A Toast to 2014

2014, you've been good to me.

This past year has been full of ups and downs, surprises, changes, new adventures, and lessons learned. Hence why it's been so good to me.

Here's a little summary of my accomplishments and adventures from 2014:

1. Broadening my vegetarian cooking and not eating meat during January. I know it doesn't seem like much to only challenge myself for one month but the goal was to make nutritious meals that were filling and plant based. I don't plan on becoming a vegetarian anytime soon but the experience only further supported my ideals of eating the meats that I truly want to eat (aside from the occasional hand dipped corn dog at the fair because you're kidding yourself if you don't want one).

2. Challenging myself in a fitness competition. For me this was going beyond running the several 5k's I run every year and doing something more. In May I finished my first Spartain race coming in 267th out of 1855 women. It was a long road, but worth every mile. We will see was 2015 brings.

3. Hiking higher and higher. Just when I thought I'd be in Missoula for another amazing summer, life took a turn and I found myself in New Mexico. For all of you who read my blog or know me, you know that I love food and hiking more than most things. My journey to the Southwest not only expanded my stomach and love for chile, but I set my personal record for summit elevation with Wheeler Peak (13,159ft) and then two weeks later exceeded it with Mount Lindsey (14,042ft). After returning to Montana, I hiked over 60 miles in just over a month as a weekend warrior which I hope to shatter this summer in Utah. Thanks to hiking, catching the 14er bug, and my favorite La Cumbre beer, I took on the life motto: get elevated.

4. Montana to Utah. Deciding to make the move from Montana to Utah was huge, but I was ready for something new. With all of the adventuring I had done all summer I realized that there are so many places that I needed to go out and explore. Salt Lake has been full of mountains, new food, people, and lifestyle. It feels fresh. Change is a good thing and putting yourself in uncomfortable situations keeps one from becoming complacent. Keep life exciting.

Some of my favorite moments from 2014:

Exploring Wilderness in New Mexico

The introduction of the gilded ski jacket

Mount Lindsey - and it's false summit

Celebrating hikes with my favorite beers

Celebrating one of my oldest friend's bachelorette party in Vegas

The thing I love most about the new year is making new goals. Goals can and should be an ongoing activity, but there's just something about reflecting on a year and thinking about what goals you attained and what is yet to come that I really enjoy. If you aren't working to better your self, life, or surroundings....what are you doing?

I don't want to go into detail about my life goals, but there's something contractual about blogging about them which will hopefully boost my accountability.

Here is a brief insight to some of my goals for 2015:

-Listen more, swear less
-Ski at least 5 Utah ski resorts
-Hike the peaks of the Wasatch front range
-Conquering a few specific yoga poses
-Visit  Zion, Bryce Canyon, and Arches National Parks (why else am I in Utah?)
-Change my own oil
-Keep hiking...too many places to name.
-Visit a new state

If all else fails, just do more of whatever makes you happy.

"Every mountain top is within reach if you just keep climbing" -Barry Finlay

Adios 2014, Hello 2015.

k.

Time Flies.

The last month has been a bit of a hiatus between driving back to Missoula, going out on a fire assignment, and traveling around catching up on all the summer hiking in Montana that I missed. How is it already the second week in September? This month marks my sixth year in Missoula and I seriously don't know where the time has gone. Over the years I have been able to explore and experience so many great things in the area, but there's always room for more.

To all my fellow day-hikers, I highly recommend checking out your local REI or Barnes and Noble for any hiking book by Robert Stone. If you're in the Missoula area, I recommend "Day Hikes Around Missoula". I always had thought I was pretty knowledgeable about day hikes around Missoula and had been on many. After buying this book I realized how many I didn't know about and how over the years I had clearly found my favorites and put myself on repeat.

I tried to diversify my first hikes back with all new routes. Some were simple, some were long, but they were all beautiful. It feels great to be back in the forests. I finally visited the largest Western Larch in the country last weekend which is right outside of the town of Seeley Lake.  Over Labor Day weekend my dad and I made a rainy and cold (48 degress) 10 mile trek in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness.

Ravine Trail - Grant Creek/Rattlesnake Wilderness

Morrell Falls - Lolo National Forest

Bass Lake - Selway Bitterroot Wilderness 

The snow hasn't started to fall quite yet. There is still plenty of time to check a few more off of the list and still be able to hike a few of my favorites. My goal is to get 60 miles in (since I've been back to Montana) by the end of September. Currently I'm at 37 miles, game on.

If I haven't mentioned before, I love fall. The weather is great, ski season is almost here, and it's football season. GO CHIEFS. Fortunately I missed the game yesterday because I was hiking as they lost terribly to the Titans. The thing about being a fan of a team that is hit or miss every year is that you finally accept the "no expectations, no disappointments" attitude and find that you will be much more happy. Especially when they pull through with a win.

Cooking during the fall/football season is also one of my favorite seasons to explore in the kitchen. Time to dust off the crockpot. Bring on the baked goods and beer-cheese dip.

I hope to have an update on my mileage goal and will have a new recipe next time, I promise.

Go explore.

k.