PLANNING

planning

How to get your first trips on your calendar.

Planning is usually not seen as the most exciting of tasks. But, when it is about putting new adventures on the calendar, count me in. I like to think of plans as big, medium and small. There are the grand plans-”I am going to spend the year taking trips every weekend.” and the medium-”Let me put this month’s bucket list of weekend hikes on the calendar” and small-”Where are we going this weekend?” If you are like me, it is a challenge to plan beyond 6 months. If you can, then more power to you. I find that beyond 6 months, it is really hard to know what the world will bring to us, what we will be feeling and doing. But anyone can plan a month or two forward.

Unexpected spontaneous trips are fun but if it is about really making a change, I highly recommend that you put pen to paper or calendar. and get planning.

If you want to be really organized, get a wall calendar, preferably one with great outdoor photos, and a daily desktop flip calendar with important outdoor facts and photos, and a desktop planner as well as a small handheld planner to take with everywhere. Of course, you can double up by putting all of this in your online calendar of choice. How fun is it to get a reminder on Thursday for your trip to Joshua Tree on the weekend!

If you can, it might be nice to get some travel books such as 100 Hikes of a Lifetime by Kate Siber for inspiration. You can also pick a more focused informational book related to the area that you will be exploring such as Hiking in Northern California. I have compiled a number of book lists including Essential Inspirational Travel Books, Hiking Guides including regional ones, and Wilderness Safety Guides. You can find those HERE. It is also fun to listen to relevant podcasts.

Outside Magazine has a great podcast channel with thrilling, well written stories from the outdoors. I highly recommend their magazine and their website for great information from the pros. It is important to learn how to stay safe as you venture outdoors. Frankly, reading about what can go wrong is sometimes the best way to insure that things go right. One example of this is an Outdoor Magazine article about Mt. Baldy.

This mountain can be deceptive to those expecting Southern California temperatures and climate.

Don’t be fooled. it is a 10,000 foot peak and temperatures there can be bone chilling with real winds. That plus snow and unstable terrain can make this mountain one of the most treacherous trips. If you understand it’s the risks, it can also be one of the most rewarding hikes with spectacular views close in to Los Angeles. I use this as an illustration that there should always be some amount of planning for each trip so that you come home with fabulous memories instead of having to turn back or worse, suffering an injury or accident.