February already, and I have not been hiking this year. I still have the behind-the-knee pain, and it I can't get past that, then maybe I won't hit any of my major goals. But, one will not make goals unless one establishes them, so time to get out there and state some goals. On the plus side, my rotator cuff tear is tremendously better than last year at this time, and my sore left ankle is not nearly as sore.
My goals are going to be based on my (largely unrealized) 2015 goals:
- Hit the trails for 200 miles.
- Go backpacking at least three times.
- Join my friend Dick for his annual hike - at age 91 this year - up Mount Washington in New Hampshire. This will be scheduled in June by Dick, and I will join him if at all possible. Since I work, we will have to pick a week and hope that the notorious weather up on the Mountain will let us do it, and that there will be vacancies in the Appalachian Mountain Club huts.
- Take a week-long hiking vacation.
- Lead at least two group hikes.
- Continue to master my DeLorme Inreach Explorer. This one will be a little difficult to measure, but it has a lot of capabilities that I don't know how to use yet.
- Take hikes in at least five of Virginia's wonderful state parks.
This seems like a pretty good list to me, with some challenges. Among the backpacking trips, I would love to see if I can get into Ramsey's Draft Wilderness, McAfee Knob, and/or False Cape State Park. I also would love to hike the 70 mile Laurel Highlands trail in Pennsylvania, and actually I would love to continue my hike of the Appalachian Trail in Shenandoah National Park - which I aborted two falls ago when my friend injured his knee just two days and 28 miles in.
Always good to have some goals.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you're pain has improved but hope soon you will be able to get back to hiking like you want to.