dam, has it really been 6 months since my last hike?? I'm in way better shape now (running and weight lifting) and am making a list of peaks in the Wasatch/Uintas To tackle this year. Any advice from you Hiking experts??

Make some goals of stuff you want to climb, then start using smaller hikes as training. Mount Wire, Ensign Peak, Grandeur Peak, etc. are not much to look at, but they are all good exercise and will prepare you for bigger stuff later this year. I've set some fairly formidable goals for myself this year, and it makes it much easier to get out and do stuff when I don't particularly want to. Everything becomes part of my training routine.

Also learn to start doing easier hikes by yourself. Good hiking partners are essential on bigger hikes, but you don't want to always be counting on others for smaller stuff. It's a lot easier to follow through with hikes if you aren't counting on others to join you. Use your judgement on this. Don't head off and tackle gnarly hikes by yourself. But a mountain such as Grandeur Peak will see dozens of hikers this weekend, so climbing it alone should be no big deal.

So, its a nice weekend coming up. Get out there and climb something!

Try to get out and climb someting once a week, get your legs strong and you will be able to move up progressively to longer and higher goals. Make goals to climb a certain amount of elevation in a hike: Consider thousands of feet of elevation your friend. It will make you stronger. Pick a mountain and tell yourself YOU WILL get to the top. Train yourself to rest as little as possible. If you take a rest, make it short--like 30 seconds, and keep moving.

You probably already know this:

Don't wear any cotton. No cotton socks, No cotton shirts, no jeans.

Carry water wherever you go.

I consider every peak and mountain around hear a worthy goal. I have a list of classics I like to do every year: Lone Peak. Pfeifferhorn, Broad's Twins, Olympus, Raymond. Also, the peaks up above Brighton are easy and safe: Pioneer, Sunset, Millicent, Wolverine.