I’ve made it to the end of 2025 without injuring myself! That alone feels like an accomplishment after three consecutive years one accident after another.
Skiing
I didn’t have the smashing success with my skiing goals as I’d hoped due to lower snowpack and travel during the ideal window, but I had a blast regardless. My skiing did improve a bit despite skiing only having twelve days on skis.
✅ Skiing in Hokkaido - In late January, I accomplished this goal in the best possible way. My bar was low, just a few resort laps would’ve sufficed, but the trip ended up being so much more. Luke and I had a blast skiing powder at Rusutsu, and we capped it off with a ski tour up Yotei-san via the Makkari route. We even had a surreal descent into the crater. One of the most memorable ski days of my life!
✅ XC Skiing Methow Trails – I finally crossed this one off in early February. It was a trip long overdue. Michael and Tom flew in, and with seven of us total, it felt like a proper gathering. The Methow Valley is a special place for me, but I had only seen it in summer. Experiencing it in winter was something else entirely. We lucked out with good weather, and XC skiing felt much easier than it did years ago. I’d gladly do this trip again next season, especially with friends.
⚠️ Skiing 350,000ft vert - I did my best here by going to Crystal Mountain solo on weekdays. I was able to get 171,000 feet in (~49% of goal). If not for the extensive travel I might have been able to squeeze out a few more. It was always a stretch goal and it successfully got me out the door on those winter mornings.
⚠️ Ski touring 30,000ft ele - This was far too ambitious. I only ski-toured twice (Japan and Muir snowfield) for a grand total of 7,800ft of ascent (26% of goal). I expected more spring touring but snowpack and travel limited my options for safe and fun local touring.
❌ The Birthday Tour (5mi, 3500ft desc) - Our snowpack was below average so the short window of opportunity came and went when we were out of town.
❌ Ruth Mountain ski (12mi, 4,800ft desc) - This one got cut due to travel as well.
❌ Snoqualmie Pass ski touring - I don’t have a strong network of ski touring friends and being away for a lot of the winter meant this was lower on the priority list. I’ll need to make a better effort at make touring pals.
❌ Backcountry skiing Mt Adams (12mi, 6,700feet desc) - My stoke level for this wasn’t high enough to attempt this with the marginal conditions present when my schedule allowed.
Surfing/swimming
On the water sports, I was always just barely interested enough to add them. These won’t carry over to next year.
❌ Swimming once each month - I did this for about five months and then gave up when the summer was in full swing. I was never happy driving to the pool and never happy doing laps. If I ever learn to enjoy it, it won’t be because I’ve forced myself to go.
❌ Kayaking around Mercer Island - I became far less stoked on this 15mile loop after doing just a 4mile paddle on Lake Washington with Leah. Even though we were close to shore, a 10-15mph gust made it a lot more taxing to maneuver. Primarily, I also hated how exposed to the sun I was being out on the water. The kayak will continue to be a part of our gear closet, but I’m not looking to make any goals out of this.
Cycling (road & gravel)
Since I spent a lot of time away from home this year, I didn’t get on the bike much locally.
❌ Goldmyer Hot Springs - I don’t care much for hot springs and hot tubs, but I figured this could be a fun and laid back recreational activity. The permit system is annoying and I didn’t want it enough.
✅ Bike touring Sardinia - Massive success! We had an incredible tour of the island and it was made all the more special by me being able to speak in Italian at an intermediate conversational level. See the full write-up here.
✅ Bikepacking across the Dolomites - I planned to take my hardtail mountain bike and draw a line across the crest of the Dolomites, staying in lodging along the way. Unfortunately, this wasn’t logistically possible (long story). Instead I took the hardtail on some magnificent day trips on singletrack, using it as a road bike to ride over mountain passes, and even biked around Lake Garda. It was an incredible solo trip. More details here.
❌ Bikepacking Death Valley (135mi, 12,000ft ele) - Although this would have been doable, I would prefer to have friends to do this with given the logistics of water resupply. Also, some parts of the route I had in mind are closed from flooding. I’ll file this away in the back of my mind for years later.
Mountain biking
This was the most disappointing section. Mountain biking is the easiest to do solo so I’m short on excuses. To my credit, many of these were big trips that benefit more from an overnight stay. I opted to get much of my mtb done locally instead.
✅ Orcas Island - I couldn’t find a weekend that worked for friends, many of whom were interested. In the last few days of the year, I went solo and pedaled my way up to the top and descended down Cold Spring. It wasn’t ideal. It was foggy, there were fallen trees, and I spent a lot of time driving and ferrying. Still, I had a good enough time since the alternative was staying at home that day.
✅ Darrington - I was planning to do this shuttled but an injured friend had to bail last minute. I had my heart set on crossing this off so I went solo and pedaled up the 3,000ft+ to the summit and descended on my own. I didn’t mind the extra effort. I rode the blue trails down and had my first bike crash in a long while. I think that’s the last time I’ll ride Darrington.
❌ Angel’s Staircase (23mi, 5k ft ele) - Cliff and I were going to make this happen on a weekday, but some logistics lapses meant we couldn’t get it in during that perfect window between larch season and the first falling of snow. I’ll forward this along to next year.
❌ Number 2 Canyon - The Labor Mountain wildfire closed this off as of late September, but I didn’t make an effort to ride it earlier in the year. I had forgotten how far Wenatchee is to consider it as a last minute day trip.
❌ Gifford Pinchot Forest - I pitched this to a friend for a weekend day trip, specifically the scenic Strawberry Ridge descent. The drive from Seattle isn’t too bad but due to some forest road closures, it’s become more of a hassle so I punted on it.
Backpacking & day-hiking
I kept my goals modest here.
❌ High Divide Loop backpacking in Olympic NP (19mi, 5k ft ele) - June and July were the ideal months for this loop. Even if I had the time I would have steered clear: the Bear Gulch fire started in early July and grew to be the largest wildfire on the Olympic Peninsula since 1951.
✅ Backpacking in the Sierras - We were able to secure permits for the early June shoulder season and set off for a five night loop. There were a lot of unknowns regarding the snow conditions and ultimately we found ourselves post-holing to our thighs at points. We slept at ~10,600 feet every single day and I was in a bad mood for most of the trip. Altitude hits my attitude hard. The terrain was challenging enough that we decided to exit a day early by having a longer hike out on the last day. In hindsight, it was a beautiful place to backpack and I’m glad I have the photos to remember the scenery by.
Mountaineering
I tried to be modest and limit myself to three goals, but even getting one of these done with my schedule was a challenge.
❌ Fisher Chimneys on Mt Shuksan (4th class, 7k ft ele) - I was absolutely ready to get permits but for some reason the website never worked out. I suspect it had something to do with the DOGE layoffs. I’ll try and make it happen next year.
❌ Little Tahoma (16mi, 7200ft ele) - This would have been a hot slog through choss, but I was in for it. Finding a partner who’s just as excited about a sufferfest is something I’m working on. I don’t think I’ll list this as a goal next year.
✅ Goode Mountain (guided) - This was the big one. I teamed up with Will Nunez for a four-day push in the North Cascades and led half the pitches on the Northeast Buttress. It was a full-on alpine adventure with big mileage, glacier travel, and real exposure. Easily one of the most demanding and rewarding climbs I’ve done. It massively renewed my enthusiasm and confidence for climbing. More details.
Climbing
After returning from Goode Mountain, I was eager to cross as many of these off as possible. I reached out to every climber I knew and tried connecting with strangers.
❌ Climbing in Red Rock - There was a window to make this happen, but lining up partners didn’t work out.
❌ Squamish climbing - I was all set to spend a weekend on some relaxing climbs up north, but poor weather rolled through and we cancelled the trip.
✅ Guided: Third Pillar of Dana (5.10 III, 5 pitch) - I figured this would be a difficult climb, and it was, but for the wrong reasons. The hike in had me gasping for air. The top of the route is close to 12,000ft in altitude and I was hearing my heart in my throat while belaying the first pitch. Fortunately, I was able to do all the moves cleanly on follow with plenty of rests. The final overhung crack pitch was glorious and I didn’t want it to end.
❌ Trad: West Ridge of Prusik Peak (5.7, 4 pitch) - I partnered up with a stranger online, hoping to do it c2c to avoid the camping logistics. I was in peak shape for tackling this but the partnership didn’t work out and the weather that weekend was poor.
❌ Trad: Ragged Edge of Vesper Peak (5.7, 6 pitch) - Days before Jeffrey and I were planning to take this on, he hurt his back and we called it off.
✅ Climbing in the Gunks - I learned to climb in the Gunks, but hadn’t roped up there in years. On a hot and humid July day, Jeff and I got on some old classics, and I led my hardest Gunks route yet: a sandbagged 5.7+. Immediately after, I cleanly led a 5.8. Jeff even encouraged me to put an attempt on the burly 5.9 Ant’s Line route, on which I had three hangs on before admitting my hands were too slippery to make the crux. It felt great to not only be at my my favorite crag, but also find my limit on trad!
❌ Sport: Prime Rib (5.9-, 11 pitch) - I was almost certain this would happen, maybe even the longer Flyboys too. I booked lodging in advance. I marked days of PTO. I had a partner locked in. I was in the right headspace. Unfortunately, my partner bailed on me.
It was a spectacular year that I’m grateful for. If I was just a little luckier with weather and circumstances, I could’ve gotten a lot more done. Of course, I’m choosing to focus instead on all that I accomplished.
Not shown above is everything that I did that was unplanned (e.g, mtn biking locally, touring Muir w/ a stranger, after-work hike to Blanca Lake, horse-riding in Mexico, climbing The Tooth with a stranger, cycling around Marin, tracing Lake Garda on wheels, foraging for mushrooms with a mountain bike, riding the Flume Trail over Lake Tahoe, pedaling up the impossibly steep roads of Slovenia, etc).
