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 6 events. (Other 6 events deferred to future)

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 (Apr 12th,  Completed 16:30hrs):

Another spectacular course in Oregon. Loved race, its organization, highly recommended this event, even 50K is a awesome event.

3.  High Sierra Loops Trail (47 Mile run) (Planned on Aug 2nd)

4: Wasatch 100 miler (Training on-going, Booked logistics)

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 (September):

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. Maybe do in September after Wasatch.

7. A day mountain biking around National parks or do a scenic MTB event.(Tentative)

Deferred:

1. 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.

2. Run Bighorn 100mi:

3. A week of fast-packing Nolans 14 

4. 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 & Khannan.