I hate trip planning.

Trip planning is an unnecessarily stressful time for me. It shouldn't be. It should be exciting, interesting, enjoyable, but it's not. And I hate it.

There are endless routes, all of which seem perfect and impossible in the same pass. There's gear to check and re-check,  maps to buy, driving routes to plan, books to mull over, endless Internet searches and daily weather checks.

A lot of people follow a strict routine when planning a trip. There's not a lot of planning involved in a trip I decide to take spur of the moment on a Friday. I typically open a guide book, put my finger on the map, throw my bags in the car and go. This isn't too bad. It's when I have weeks to plan a potential trip that problems begin to arise.

There's just so many things to consider. My most recent opportunity has come over the coming fourth of July weekend. I found out recently that I will be alone with no commitments, and decided to take a trip. The first itinerary I put together fell apart in minutes.  The second, third and fourth have fared about as well. I've reluctantly put together 6 routes and decided I'll have to wait until the day before I leave to call Back Country Offices and Ranger Stations to check snow conditions and availability of Back country permits.

Worrying about snow conditions in July may sound crazy, but Colorado, especially above 10k feet has some crazy weather. Passes over 12k feet are typically still snow packed, sometimes ten plus inches of fresh snow, and stream crossings are difficult because of winter snow melt causing high water levels and flow. All of my trips have one, both or a combination of these elements.

Afternoon thunder storms are a concern but unavoidable during July and August.

So my gear is checked, water-proofed, repaired, checked again and packed. My routes are planned. Now there's a whole bunch of second guessing my chosen routes, thinking maybe I should go bigger, farther, higher. Perhaps I should stay closer to home and use money saved on gas for a new pair of crampons and an ice axe. Mayhap I should go farther and see once in a lifetime mountains or arches or ancient ruins. If only I had a rope and partner I could go canyoneering or make ascents of a bunch of 14ers. ( I'm too much of a wimp to try these things solo).

I spend hours on the computer checking weather and snow conditions, reading trip reports and finding endless alternate routes, researching gear that would make my life easier, printing maps, and in general doing all the things I'm excited to get away from.

Then there's the endless worry. The weather won't cooperate, gear will fail, my back ( still not 100% from major back surgery a few months ago) will go out somewhere in the back country. Its a long enough list to keep me awake at night.

Moral of the story here. Sometimes, spontaneity  is a good thing. Worrying is natural but trouble causing, nature will never cooperate and gear will fail. I just need to step away from all the books and maps, and definitely the computer screen, and just roll with the punches. You should try it some time.