2025 was a pretty good year, below are some of my favorite images/videos out of 1700+ pictures taken from my outings. I was out and about in the Great Burn region (Thompson to Lolo Passes) for approximately 70 days between March & October; covering just over 400 trail miles; visiting 50 lakes/peaks. My 2025 goals were 60 days out, 400 miles & 40 lakes/peaks. I ended up doing 5 solo backpacking trips, but nothing more than 3 days; I bailed on a 5 day trip because of 100 degree temps. I got over-extended a couple times; a combination of milage, heat & age. So I had a couple days that put me to the test.
This year I ended up buying 3 new pieces of equipment; all on sale. I rarely buy at full retail. This is not in any way an ad for the products, but just information on how they performed for me.
Mountain Hardware Aspect 2 Tent: It comes in at about 3 lbs. with added footprint; with 2 doors and vestibules. I used it on 5 backpacking trips this summer. This setup was a bit different than the usual clip systems. There are small permanent hooks on the poles and you attach the tent body via string loops sewn on the tent body. It is not as clean as clips but it just took a couple setups to get used to it. Everything worked as advertised with no failures. It was a good solo tent with extra room for gear and at times Skye.
Gregory Focal 48 Backpack: I got this pack to use on shorter trips of 1-2 nights as my 20+ year old Aether 85 is overkill; 3 nights are probably max for this pack. I got a medium which came in at 2.5 lbs. and the fit was good for me at 5'9". My trailhead weight ranged from 27 to 35 lbs. with water and it was all day comfortable. It will fit a 425 or 450 bear vault but the 450 doesn't fit particularly well. I paired it with 2 CTUG shoulder strap water bottle holders (22 oz SmartWater) instead of a bladder or nalgenes to save space and still give me easy access for fluids without stopping.
Big Agnes UL Chair: I have had the stool version of the chair for several years, so I like the series. I used it on a couple trips where I knew there wasn't going to be any seating and was worth the extra weight. It comes in at 1 lb 11 oz, stated seat height of 15 in and I found it very comfortable & stable.
This winter I will continue to update my trailguide website and ski a lot at Lookout Pass. My priorities for 2026 will probably be less ambitious than 2025; but focus on longer multi-day trips and not as many day hikes.
