Shoutout to the patient planners mapping routes seasons in advance

I've seen more friends sharing their detailed spreadsheets for trips next summer. They're checking weather patterns and trail conditions months out, which is smart but takes so much time. My own Grand Canyon hike needed permits applied for almost a year prior. It's crazy how much waiting is part of the process now!

3 comments

3 Comments

amy_mason4d ago

Short take: Planning is half the fun. Longer response: All that overplanning just sets you up for disappointment when things go wrong. The color coded spreadsheets for the PCT sound like a second job. Sure, you need a permit for the Grand Canyon, but after that basic step, just go. The best trips have room for surprises, not a minute by minute schedule.

benn324d ago

My buddy printed a 40 page binder for his Southwest parks trip, complete with sunset timing at each overlook. A flat tire on day two wrecked the whole schedule, and he spent more time redoing his spreadsheet in a motel than actually seeing anything.

the_beth4d ago

Remember how my friend spent six months plotting every campsite for the Pacific Crest Trail? She had backup plans for her backup plans, color coded and everything. Then she got a stress fracture from training too hard and had to cancel. All that detail work just to sit on the couch, you know? Does planning that far out ever really pay off, or do we just like the idea of it? Feels like half the experience is now in the waiting game.