lava awesomeness!!!

more lava awesomeness

even more lava awesomeness

Hawaiian Hot Ponds are awesome

Milky Way and Halema'uma'u crater

camping in Valley of the Gods

 

[Vegan.Hiker]

@Jackson this photo is amazing!

 

[Vegan.Hiker]

@Miss Buffalo... that Milky Way shot is unbelievable. What's the source of that light inside the crater?