Mom in the Mtns

It’s the middle of December, and I can’t believe it’s already time to take a look back at my year!  2017 might have been a pretty crappy year for a lot of people.  But when I scrolled through my blog posts over the past year, I realized that 2017 was a pretty big year for me.  One thing you need to know about me is that there’s nothing I love better than crossing an accomplishment off a list.  So back in January I wrote down a bucket list for 2017.  I actually took a look at this list a few times this year when I was looking for inspiration for an adventure, and I’m really excited to share what I was able to accomplish this year!

• Backpack or hike the entire Crow Pass trail:  I did not do the whole trail, but I did do the first 4 miles up to Raven Glacier at the top of Crow Pass from Girdwood.  I guess I’d consider this a partial check!

• Kayak Eklutna Lake:  I talked about doing this constantly but then I ended up hiking or biking around the lake instead.  This will still be on my bucket list for 2018!
• Do a full Tour Du Anchorage (following bike trails from my house to the downtown area, along the coast, and up through Kincaid Park):  I checked this off my list in the fall!  It was exhausting but it felt amazing when I finally completed it.

• Ice skate on a frozen lake:  I have decided that I might need to take this off my list because of my intense fear of falling and breaking something.  I know a few people who broke bones ice skating this year and I’m not into that.
• Backpack to Caines Head during low tide:  Check!  This was an amazing backpacking trip that ended with some quiet camping on the beach with gorgeous views.  I want to do this every year!

• Participate in a triathlon (either the whole thing or as a relay):  Check!  I got a PR in the Gold Nugget Triathlon this spring even though it was raining and freezing.

• Hike up to Portage Glacier (either over the frozen lake or on the trail in the summer):  Check!  I actually did both of these options – I hiked across the frozen lake in the winter, and then did the Portage Pass Trail down to Portage Lake in the fall.  These both made my list of favorite hikes of all time!

But my list of 2017 accomplishments didn’t stop there.  I went on my first bikepacking trip, hiked my first backpacking trip in the winter, did my first solo camping trip, learned how to mountain bike and fat bike, participated in 2 bike races (road bike and mountain bike), celebrated my 30th birthday in Yosemite, drove my jeep into Denali during the Denali Road Lottery, started rock climbing, summited my first mountain in the snow, and completed the 52 Hike Challenge.

I am honestly really happy with how 2017 went for me.  I made good use of my word of the year, courage, and tried lots of new things that scared me.  I needed a lot of courage to do most of the things listed in this post.  I think the scariest thing I did was learn to mountain bike.  I still don’t know if singletrack is my thing, but I’m willing to keep on trying.  However, I was surprised to find that I didn’t need as much courage as I thought I would to camp by myself.  I actually enjoyed the peace and quiet and the fact that I didn’t have to talk to anyone for 24 hours.

I’m still working on my bucket list for 2018, but I’m really excited to see what next year brings!

What are some of your top accomplishments in 2017?  If you could pick one word to sum up your year, what would it be?