2017 - Best of:

I thought I'd take a moment and make a year-end list of things that I have enjoyed in 2017. I don't think a lot of explanation about each item is necessary. If you find something intriguing, please feel free to write me or to explore it on your own.

Best Thing I Did in 2017:

No question that the Joshua Tree Traverse was the best thing I did. To spend a day deep inside the spectacular national park with two friends on a self-contained 40 mile sufferfest was not simply a highlight of the year, but a highlight of my life. It was, for me, life-affirming and life-changing. The teamwork and camaraderie needed in planning and training with trips to the desert park that preceded the traverse all combined to make the whole experience tremendously fulfilling.

Scoring honorable mentions in the Best Thing I Did category were two trips: The first to Colorado to climb Mt. Evans by bike, and Mt. Massive a pied. The second to spend a few days in the Sierras hiking and camping above 11,500ft, culminating at the summit of Mt. Langley.

A couple of kayak trips down the Kaw also deserve honorable mentions as well. Too often I think I neglect to appreciate some pretty wonderful things I have right in my back yard. Paddling down a deserted huge river with a buddy, seeing bald eagles, and then hanging out midstream to watch fireworks going off overhead at the conclusion of the trip - priceless.

A sub category here - Top Adventure Buddy. There were five friends in the running for this designation who I joined in various forays into the wilderness. But there was only one who was involved in several episodes of the craziness. Jack Tyson gets this year's TAB award. He was instrumental in the success of the traverse. He also was the planner, stager, and teacher for the backpacking trip up Langley. That trip gave me a new level of confidence to tackle bigger mountains in 2018.

Best Thing I Read: 

Two non-fiction books tie for the honor in this category - Buried in the Sky: The Extraordinary Story of the Sherpa Climbers on K2's Deadliest Day by Peter Zuckerman tells the story of a tragedy from the (often ignored) perspective of the Sherpas and high altitude workers who performed heroically throughout the ordeal. And Empire Made: My Search for an Outlaw Uncle Who Vanished in British India  by Kief Hilsbery, which is a personal story that tracks one family's roots through the period of British colonial rule in India and its neighboring countries.

The best work of fiction I read this year was from Irish author Sebastian Barry. His novel,  Days Without End , about two homeless youths trying to survive in the American West in the mid 1800's, is a masterpiece.

The best magazine I discovered was Alpinist. While it is one of those expensive quarterly publications, the writing and pictures are nonpareil. After buying my first issue at the newsstand, I finally ponied up the cash for a subscription (and I'm glad I did). Each issue is like getting a new wonderful book to read.

Best Thing I Saw:

I'm just going to have to list these in no particular order. I saw a lot of things that moved me in different ways (though a few were simply low-brow diversions that I found enjoyable). Some are series, some are movies, and some are documentaries:

Banff Film Festival - always good. Always.
Merli
I am Bolt
Master of None
Outback Truckers - all seasons(I really apologize for liking this, but I do)
Magnus
Sirens - both seasons
Valley Uprising
One Mississippi
Shot in the Dark
Atypical

Best Thing I Listened To:

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones concert which ended with my top song by them, Pretty Sad Excuse, topped my listening experiences this past year. And, while none of the following would qualify as my favorite song/band/artist, I listened to a lot of:

Kishi Bashi - any song
Matthew Byrne/Great Big Sea - The River Driver
Oliver Daldry - Catch the Wind
Lord Huron - The Night We Met
Teleman - Dusseldorf

Best Art/Science Experience:

I acquired many works of art this past year. My favorite piece would have to be by the very talented artist, Samara Umbral 5 Alive/Surge. A couple of photos by German artists, Jeanne Faust, Zu Sonst Wer Wie Du, and Tobias Zielony, Licht, also struck a chord within me. During the year I was also privileged to purchase works by Greg Thomas and Lisa Grossman to give to friends as gifts. For me, there is little that is better than being able to give a friend a piece of art he/she likes. The gift is good for the friend, but it also helps the artist to continue to make a living pursuing their passion.

While it wasn't really visual, Janet Cardiff's Forty Part Motet at the Nelson was a real highlight of the year for me. I experienced the Motet on numerous occasions, and each time I was transfixed. It never got old.

And finally, the Cockefaire lecture series at the Linda Hall Library - tracing the Transformation of the World - 1650-1720 was, perhaps the most knowledge I had dropped on me in a short time (over the course of three lectures). If you haven't been to an event at Linda Hall, or have not even visited the library, you should really put it on your schedule.