The year began with an epic adventure in Argentina—climbing Aconcagua, the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere at 22,837 feet. I chose the 360° Traverse and couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Highly recommended! Check out my 18-part guide that documents this climb in detail.
South America may have kicked things off, but the rest of 2025 pulled me back to more familiar ground.
ANOTHER 14er
After being home only 10 days from the Aconcagua expedition, I was back on a plane headed for Denver to try a few winter ascents with my local hiking club. I hoped to get two more 14ers out of that trip, but felt lucky to have at least bagged Bierstadt from the winter route after a weekend full of indecision.
MOUNTAINEERING
I was also able to jump in on a few local mountaineering adventures before our snow melted. We tackled the Wolverine Loop near Brighton in May, which was a first for me. Then, in June, we took another shot at Deseret Peak via the West Twin Couloir. It marked my fifth summit of this familiar favorite, but I found a way to make it a bit more interesting with a route I will now call “J’s Variation.”
The final crampon climb of the season came on June 14, with a run up Mount Timpanogos from the snowfield above Emerald Lake. It was my 13th time on this summit—but my first time enjoying a watermelon at the top.
STATE HIGHPOINTS
I’m still stalled out on state highpoints, with my focus pulled toward Argentina this year and Mexico and Denali Prep last year. It’s time to nail down a solid plan for Denali and get past the 28-state mark.
GETTING THEM STARTED EARLY
With encouragement from my youngest daughter, I also bought a small fleet of Osprey kid carriers this year to get these grandkids started early.
We enjoyed a few days of unseasonably warm fall temps, but still need to get them all out together.
Fun times ahead for sure!
