Guide email 20
2025 Summer Recap
I'm no super athlete, but I want to capture the possibilities and struggles of training while recovering from injury and illness—the ups and downs, but most importantly, the...
I'm no super athlete, but I want to capture the possibilities and struggles of training while recovering from injury and illness—the ups and downs, but most importantly, the consistency—just keeping at it and slowly making progress.
Here Is my recap for this past summer spent In the Sawtooth Mountains In Central Idaho.
✅ Goal: 3-night solo. Competed: 4-night, 28-mile through hike. This ended up being one of the highlights of my summer.
✅ Goal: 5-night backpacking trip. Completed: 4-night trip in the stunning White Cloud Wilderness. I couldn’t get 5 nights due to my work schedule, but I still got in an absolutely amazing 28-mile loop surrounded by mountains with some of the most unique geology I have ever seen.
✅ Summit Mt. Thompson. Completed: made it back to the top of the Sawtooth’s highest peak. Always a rewarding experience (though it happened to be on the smokiest day of the year).
❌ Summit Mt. Williams. Mt. Williams turned out to be more technical than I was ready for this summer. I shifted focus to Grand Mogul—the peak I stare at every day from the end of the lake—but a combination of availability, weather, and other priorities meant it didn't work out. We ended up prioritizing backpacking trips instead - but I am okay with that. It isn't going anywhere, and I will be back for it next year.
✅ Multiple single-day and multi-day hiking trips. Got out regularly throughout the summer, exploring different drainages and lakes.
✅ Stand-Up Paddle Board Overnight. This was my first year paddle-boarding, and I culminated the season with a 9+ mile paddle down to the end of Redfish Lake and back.
❌ MOVNAT Certification. I had to reschedule the certification due to conflicting logistics and travel; however, I plan on completing it sometime within the next year and am working with my own coach to continue preparing for it.
✅ Greatest Success / Biggest Adventures:
Hard to pick just one, but my two 4-night backpacking trips were definitely the highlights. Close second? My paddleboard trip!
❌ Biggest Challenge:
My left calf. Keeping it healthy was probably the most consistent challenge all summer. I had intermittent issues across my body—things that come and go—but the calf was the one that kept on coming back.
✅ Lesson Learned:
Too much cheese powder on an anchovy pasta meal = a rough morning at Sawtooth Lake 😅. Usually, I do pretty well with food & guts on the trail, but that one got me.
Stats:
✅ Hiking/ Walking Miles: 419.2
✅ Hiking Elevation Gain: 64,526
✅ Ellipti-Go Stand-Up Biking Miles: 415.6
✅ Ellipti-Go Biking Elevation Gain: 17,836
✅ Strength Workouts: about 37
✅& One Trail Kiosk Designed, Built, and Installed from the front porch of my cabin.
See you out there,
Jeff