A Year of Living Adventurously
With the New Year in, it's time to start planning your year's adventure to-do list
By Alistair Wearmouth
Attention All Kinetic Overachievers
Some people just aren't happy unless they're busy ticking off things on some impossibly long list. We pick three long-view pursuits that'll surely keep you running until at least New Year's 2005:
Hiking the Triple Crown: Get the three U.S. long-distance trails under your belt—the 2,174-mile Appalachian Trail, the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail, and the 3,100-mile Continental Divide Trail. You may not be able to traverse all three within 365 days, but even after a two-year investment, that's definitely a crown worth wearing. See GORP's National Scenic Trails Guide for articles, resources, reviews, and more.
Hit the 50 High Points: Some you'll struggle up, others you could drive up. But scale the 50 highest points in each of the 50 U.S. states and you can say you've stood at the roof of all of America. Visit the "High Points" feature at Backpacker.com for full details of the peaks to hit, from Alabama to Wyoming.
Summit the Munros: Scotland boasts 284 peaks over 3,000 feet, collectively called the "Munros." Join the elite Munro-bagging club for a lifetime of atmospheric views over brooding moors and enough Water of Life (aka scotch) to keep you coming back for more. Visit www.munromagic.com for a full catalogue of all of Scotland's little big hills.
Here at GORP, we've collectively logged tens of thousands of trail miles, six- to seven-digit vertical, and months—hell, years—under the canvas to bring you all that is good about the outdoors. But no matter how long and how hard you roam, there's never really an end to this kind of journey.
Besides, a log of your completed mileage, conquered summits, and rivers run—while all handy barometers—isn't the point. In fact, you'd be missing the significance behind those stats if that's all you took away from your time on the trail.
So, to celebrate all that is wonderful about the world outdoors, we've consulted our experts to find out what and where is hot and have compiled our 12-month adventure to-do list. Maybe you're a trust-fund silver spooner who can't keep still (or stop spending) whatever the season. Or maybe you're after just one low-budget blockbuster outing to nail your year-end resolution to play a little harder.
Whatever. We just hope the next 12 months will be as fulfilling as the last.
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