Wow, what a year this has been.

This year started with a cold hike in Upper Sioux Agency State Park, which has since been returned to its rightful native owners. My hike was on Martin Luther King Day, one of the coldest days of a relatively mild winter. I am sad to see it go, but I am happy that it is in good hands. I tried out my new white gas stove. We boiled water to make hot chocolate in the extreme -20-degree windchill. When my hiking partner and I got back to my car, my keyfob did not want to work due to the cold, so I had to put it close to my body to warm it up.

In April, I was able to go to Southern Illinois, stopping at Indiana Dunes National Park. I then traveled to Springfield, IL, to see Abe Lincoln's home. I made it to Shawnee National Forest to explore the Garden of the Gods. I booked my first campsite on Hipcamp in a farmer's field and spent my first ever night in my Outback the night before I got to see the total solar eclipse. The feeling of anticipation as the moon slowly covered the sun until we could just see the ring around the moon. Everyone was speechless for a while as we just looked up at the sun and moon, amazed that we were there. Even the birds were quiet. I felt a lot of different emotions: exhilaration, excitement, and awe. It really made sense why, for a long time in human history, humans have feared the eclipse. I made friends with the couple who camped next to me; they seemed like cool people. That is an experience I feel everyone should have.

In May, I went white water rafting on the cold Clackamas River in Oregon and saw many waterfalls in the Mt Hood area of the state. After a night of sleeping in my friend's car at a private campground, we headed to the meeting point, where we met our guide and two others who would join us. They outfitted us with wet suits, PFDs, and helmets, and they shuttled us to our put-in point. We did not have to wait long for our first rapid, and we got soaked in the cold May water. Everyone was on board for the adventure, and we got to do many fun rapids. Before long, we reached where we parked, changed out of our wet clothes, and went on our way to see waterfalls.

I went deep into Mystery Cave on their Wild caving tour. When my friend and I arrived at the cave, they gave us coveralls, headlamps, and everything we needed to explore the cave with a guide. We started walking through the cave just like all the other visitors, but then we got off the paved path and walked deeper into the cave. The deeper we got, the more we had to crouch, and eventually belly crawl through the passages. At one point, we had to step into a waist-deep pool of cool water; it was pretty refreshing. I was not expecting it to be as much work as it was; despite the cave being a cool 48 degrees year-round, I was starting to sweat. At one point, we all turned off our headlamps and sat in pure silence and darkness until the guide lit a match. It was impressive how such a small light could fill the chamber we were in when it was so pitch black. We emerged from the cave the same way we entered. The tour groups on the scenic tour, the tour that only goes on the paved path, looked at us as we emerged from the cave, seeing only our headlamps at first and then seeing how we were covered in muddy clay; our fantastic guide offered to pressure wash our boots for us to remove the sticky clay, and we headed back home after that.

In August, I went backpacking in Yosemite and stayed at two historic lodges. Upon arrival in the park, I checked into the Wawona Hotel in the southern part of the park. The next day, I saw some of the largest trees in the world at Mariposa Grove. I hiked up to Wawona Point and saw the beautiful overlook. The next day, I started backpacking at the White Wolf Trailhead, planning to go through the Tuolumne Valley; however, due to a problem with blisters, I had to call my trip early and hike up to White Wolf the way I came. However disappointed I was, I was able to salvage my trip by booking another room at Wawona and healing up while checking out Yosemite Valley during the day. I now hope to hike Half Dome in the near future. On my last day, I was able to stay at the Ahwahnee Hotel in the valley for one night; it was such a beautiful hotel.

In the fall, I visited Devils Tower in Wyoming, Mt. Rushmore, and the Badlands in South Dakota, camping in my car even more. I saw the sunset over the Badlands and the sunrise the following morning as the sun painted the landscape with its orange glow. As I drove through the park, we saw ample wildlife that I had never seen before, including bighorn sheep, mule deer, pronghorns, and prairie dogs.

In December, I hiked in the Washington desert, walked on the beaches of the Oregon Coast, and hiked the Hall of Mosses in Olympic National Park. Walking through the Hall of Mosses felt like stepping into another world, with emerald-green moss draping every surface and ferns carpeting the forest floor. Even in December, the rainforest was vivid and full of life.

As this year comes to a close, I am deeply grateful for the adventures I’ve been on, the friends I’ve made, and the lessons I’ve learned. From frozen hikes to celestial wonders, from roaring rapids to silent caves, every adventure has enriched and fueled my passion for exploration. Traveling to this extent has been a journey of growth, and I feel like I’m finally finding my stride.

Looking ahead to 2025, I’m already planning new adventures and setting my sights on even more incredible experiences. Who knows what surprises await on the trail ahead? I hope to see you out there.

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Yellowstone 2023