Mom in the Mtns

Once again, it’s been a minute since I wrote on here! But I feel like this happens every winter. Adventures are not as common, it’s cold outside, and I spend a lot of time hibernating (AKA drinking coffee while reading a good book). But it’s officially 2022, a brand new year with the opportunity for brand new adventures! Even though 2021 was a pretty wild year, I still got to accomplish some huge things. In 2021 I:

• Did 81 hikes (70 with Elliott on my back!)
• Had the amazing ability to do 11 epic kid free hikes
• Hiked 262 miles
• Camped 25 nights
• Kayaked on glacier lakes and in a fjord
• Took our DIY camper out on a few adventures
• Visited Kenai Fjords National Park
• Learned how to SUP and ice skate
• Biked the Tour of Anchorage, a 32 mile bike loop around the city – and did it with my kid!
• Backpacked to some amazing cabins that have been on my bucket list
• Traveled by boat, plane, and train to some gorgeous spots

But in 2022 I’ve got even more adventures in mind! The more I adventure with Elliott and all of our gear, the more comfortable I am with planning bigger and better adventures. At the same time, Elliott is going to be heavier than ever and might not have the ability to walk very far on his own. So while planning out goals for 2022 I had to be aware that I want to do all the things, but this year might not be the year to get wild and do them with a kid. So here are my 2022 goals:

• Do the 1000 Hours Outside challenge. I’ve completed the 52 Hike Challenge the last 5 years in a row, and clearly I need something more challenging! But I also hate that I feel the need to do a hike every time I go outside so it will count towards my hiking numbers. So this year, I’m excited to work towards a goal that just allows me to be outside in whatever way works for me and my family. We spend so much time at playgrounds, parks, and on stroller walks, and I’m glad those hours will count towards this huge goal! Plus this will probably get me out on skis and on my bike even more than I already am.
• Do 12 hikes that I’ve never done before. This goal is exciting to me because I tend to do the same (absolutely gorgeous) hikes each year and there are so many other gorgeous places I haven’t explored yet. Last year I felt a huge push to do some of my favorite longer and harder trails that I couldn’t do while pregnant or newly postpartum, and that was awesome being able to do that. However, this year I have a whole new list of hikes to cross off my hiking bucket list! I’m saving the longer and harder ones for my kid-free hikes (which I plan on doing a lot!) and I’m excited to try out some of the more chill hikes with Elliott!
• Try one new thing each month. If you’ve been a long time reader of this blog you’ll know that I love trying new things! This year I tried SUPing with my sister while we were back in Pennsylvania and I absolutely loved every second of it, and I recently learned how to ice skate so that I could finally cross “skate on a frozen lake” off of my bucket list. This year I hope to try one new activity, piece of gear, trail, or new adventure location each month.

My other goal is to spend more time blogging! Blogging is one of my favorite things and I definitely miss it when I take a long break from it. This year I’d love to write a comprehensive list of my favorite hikes in Alaska, do more hike reviews, and write more posts about visiting Alaska. I’d love my blog to not just be a place where I write about my adventures, but also a place where I help other people learn more about getting out and enjoying Alaska – especially with kids!

Overall, I can tell that 2022 is going to be awesome! I’ve already got a trip planned to Maui, some backpacking trips booked, and some plans to visit a few national parks. I can’t wait to get started!

What are your 2022 goals? What was your biggest adventure in 2021?