Will and I spend a lot of time daydreaming about all of the adventures we would love to have someday. Some of them make it onto our yearly Goals & Objectives lists, but some are so big or multi-faceted that they are added to our “adventure bucket list” instead. Here’s a list of all the bigger trips on our radar right now (in no particular order!) Click below to zoom straight to a specific adventure or scroll down to see them all.
Will & Alyssa’s Adventure Bucket List
- Bike all of the IMBA Epic Rides »
- Take a sea kayaking trip to see the glaciers in Alaska »
- Hike the Haute Route »
- Take a Wilderness First Responder course »
- Dive at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia »
- Run the Grand »
- Ski from West Yellowstone, MT to Old Faithful »
- Visit the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary in Prince Rupert, Canada »
- Backpack through Europe »
- Overnight in a fire lookout »
- Hike a section of the Greater Patagonian Trail »
- Run the Wonderland Loop »
- Ski in Japan »
- Explore slot canyons in the American Southwest »
- Go on a horse packing trip »
1. Bike all of the IMBA “Epic” Mountain Bike Trails
The IMBA Epic Trails is a list of 28 mountain bike trails that are “demanding, mostly singletrack adventures in a natural setting. The Epics designation denotes a true backcountry riding experience—one that is technically and physically challenging, more than 80 percent singletrack and at least 20 miles in length.” We would love to check them all off the list! More Info »
- Australian Alpine Epic in Australia
- Bangtail Divide in Bozeman, Montana Done! Read Post »
- Big South Fork/All 5 Ride in Oneida, Tennessee
- Buffalo Creek Trails in Pine, Colorado
- Bull Mountain in Dahlonega, Georgia
- Cannell Trail in Sherman Pass, California
- Colorado Trail (Southern Segments) in Durango, Colorado
- Curt Gowdy State Park in Cheyenne, Wyoming
- Ellicottville Trail in Ellicottville, New York
- Fresno-Sauceda Loop in Big Bend State Park, Texas
- Goodwater Trail in Lake Georgetown, Texas
- Grand Targhee Loop in Wyoming
- Hurricane Cliffs Hurricane in Utah
- Lake Ouachita Vista Trail in Arkansas
- Maah Daah Hey Trail in Medora, North Dakota
- Mid Mountain Trail in Park City, Utah
- North Umpqua Trail in Roseburg, Oregon
- Plains of Abraham in Cougar, Washington
- Rattling Creek in Lykens, Penssylvania
- Rock Lake in Cable, Wisconsin
- Roth Rock at Ride State College, Pennsylvania
- Seven Summits Trail in Rossland, British Columbia
- Tahoe Rim Trail in Lake Tahoe, Nevada
- Upper Buffalo in Arkansas
- Waldo Lake in Oakridge, Oregon
- Warner Lake South in Chilcotins, British Columbia
- The Womble Hot Springs in Arkansas
- W2 in Afan Forest Park, Wales
2. Take a sea kayaking trip to see the glaciers in Alaska
This is definitely a time sensitive item – the glaciers are melting at an incredible rate, and won’t be around forever. I would love to see these glaciers before they’re gone. No adventure bucket list would be complete without a sea kayak trip!
3. Hike the Haute Route
The Haute Route is a hut-to-hut hiking / skiing trail that runs from Chamonix in France and Zermatt in Switzerland. It’s the ultimate “glamping” experience: work hard all day, then tuck into some seriously gourmet food and soft sheets at night.
4. Take a Wilderness First Responder course
The more time we spend in the backcountry, the more likely we are to encounter a situation that requires medical expertise – whether for our own sake or someone else’s. WFR (fondly pronounced “woofer” by those in the business) is a hands on 9-10 day intensive course “designed to provide you with the tools to make critical medical and evacuation decisions in remote locations.”
5. Dive at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia
This one is self explanatory. So much abundance!
6. Run the Grand
Will has always wanted to river raft down the Grand Canyon. Whether we do it with a group of friends or a commercial tour, I’m sure this will be an epic adventure.
7. Ski from West Yellowstone, MT to Old Faithful
A 30 mile skate ski through Yellowstone National Park in the Winter! We’ll start at the Western park entrance and end at the Snow Lodge, nearby Old Faithful.
8. Visit the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary in Prince Rupert, Canada
How could you NOT want to visit, with a description like this?! “Established in 1994 as Canada’s first and only Grizzly Bear Sanctuary, the Khutzeymateen Protects the entire watershed of the Khutzeymateen and Kateen Rivers and the foreshore of the Khutzeymateen Inlet. Approximately 60 bears utilise the diverse and rich coastal habitats including numerous estuaries throughout the inlet. Managed by BC Parks and the Tsimshian Nation, the protected area is monitored by First Nations Rangers who stay on a floating camp and visitor centre in the Park.”
9. Backpack through Europe
This is a vague one that I’m sure will continue to evolve as we start exploring Europe. Rather than seeing the major tourist sights we want to connect with locals, eat good food, and see as much history as possible.
10. Overnight in a fire lookout
There’s nothing better than ending an all day hike by retiring to a remote cabin, and I imagine that feeling is intensified when the cabin is a fire lookout with incredible views!
11. Hike a section of the Greater Patagonian Trail
Patagonia seems like an incredible place that deserves more than a little exploration. The 1500km trail winds through the Patagonian Andes. “It’s a stunningly beautiful and diverse trail that crosses volcanic fields, idyllic Andean valleys, snow covered mountain ranges, lush green forests and deep blue lakes and rivers.” More Info »
12. Run the Wonderland Loop
The Wonderland Trail is a 93 mile loop that encircles Mount Rainier. Traditionally done over the course of several days, we’d like to do it in one shot. Fast & Light! More Info »
13. Ski in Japan
Ski movies featuring Japan’s epic powder and amazing tree skiing have been taunting us.
14. Explore slot canyons in the American Southwest
The beauty (and danger!) of these canyons is undeniable, and we want to spend some time getting to know them.
15. Go on a horse packing trip
I’ve always loved horses, and think this would be an awesome backpacking trip!
