This is the time of year I start to get antsy for outdoor adventures. The crappy weather has been with us for a bit now, but some warmer weather is quite possibly only a few weeks away. I have spent the past few months thinking about spring and summer adventures. Hikes, bike rides, camping trips, day trips, etc. What do Mia and I want to do this year? What new places do we want to visit and what old favorites are calling us back. We both have full time jobs and being able to maximize fun time along with work responsibilities can be a juggling act. I’m not trying to book every possible free moment we have, but I’m also fully cognizant that some of the things we want to do require planning months in advance.
When Mia and I first met, and were just dating, I would surprise her now and again with some off the cuff day trip or maybe a small weekend away someplace. The secret it took her a few years to learn was that many of those “spontaneous” things were in the works in my head for weeks or months sometimes. I like variety and I have massive wanderlust, so I am constantly looking at new places to visit. I learned at an early enough age that some things require planning ahead while others could truly be last minute spur of the moment things.
Overnight or Multi-day Trips
Because both Fed and State parks tend to have a rolling six-month window for booking campsites you need to be on the ball by December – February to book some of the more popular campgrounds during the peak summer months. For trips in March, April, September, you can play it by ear more. Then there are the house/lodging reservations that we need to make for some of our trips. I tend to lean towards VRBO as we have not had great experiences with Airbnb. There are even apps out there to get notifications of cancellations at campgrounds if we fail to secure a desired location/date. Oregon State Parks rolled out something similar a few years ago and I have taken advantage of it once or twice.
I’ve made a promise to myself to sleep at least one night a month in the van for twelve consecutive months, the November heater install was part of that equation. I was on a roll in 2024 until getting sick at the end of September 2024 and being out of commission for a good part of October. The challenge reset itself with my single night away to Stub in November.
Bike Trips
Mixing bike riding with our multi-day trips is almost a default. I rarely travel without a bike. However, It’s the day trips that occupy my mind as I stare out the window at another cold, wet day. Every now and again I want an epically long day ride or just experience a new route but still sleep in my bed that night. Sometimes that could be driving to a new location to ride something new or as simple as leaving from my front door and checking out roads I’ve never ridden before. Either way, ridewithgps.com is my friend. The heatmap feature is awesome when developing a route. It helps knowing somebody else has at least tried to ride the area you are looking at.
I didn’t do a single sub-24 bikepacking trip in 2024. No good reason other than it just never seemed to come together. I am going to remedy that for sure in 2025. Even the quick jaunt up to Stub Stewart on a Friday night is well worth it.
Hikes
Hikes have always been a bit more of a spur of the moment decision. Decided mid-week, maybe a whole week in advance. Mia or I will see something on OPB, social media or we’ll just be looking at the maps/guidebooks and say “that looks cool” let’s go there. That worked well before a dog and decently well when Codi was younger. 2024 and definitely for 2025 we need to either do hikes that a geriatric dog can handle or do something where we are door-to trailhead-back to door in under six hours so Codi can stay home. The hiking options from home are respectable but not fantastic with that criteria. I think we will be exploring more of the coast range and western Mt Hood area in 2025.
Random Adventures
Concerts, new restaurants, roadside oddities and curiosities are a play it by ear thing in this household. Be it a trip on the Fruit Loop out of Hood River, or an ice cream road trip on a hot day, it’s all open for debate.
2025 So Far and What is to Come
I did a quickie overnight to Cape Lookout for my January #vanlife and have February booked too. XC ski trip out of Frog Lake with Colby & Prosser was a fun day in January, weather conditions where pretty much perfect.
March is TBD, April is probably going to be a trip to Lower Deschutes State Park just like 2024. May we head to Sisters, June I have a 10 day van trip planned that will hopefully be awesome. July is in negotiations and August looks like a trip back east to mountain bike in Vermont with Paul and a few others. Mia and I are really hoping to get back to Waldo Lake in September. We have not been since before the big fire a few years ago now. And don’t worry, there will be at home, downtime to just sit back and relax.
What are your plans for this year?
Thanks for reading,
-Pete
ON & OFF RHODES 
Sounds like a good plan! I’m still formulating what I want to do this year. I know that I want to do a few bike overnights, as I had only one last year plus a couple days at the Stub cabins. I don’t have as many “big” summer travel plans this year than I did last. While it was great being in the UK for almost a month, I do want to explore more things closer to home this time around.
Sounds like a good plan! I’m still formulating what I want to do this year. I know that I want to do a few bike overnights, as I had only one last year plus a couple days at the Stub cabins. I don’t have as many “big” summer travel plans this year than I did last. While it was great being in the UK for almost a month, I do want