Climbing Mountains (from Michael)

One of my favorite things to do is hike. Not the nature walk kind of hike where you take in the scenery and listen to the birds. I like the kind where you're running through the mountains when its pouring rain, thunder is rolling, mountain goats are watching you, you have your yak tracks on because there's ice on the trail, there aren't any trees because there's not enough oxygen for them at the altitude you're at, you're backpack is heavy with Cliff Bars and sandwiches, and you're going for a personal record on the ascent. I've had some pretty awesome hikes in 2024, and this is to commemorate a few of those. Here comes:

Top Hikes of 2024

#1 - Mount Timpanogos (September 21)

This is one of my favorites of all time. I have been on this mountain a total of five times, three of which have been successful summit attempts. Me and Ben made my third successful summit and the first time I have reached the summit and back down in one day. We had to come into this one with a strong mindset to get to the top in one go because it is not an easy hike. We reached the summit in 2 hours and 59 minutes of moving time, which we were really happy about. We had several wildlife encounters, including close-ups with mountain goats and a large moose.

#2 - Lone Peak (August 24)

This was a first for me this season, I had not ever done Lone Peak. This one is a grueling 16 miles, and the longest hike that I have ever been one. We didn't even reach the summit on this one. We hiked to the cirque near the top and explored around the granite cliffs. It is a gorgeous area.

#3 - Provo Peak Mountain Bike Ride

This was a mountain bike ride, but I count this as one of the top mountain expeditions of 2024. I rode from my apartment to the trailhead of Provo Peak. This was a 30 mile ride with an elevation gain of 4,380 ft, a personal record that still holds to this day. As brutal as this ride was, I became a much stronger rider.

#4 - Scuba Diving in Cozumel

While this is also not technically a hike, I would consider the components of adventurism and exploration to hiking much similar, so I would add this excursion to the list of top outdoor experiences of the year. The dive consisted of two drift dives just off of the coast of Cozumel, Mexico. Max depth was about 70ft and we got some really good animal encounters. Lots of corals, a nurse shark, lobsters, assorted fishes, and a sea turtle. The water was like 75 degrees so no wetsuits necessary. Hablamos mucho en Español con nuestro guía.