Project 23 & Me in my backyard

No big racing goals for me in 2023 yet.

Truthfully I am not really excited about running these days as I do all the grunt work (mobility, core and strength) to become a much stronger runner.

But I do have one exciting project planned that I am completely psyched about. I’m calling it Project 23 & Me. My plan is to summit 23 new-to-me mountains in Alberta and British Columbia this year.

Follow along this year as I showcase the beautiful Canadian Rockies and hopefully inspire you to enjoy nature and the outdoors a little more in 2023. Honestly I think a lot of our problems could be solved today if we just spend more time in nature.

Now I don’t think it’s going to be a big stretch to hit the number since I am in the mountains almost every weekend. (In 2020, I ran and hiked 38 new-to-me trails and mountains. In the last two years, I didn’t track.) I have already summited two new-to-me peaks this month (Grotto Mountain and Loder Peak and Doorjam Mountain).

I am excited about this challenge because it is a backyard challenge. I don’t have to fly anywhere or pay for hotel rooms. It’s accessible (as long as I can afford a tank of gas) and it’s something I can work on every weekend.

We’ve been having a spring-like January with very little snow so I am hopeful to get in a few new peaks before the weather changes again. Likely the bulk of the new peaks will be in the spring and summer. I still have to train for Minotaur so I will be strategic about when I attempt the summits. This month I am scaling down the running and focusing on the grunt work because I know it will help me in the long run when I tackle these new mountain peaks and ridges.

Last year I made new running friends who are just as excited as I am about Project 23 and to ‘bag peaks’ as they say. I have a rough list put together. Mostly I am getting ideas from what others have posted on Instagram, Strava and in Alan Kane’s Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies guide.

But I would love it if you were to help me round out the list. Send me your suggestions. Which mountains would you like to see me climb as part of Project 23 this year? Also please reach out if you would like to join me!