DMOutdoors 2012 Progress Update

Well, two months of 2012 have come and gone just like that, and just as we're waiting for winter to start, I'm already thinking of and looking forward to the summer and some planned adventures for making my 2012 plans a success. This post is an early follow-up to my post titled What's Next For DMOutdoors in 2012?

Since January 1st, I've climbed 18 New Hampshire 4000-footers (winter), 15 of them in February. All of those 18 peaks, have been a 48x12 grid hike, and I have increased my completion percentage to just over 18%. Included in those numbers is a solo winter Presidential Traverse. Within a month or two, I should complete my second round of the NH 48, which will certainly be exciting. You can check out all of my individual peak lists on my "Peak List" page.

Once that is completed, I will shift focus to the New England 4000 footers list. I am estimating that it may take a minimum of 10 hikes this summer to complete Maine and VT. That's a lot of driving and possibly car camping, but I expect that I will take certain available weekends, and simply hike until the weekend is over. I have never hiked in VT, so that will be fun. One thing I am most definitely looking forward to is hiking Katahdin, including Knife's Edge. To bag all of the Katahdin peaks in a weekend, an overnight or two in Baxter will be in order.

For Mt. Whitney, (and I'm not getting my hopes up), the lottery results will be posted online March 26th, which is about a month away. If I am accepted, the rest of my planning goes into full swing, and I am considering sharing everything related to this trip, such as my planning, pack list creation, and general thoughts and discussion with readers that may be helpful to me.

Plans are already in the works for another camping and kayak trip to Deboullie Pond, Maine this summer. This place is one of the most beautiful and remote places I have ever been. Because of so much hiking last year, we didn't get back up there for a 2011 trip. There is nothing quite like kayaking across a glacial lake over 100 feet deep and then camping for 4 nights more than 40 miles away from the nearest paved road, and possibly even more to the nearest hospital.

Twilight on Gardner Pond, ME - 2009

This photo is currently the background on my desktop computer in my office. Its a National Geographic photo of Mt. Whitney in the month of June. If you want to accomplish something, remind yourself every day.

That is it for now! Good luck to anyone else working on 2012 goals, and I would love to hear if any of you have outdoor goals for this year.

-Dan