Hello fellow Hazers. It's that time of year again. I hope you all had a great 2014. I would love to here how you all did on your 2014 Hazalutions and what you have planned for 2015.
First of all we still haven't found GPS JOE. If anyone gets out to help look for him thanks in advance. We had an awful tragedy in the loss of a super nice guy. RIP John. Grace is hanging in there but her hip and weak left side is keeping her off trail for now.
I had some great trips and mixed it up a little. I did a couple races included my second and best(probably last) half marathon with Kelly. I rode a couple thousand bike miles included a ride to Canyon Lake and one to Florence with JohnLP. I got to do the Escalante Route in the Grand Canyon with an awesome group of Hazers. I even did a couple California (sorry AZ) hikes including climbing Mount Whitney and Kersarge Pass with awesome scenery with some more awesome Hazers. I did lots of hiking with my Son which haz been a blast. I got him to do Humphrey's and will try and get him in the Canyon next year. I did get to do a couple Tucson hikes with a couple Loco locals ;) . I did not hit 1,000 miles but I'm ok with that. I hurt my knee (JohnLP) some how and have been scaled back for a few months. Thanks to all of you that have let me run,hike,bike or talk to you all year. You ALL ROCK!
For 2015 I just want my knee to GET BETTER!!!!!!! and do lots of fun stuff with plenty of Hazers including my Son! LiLD haz made it a special year and I'm not giving up on Grace .
GPS Joe and John won't be forgoten.
I wish you all a Happy New Year and hope it's your best one yet! Please be safe and "Take a Hike".
Last edited by Tortoise_Hiker on Dec 30 2014 4:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Desert peaks W, SW, and S of Phoenix during winter
Humphreys via Dutchman Glade or #151 (snow permitting)
A visit to Big Sur for Cone Peak and some other stuff on the coast
Sky island summits in spring
A brief trip to New Mexico for a couple peaks
Finish up (or get close to finishing) the Utah county highpoints
Keep heading north after the previous resolution and get to some peaks in Idaho
Santiago Peak, San Gorgonio, and San Jacinto (C2C)
Hike at least one Colorado 14er
and how about some California peaks east of, and maybe including, the Sierras
Surely I'll have to weed some of those out due to time and money, so we'll see what happens. I hope the gas prices stay low for 2015!
In general, I just want to hike more instead of slacking like I have the last two years. 500mi+ or bust.
@Patrick L
What and where in Mexico, are you considering? Also, when?
Are you interested in Newman Peak? I'm trying to get an event going in January, for that. I'll post an event for Castle Dome, when that draws nearer, either in March as it is on my wish list, or in February if I move it up.
Meaning of Auld Lang Syne and Cup O' Kindness
The Meaning of 'Auld' is "Old" and the meaning of 'Lang Syne ' is "Long Since". The lyrics "We'll take a cup o' kindness yet" refers to the tradition of raising a glass, or a cup o' kindness meaning with "good will, friendship and kind regard" and in remembrance of "noble deeds". The custom of drinking a "health" at a special gathering to the prosperity or good health of another dates back into antiquity. The old Christmas term 'Wassail' derives from Old Norse phrase 'ves heill' meaning "be healthy". So next time you sing Auld Lang Syne you'll now know its meaning.
good will, friendship and kind regard is what so many HAZers are all about!
a friend posted a picture on FB atop Mount Peeley, John was with us. So before we say goodbye to 2014, I just wanted us to remember one of our favorite HAZers, johnr1 http://hikearizona.com/dexcoder=1666437
and of course gpsjoe will always be on our mind too.
For me, sometimes it's just as much about the journey as the destination. Oh, and once in awhile, don't forget to look back at the trail you've traveled.
Whaweap HooDoo's
Angel's Landing
Bryce Canyon - Navajo Loop
Arches National Park - Primitive Loop and Delicate Arch
Goblin Valley
Little Wild Horse Canyon - my first Slot Canyon - AWESOMENESS!
South Kaibab down
Cheops failed attempt
Bright Angel up thru the rain and snow
Looks like 2015 is going to be the spring/summer/fall of the Adirondack Mtn's - there are 46 peaks - I have 2 under my belt and will try for a few more.
2016 will be more Canyon stuffs.....but I am getting ahead of myself here......
Hope y'all had a GREAT 2014 (I did - got to hike out west AND got my hearing back ) and have a GREAT 2015!! Stay healthy and hike lots!
Out of all the things I've lost I miss my mind the most.....
@Jim_H
I had Sandia Crest, Manzano Peak, and Mount Taylor in mind. Now that you mention it, I forgot about Sierra Blanca, but that's a little out of the way, and a long approach from Three Rivers. Big Hatchet Peak looks like a fun one, too.
I'd definitely like to hike Newman. I'm hoping to hit Castle Dome in the next couple weeks, as well.
Hmmm, resolutions? I resolve to work as little as possible and have as much fun outdoors as possible, and when not outside, to read some good books.
Seriously, I am still working on a non-hiking project of paddling my touring kayak the entire lower Colorado River. It is taking me quite a while, since I tend to bite off ten miles here, 45 miles there. I think it's about 400 miles from upper Lake Mead to Morales Dam below Yuma.
I want to get back to more serious hiking but have to resolve the shoe problem. (Can't find shoes to fit-have spent hundreds of dollars this year alone buying shoes that seemed to fit in the store, but don't work out on the trail. You can't imagine the frustration. They don't make shoes or boots in my size so I have to put in inserts, etc.) Meanwhile, I seem to be able to easily hike 5-7 miles without pain with at least one of those several pairs I bought this year. Or, on some trails, I could wear my Tevas. So, logically, I could still go backpacking if I just keep the daily mileage down. A friend has a Kanab Creek permit for March. I thought of that as a goal but I think I had better just forget it and stick with my river.
There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.
now for 2015:
a little less work, a little more time for the outdoors
a dozen new peaks, including rincon
more outdoor climbing (babo?)
more new ground, such as eastern superstitions, sky islands, sierra anchas
a 30 mile hike
a couple of azt sections
a couple of backpacking trips
car camping
a national park trip
a few new hiking partners
four peaks motherlode (my only regret for 2014 is missing the november motherlode hike)
another running race (not ready for lost dutchman half this year)
no specific goals in terms of mileage or elevation gain, just stay healthy, have fun and get out there!
happy new year to all
May I suggest Zion?
I'll go with, if you want a travel buddy!
Angel's Landing, The Narrows, The Subway, Emerald Pools, Pine Creek swimming hole ... maybe even a technical descent.
@cactuscat
actually i've been there and loved it - spent two days there
we hiked angels' landing, emerald pools, hidden canyon, any little trail you could access off the shuttle and walked up to the end of the narrows
same trip spent two days at bryce and two at the north rim
fun trip before i was on haz
wouldn't object to going back for a climb or a canyon or the narrows
thanks for the idea and i will keep it in mind
still got whitney on your radar?
@friendofThundergod
yes lee i will be hitting you up for a trek out there
i need to meet blanco and cup for a hike, too
@trekkin gecko
I thought maybe you had been there, but couldn't remember for sure ... I love it so much I will always keep going back.
Yeah, I would still love to do Whitney - last time I had a permit, I didn't end up going ... will have to look into it again!
I've got a lot of possibilities up in the air right now - probably won't be at the Canyon much longer, so my upcoming plans will depend partly on where I end up, but I'm sure it will be good!
• Mt. Whitney! And another couple of 14ers in Colorado if possible
• Move east on the GET from Morenci area and into New Mexico
• Do the Highline in 1 day or 2, done half of it at different times but never the whole thing, straight through
• Tackle a few more on the list for the Supes & the Catalinas I still haven't gotten to
• I keep saying a HAZolution is to make 1,000 miles in a year, but work and family always seem to make that impossible. 792 was my best year this last year, maybe I can just say I'll beat last year's record ;)
• Thinking it would be cool to figure out (particularly if anyone else is interested) trying to retrace and hike the old Butterfield route through AZ.
"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." — Henry David Thoreau
So it's been a weird end of the year for me and has allowed me to refocus on what I want to do. Still enjoy trail running and the concept of doing an ultra-marathon intrigues me. But don't see the value in coughing up $100+ for a t-shirt and race swag to enter a race. Plus I get all obsessed about trying to lose 10-15 pounds to try and run faster. If I just have fun I can balance a social life, beer drinking and what not with running and hiking.
Will shoot for a R2R2R, do some point to point stuff around town (Trail 100 & National Trail), do more peaks, maybe do C2C again. Have an invite from my old climbing partner in Idaho to go to Wyoming and climb the Grand Teton. Will have to see if I can get enough vacation days to make it worth my while.
Want to explore new places this year. Still haven't done much in the Supes other than Flatiron and same goes for the Mazzies other than Mt Ord. Believe it or not, I've never been to Payson or the Mogollon Rim.
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