2025: A year of bucket list adventures.

50th time around the Sun is year away.  2024 marks 22 years of running and 20 years of Ultrarunning. Over the years I have been adding events to my wishlist, without actually addressing them. I decided to change that in 2025 and make a year of Bucket list adventures. Here is my "plan" to do 12 events.

I went through my Bucket list and wanted to maintain a good balance of Skiing, Mountain Biking, Ultrarunning and Fast packing.

Update on Feb 28th, 2025.

Committed:

1. Ski trip to Colorado (Feb 20-25, Completed):

I have been wanting to plan a Ski trip with my brother Ajith and 2025 seems like a good year to knock of 3 resort Skiing in Colorado, we plan to take advantage of 3 resorts Epic pass allows (Keystone, Vail, Beaver Creek). Sanjay M joined for the trip as well.

2. Run Gorge 100K (Signed up):

Another spectacular course in Oregon.

3.  High Sierra Loops Trail (47 Mile run) (July end / Aug 2nd week?) :

4: Wasatch 100 miler (Got selected, will showup)

5: Fastpacking NZ Trails (Plan in progress):

One week of fast-packing few popular trails with Sanjay and Travel NZ with family. Still need to research on trails, considering following so far:

Heaphy Trackor Abel Tasman: Approximately 49 miles (78.4 kilometers).

Routeburn Track: Approximately 20 miles (32 kilometers).

Milford Track: Approximately 33.2 miles (53.5 kilometers).

Kepler Track: Approximately 37.3 miles (60 kilometers).

Rakiura Track: Approximately 20 miles (32 kilometers).

More details on great walks here:

https://www.newzealand.com/us/feature/great-walks-of-new-zealand/

6. Bike across Tioga Road:

Highway 120(Tioga Road) from crane flat to tioga pass, opens sometime in June, 1st day of the road opening is exclusive for bicyclists. would like to do that.

Deferred:

1. Run Keys 50 Mile race :

Running on the keys bridge is supposed to be scenic (albiet hot), I have a travel planned in May to Florida to visit family, I will include this race around the same time.

2. Skimo Shasta:

Shasta is one of the Iconic moutains in Nor Cal, extending theme of #1, would like pick enough skills to Skimo in April-Jun timeframe.

3. Run Bighorn 100mi:

4. A week of fast-packing Nolans 14 

Tentative:

1. Get started with Backcountry Skiing :

I started Skiing in '99 when my brother Ajith took me out in Detroit, I immediately loved the sport, though I didn't spend much time mastering resort Skiing inspite of staying so lose to Tahoe, until recently when I brought whole Skiing gear and started buying Ski season passes, which definitely improved my Resort Skiing Skills.

Another goal I have was to Skimo few interesting mountains in California. So Starting Jan plan to explore some Backcountry Skiing with my Skiing buddies Sanjay & Khanan.

2. A day mountain biking around National parks or do a scenic race