In 2012 I recorded most of my hikes/runs/rides on Garmin Connect. 2012 has been a great year for running and getting outside and at the end of the year I pulled data from Connect, did a little clean up, and found that in 2012 I recorded almost 800 miles on foot! For many runners/hikers that is not a remarkable number - but for me it is - so to celebrate I picked 8 of my favorite pictures from 2012!

April - Traditional Great Race Self Portrait

I have done more running this year than any other year of my life (maybe more than the past decade combined in fact)! I trained for and ran in the Fleet Feet Arizona Trail Race (8 miles), Aravaipa Running's Mesquite Canyon (Half Marathon), Everyone Runs Catalina State Park Race (10 miles), Everyone Runs Reverse the Course Catalina State Park Race (10 miles), Aravaipa Running's Cave Creek Thriller (30k) and Aravaipa Running's McDowell Mountain Frenzy (25k), and  did plenty of other great runs - day and night, solo and with friends. A surprising number of the race pictures look, well, a lot like this picture...

May - Headed down to the beach

Alison headed down the beach at Blacklock Point - this was our last hiking trip on an absolutely awesome vacation to the Oregon coast. We were at Blacklock Point on a slightly chilly weekday and had the place all to ourselves - the point, beach, waterfall and views were amazing. Other destinations on this vacation (all pretty great!) - Waxmrytle Trail - Threemile Lake/Beach/Tahkenitch Dunes Loop, Newport - Discovery Loop/Cooks Ridge Trail/Gwynn Creek/Cape Coast Loop, Lincoln City - Devils Punchbowl - Yaquina Head, Haystack - Cape Trail - Lincoln City and Tillamook Head Trail.

September - South Kaibab Trail below the first switchbacks

Road Trip!! My parents took the train to Flagstaff - I picked them up and we did a 1,000+ mile road trip in southern Utah and Arizona! This was a fantastic trip - Grand Canyon, Zion, Cedar Breaks, Walnut Canyon, Montezuma Canyon and Well and lots of great time together!

October - Short Section of cable on the way to the top of the Kampenwand

This year I had a great opportunity to visit the Lowa factory in Jetzendorf, Germany!!! In addition to a look at the amazing factory, previewing product from future seasons and discussing the US market we had the chance to tour Munich by bicycle, hike in the Alps and visit some great outdoor retail shops in Munich - AMAZING!

October - Walking on the Beach

In October I traveled to Seattle with the owners of the Summit Hut to visit Outdoor Research. I had a day and a half free and made the most of it - Little Mount Si, Deception Pass and Ebey's Landing (pictured above) - I am sure I will be back (maybe in 2013 actually...).

November - Under the lights on top of Stone Mountain

Several years ago the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance started having a fall show in Stone Mountain (Georgia) - this year Alison and I took a little more time to explore than we have in the past and one night we ended up on top of Stone Mountain all alone under the lights.

November - Table Mountain and North

In November I had a great day hiking with my friend Devin up to a new-to-me location - Bighorn Mountain in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness. This shot, near sunset, shows - I think - just how magical the Santa Catalina Mountains can be. We had hoped to visit the Cleaver also on this trip, but night fell as we arrived at the base so we abandoned that plan and had the pleasure (ha ha) of coming down from the Cleaver to the Pima Canyon Trail in the dark...

December - Tracks along the trail

I was surprised at the amount of snow as I headed up the Green Mountain Trail from the Lower Trailhead. As I turned onto the Guthrie Mountain Trail the footprints of other hikers faded away. Somewhere along the ridge I started to notice tracks, and then more tracks... I have to say that I had a moment of fear when I realized that these were from a Mountain Lion (at least a day old (I think) and headed the opposite direction on the trail - but it took a minute to put that together). The Mountain Lion had followed the trail for about a quarter of a mile before plunging off the ridge - with a dry trail I would have had no idea at all - what a privilege and joy to glimpse it's passage...

CM