Life List

Here they are in countdown format...

10. Climb Idaho's tallest peak, Mt. Borah. Standing only 12,668 ft tall with a prominence of 5,982 ft, this mountain can be conquered in one day. Most camp at the trail head and wake early to summit before the heat hits hard.

9. The Teton Range offers many back country hikes. The next one I want to give a try is the Teton Crest Trail. Sept. 2009 I spent two days on the Paintbrush/Cascade Loop trail, and I am ready for more. The Teton Crest Trail travel most south to north along the Teton Range.

8. Summit Mt. Olympus. As a teenager I was planning a Boy Scout trip to hike and summit this mountain. During months of training I got more and more excited about standing on top of a mountain. Most of the troop, however, wasn't in good enough shape to make the trip and it was canceled. Mt. Olympus and I have some unfinished business.

7. One of my favorite places to visit is Yellowstone National Park. I think it would be an awesome experience to backpack in the back country there. I can only imagine the rush of coming across wild life without the protection of your car. With miles and miles of trails in the back country there's a hike for everyone.

6. I have always wanted to visit "The Last Frontier", Alaska. What better way then by sea kayak? Paddling around with whales and seals next to a glacier seams like it would be good times.

5. You'll find a couple of the locations on my list are from Washington. Those that know me, know I grew up there. Next on the list is the Wonderland Trail. This 93 mile trail loops around Mount Rainier with multiple legs for gear drop off and back country splendor. Great views of the mountain at all angles, alpine lakes, and old growth forest make this a unique trail.

4. Zion National Park has hundreds of miles of back country trails. You will find one or two of these routes on almost every avid hiker's life list. There are a couple of trips I would love to make in Zion's. I have driven through this great park and wasn't too impressed as a teenager stuck in a car with his family, but most of the splendor is in the back country so its made the list.

3. The Grand Canyon is another spot that I have visited in a car and like Zion's the best parts of this national park are found by foot. There are trails that you can find on both sides of the canyon, some that follow the canyon ridge and some that explore the canyon floor. Some of the best locations are found in offshoot canyons, hidden away from the bus loads of tourists.

2. I doubt I will ever have the time or money to walk across the United States, but if I do I'm going to do it on the Pacific Crest Trail. From the Mexican border to Manning Park, British Columbia (just past the U.S. Canadian border), this trail covers over 2,500 miles. This is a serious hike, not only because of how long it takes but how technical it can be. The trail crosses nearly 60 major mountain passes. In fact, fewer people have completed the PCT as a through hike than have successfully climbed Mount Everest. Check out these and other fun facts about the PCT.

1. Drum role please...My ultimate trip is to summit Mt. Rainier. There have been thousands of people that have made this climb, probably hundreds each year. I just love this mountain. I would say I have put about 100 miles of trail behind be on this mountain, so why not try and climb it. Technical enough for it to be dangerous and high enough to feel like you really had to train to complete the climb, this hill is always rewarding. I can't wait for the day to stand at the top.