So, we're a few days into 2016 and with the champagne drank and some sore heads, no doubt, nursed back to health again, it's that time of year where things tend to get that bit quieter.
January is always a good time to take a step back and reflect, both on the year previous and what you might want to do or achieve in the year ahead. I did a post recently on making a hiking bucket list and so now is a good time to get that out and have a review of it. If you haven't made one, it's a great time to take a half hour and do it.
Looking down your list, you can see what grabs you and what trips might be doable in the year ahead given any resource and time limitations that you may need to adhere to. I was thinking about this myself the last few days and on a hike on Saturday, lot's of hiking friends were starting to do the same. Thinking about what trips to plan, what challenges to take on and that kind of thing. Lot's of great stuff was coming up, Kilimanjaro and Mt Toubkal to name just two.
It's definitely a great time to do it, it is just that bit quieter in January and I find I usually have more spare moments available before the frenetic pace of the year kicks in.
Myself, I have a trip to California planned in March / April. I haven't confirmed exactly what hikes I want to take on from my list but I have a wide range to choose from as there are quite a few in that part of the world that I'd like to take on. I won't get to them all on one trip, that's for sure.
Mt Whitney looks appealing but I'll need to do a bit more research on that first, check the weather at that height at that time of the year and that type of thing. Failing that, I'd still love to get one or two of the big parks in. The Half Dome in Yosemite would also be high on my list, but so is the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon … to name just a few lol 🙂 You see what I mean, once you get started, there are any number of amazing hikes to consider!
Conclusion
It's just a short post today, it's the first week in January so I'm being lazy, still feeling the pressure from all that Turkey and Christmas Cake lol 🙂 I'm only kidding about that of course but I do feel lazy, it always takes me a while to kick back into the normal rhythm in the New Year after Christmas!
So, in summary, January is an ideal time to have a think about the year ahead and what you may want to do in it, both in general and in terms of planning hiking trips and / or challenges. You don't need to get the exact details 100% confirmed but a rough map across the year, a few inquiries into feasibility, checking on interest from friends, etc. All that sort of thing will help get a reasonable idea as to what items you may be able to tick off your hiking bucket list, and if you don't have one, it's a great time to create one.
I'll conclude by wishing you a Happy New Year as well as safe and happy hiking in 2016!
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