2024 Goals

[Rampaging Baloths]

Goals: Pass my PhD qualifying exams and continue having fun hiking whatever is appealing.

Results: Success on both fronts. I am now currently on hiking fun 13ers I see in the Mosquito and Front range.

[climbingcue]

Only 1 Bicentennial left, Wheeler planning on a snowboard descent in spring of 2024 May 27th 2024
Continue my streak of at least one 13er or 14er per month 80 months as of November 2024
Get as many snowboarding days in as possible on my Keystone and IKON passes 61 resort days and 7 backcountry days 1,275,000 vertical feet dropped
Splitboard some more 14ers and 13ers 7 13ers on the snowboard, Peak 8, Willoughby, Bushnell, Buckskin, Guyot, Wheeler, and Kelso
More 14er snowflakes Not so good on this one, two repeats of Massive and then Castle and Conundrum
Lizard Head September 14, 2024
Get to 180 14er summits 179 as of July 2024
Get to 300 ranked 13er summits Colorado 327 as of end of year 2024
Palisade Traverse in California The one we did was the Thunderbolt to Sill traverse August 9 &10, 2024
Lost River Peak ID, my last ID 12er, going to snowboard it in April 24 April 13, 2024
Grand Teton July 21, 2024
Climb more of the State highpoints I still need see below
Mt Rainier June 24, 2024
Boundary Peak NV August 18, 2024
Wyoming 13ers at least Gannett
Kings Peak UT July 22, 2024
Mauna Kea HI November 6, 2024
Mount Hood OR
Break 200k vertical feet climbed again 300k as of end of year 2024
Finish the last grand traverses in Colorado, I need Little Bear, Blanca July 7, 2024
Attend the Spring, Fall and Winter Welcomers
Go with partners on their 14er finishers

As been an amazing year for getting peaks climbed.

[greenonion]

2024 goals: put 2024 in rear view mirror and look forward to a better 2025. Ugh… but looking forward!

Even “failures” can be accomplishments, so let’s keep trying and building on those.

Great to see so many others accomplishing so many things!

[Scott P]

I am not happy with my "accomplishments" this year. It is true that I got out on all days but two so far this year and that missing the two days was due to the airlines, but it has been an extremely disappointing year when it comes to anything technical. I am way behind on all technical goals and won't catch up. My son has been down for the year due to destroying his knee skiing in January so I lost my main claiming partner in recent years. He's bummed about it too. Another reason for failing at my technical goals is that I worked far from home all year and in places I don't have any friends or acquaintances to do climbs with. I wasn't very successful in finding new partners.

Anyway, I could really use some partners for doing some technical things if anyone is interested.

On the plus side, I did do some climbs/hikes that have been on my list for a long time. I climbed the Grand Teton and South Caineville Mesa, which have been on the list for years. I also got to do West Canyon which has also been on the list for years. I also got to climb four peaks in the Alps with my daughter, including of the 4000ers (meters that is), even though it was a pretty easy one (Castor). My daughter and I also did the Tour du Mont Blanc which has been on her list for many years.

Other than that, most of my peaks were repeat and after work hikes/climbs. I worked several weekends too. So far this year I have worked 2533 hours. Ugh.

Generic Goals for 2024

As of November 20:

Total Hiking, Climbing, and Canyoneering Days = 350-Currently at 323 and am ahead of schedule. I still wish I didn't miss those two days. @#$% airlines.
Total Days Hiking, Climbing, Canyoneering, and Biking Days = 360-Currently at 323 and I am ahead of schedule.
Summits Climbed = 150-Currently at 190 so the goal has been met.
New Summits Climbed = 60-Currently at 54. I am pretty much on schedule.
States to Climb Summits in = 6-Currently at 7 (Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Wyoming, Texas, and Oklahoma) so this goal has been met.
Countries to Climb Summits in = 1. Currently at 4. An odd goal perhaps, but my goal this year was actually to stay in this county and only visit this one. I blew that one as I went to the Alps and climbed peaks in three countries there. It was with my daughter though, so that's my excuse.
Rock Towers/Technical Buttes = 10-Currently at 0. I am way behind schedule. Does anyone out there want to do some? Please?
Technical Rock or Ice Routes = 30-Currently at 8. I am way behind schedule. Does anyone out there want to do some? Please?
Gym Climbing Days = 30-Currently at 3. Since I'm working out of town this year I won't make this one or come close.
Technical Canyons = 30-Currently at 12. I am way behind schedule and won't make this one.
Biking Days = 30-Currently at 6. I'm not in a big hurry for this one, but I do need to get on my bike more.
Lose Weight in lbs. = 20 (currently at 262)-Lost 3 lbs. Hopefully I keep it off. I'm not going to make my goal. Ugh.

Link to 2024 Wish List:

https://www.summitpost.org/2024-wish-list/1081710

Link to 2024 Trip Log with photos:

https://www.summitpost.org/2024-trip-log/1083091

Just for the heck of it, here's the 2025 Wish List:

https://www.summitpost.org/2025-wish-list/1089046

[Scott P]

Grand Teton July 21, 2024
Kings Peak UT July 22, 2024

You summited Grand Teton one day and summited Kings Peak the next day? Dang. That's impressive.

[climbingcue]

Grand Teton July 21, 2024
Kings Peak UT July 22, 2024

You summited Grand Teton one day and summited Kings Peak the next day? Dang. That's impressive.

Yes, it was a really big push that weekend we drove 1,059 miles in three days plus the hiking. We drove from Colorado to Grand Teton on a Saturday. Started hiking at 4:36 am Sunday for Grand Teton 12 hours 35 minutes total time. Then we did the 5 hour drive to Kings peak trailhead. Started the Kings hike at 4:34 am it was a long hike, our total hike time was 10 hours 51 minutes. After we finished the hike we then drove the 6 hours back home that same day.
Here are the Strava links to both days.
Grand Teton https://www.strava.com/activities/11948065146
Kings Peak https://www.strava.com/activities/11955486311

[HikesInGeologicTime]

Edited to add back the section I must’ve erased when I was editing stuff out from the quoted section, but that’s just as well, because I didn’t want it in the quoted section in spite of initially placing it there.

Close enough to the end of the year for the big reckoning, I figure. Green text = what I’m calling a success, red = f…uture opportunity. Overall, I’d say it went pretty well.

Type I fun


1. Lots of trails in RMNP I haven’t seen yet plus several I want to see again on the west side of the Park in particular
Not so much the west side, but I did get to revisit some of the east side trails, plus explore parts I hadn’t been before, and draw the conclusion that for all the pitfalls of having the “neighborhood” Park be one that’s as busy as Rocky is, I got it pretty good having that one be the one in my backyard.
2. Also spending more time in National Parks that aren’t RMNP
Not completely giving up just yet, but given where it is in the year and how booked the next few weeks are already, this will likely have to be a rollover goal for 2025.
3. Trying out segments of the CT/CDT closest to home (probably as section hikes…I sleep better in my car than on the ground)
See #2.

Skiing:

4. Resort days…got to 100 last year, but that was easy because it started snowing early at Steamboat and kept snowing somewhere or another on one of my passes. I’m not sticking to a specific number of days because it is already apparent that this year is not last (), but I do intend to take advantage of uphill access where I can (and where it’s free), and I want to continue taking advantage of days at some of the fancier resorts on my passes (Aspen, Jackson, Big Sky, Taos).
Used all my Aspen days last year! No out of state trips, though, and since I like having some money in my bank account, I’m not making them a huge priority this season.
5. More backcountry days in general…Berthoud Pass is great, and there are so many other passes that would be good training and fun skiing (or at least, funner than hiking back down).
Success! Berthoud Pass, Loveland Pass, Hidden Valley in RMNP…even managed to get at least one dedicated BC day (for me, that means no lift access possible no matter when an area gets visited) per month this year.
6. More fourteeners! I’d be open to thirteeners, too, I guess, but there are sooooo many of them. Controversial opinion ‘round these parts, I know, but fourteeners are way more interesting to me.
Bierstadt, Sherman, and I did ski Peak 8 from the summit and then Fourth of July Bowl after summiting Peak 10 on the sixth of July, both after the fourteeners had largely melted out up high, so I guess I did get a mix in after all.
7. Keep up my at-least-one-day-of-skiing-per-month goal…going strong since October 2021, and now I know about summer options outside of St. Mary’s!
Success, although St. Mary’s has remained a nice, reliable, August/September/even early October staple.

Type 2 fun

8. Front Range Bicentennials, named, ranked, and otherwise. Still need Bald, Bard, Rosalie, Sawtooth, “SE Longs,” and “West Blue Sky” (or so I assume is its new name). Most are Class 1-2, so maybe I’ll actually enjoy those??
Finished!!! And I actually did wind up enjoying a few of these, namely the Class 1-2s.
9. State high points. Kings actually sounds fun to me, and others I could theoretically ski down, so maybe some legit fun to had there as well???
Def a rollover goal…maybe. I kinda like the idea of being completely uncommitted to peakbagging lists.

Paying forward

10. Volunteer as a peak steward with CFI. I think I’d be worse than useless at trail work with all those injuries in various stages of recovery (or lack thereof), but I can tell people everything they need to know about Bierstadt, Grays/Torreys, and Quandary!
Got five days out this year!
11. Help my friends get closer to their checklist goals. This might mean playing Yente for them - hooking them up with other friends who are also looking to (re)do various peaks I would very much like to never go anywhere near again - but there are quite a few I wouldn’t mind checking out for the first or repeat time(s).
Celebrated a 73 Points finish with one friend. I don’t think any of the other proposed trips actually happened, but I’m still gonna pat myself on the back for putting friends with similar climbing goals in touch.
12. If anyone I haven’t already discussed skiing with (or even I have) wants to get some laps in on the slopes before skimo season starts, PM me!
Probably a rollover, unless anyone’s interested in some early-season laps…?

Off-mountain

13. Start filming again. I have an idea for a feature-length film, though some of it will have to wait for warmer weather. I also have a couple short ideas I could shoot in enough time to maybe submit to festivals in 2024.
Something about the best-laid plans of mice and…
14. Start writing/audio-recording some of my fourteener stories to see if there’s a wider audience for them, i.e., maybe some payoff to all the suffering i did in pursuit of that list…?
I have thus far written over 100k words and recorded/published just a hair under 100k of them for my podcast (as well as blog and TRs on here for those who are more into reading), Of Mice and Mountaineers. And the project continues - silly me thinking I’d be done processing trauma about fourteeners in only a year after I spent eighteen years accumulating the trauma! At least I only said “start” for this goal, so I can call it a success (so far, anyway).

[PJ88]

Not making a specific set of goals in 2024 because weather/life always diverts me. I still have a great time, but am disappointed I didn’t do the peaks I set out to do. I plan to make a reservation to bag Snowmass in late July, but otherwise just stay healthy and have fun getting into the mountains as much as I can.

Might as well review this now because I think with the current conditions and plans for the next month or so I am probably done bagging peaks for 2024.

Stay healthy - check
Have fun in the mountains when I could - check
Snowmass - 7/13 check

I also managed to finish off the Sawatch 14ers and finally meet some of y'all on here. I am calling 2024 a success. Now to start pondering what to do in 2025...

[Istoodupthere]

Finally quit my job and overpay for a house out west. Get at least to the 50 mark for 14ers. Ski more. Gannett Peak

Unfortunately a couple family tragedies meant my plan of quitting my job and moving west has been put on hold…Only made it to number 47 but was pleased to knock out El D, the Eolus’s, and Crestone Peak…Did ski twice in CO. Usually I’m only able to go once…I do almost everything solo but I would like to have a partner for Gannett

[Skimo95]

More money, more fun, and hopefully a new 4x4

Check mark on the truck, I’ll replace that goal with wrapping up the majority of my remaining bicentennials brownie point goal of riding another technical couloir this spring.

Switching from 2WD to a built 4wd this year was a breath of fresh air. I hit a lot of road trips down south from Denver this year, still ended up with 13 remaining. I was really feeling the burnout this year and wanted to start moderating my climbing/hiking trips a bit more. I didn’t ride anything technical but enjoyed some high peak descents. Potosi, Huron, Sunshine, Humboldt, Princeton, and finally getting Torreys.. again (emporer) was very enjoyable. Highlight was ironically Bross because it’s likely the last 14er my dog will chase me down on a splitboard. He’s getting a little older and I want to look out for his future and hips. All in all another great year playing in the mountains. Hoping to keep moving forward and meeting new people in 2025!

[Chrisfish25]

Climbed 200+ new to me 13ers this summer.
Climbed Manaslu (8163m) no o2, no sherpa support.
Climbed and set a new ascent record in Ama Dablam.
Climbed 10+ 6000m peaks in the Andes and Himalayas.
A good year that isn’t over yet. Headed back to the Andes today for more 6k mountains.

[wmanke13]

1. Finish the 14ers (43 to go)
2. Tag as many 13ers as I can while pursuing above - let's say 10.
3. Four 14er summits with the new dog
4. 4 Traverses - I'd be stoked to get just 1 of them, and Maroon Bells is highest on my list.
5. 5 snowflakes - this one I'll be starting Dec 22

1. Epic fail: 9/43 new 14ers and some repeats
2. Success: 15/10 new 13ers and some repeats
3. Success: 4/4 14ers and 5 13ers with Maverick
4. Slightly less epic fail: 1/4 traverses and got The Bells
5. Success: 5/5 snowflakes not including Quandary 12/22/23

Can’t complain, it was a great year. Lots to look forward to in 2025!