Chubi Award Nominations 2010!!!

Hello one and all.

Welcome to the 1st Annual Chubi awards--my contribution to the winter awards season. These awards celebrate the best in backcountry experiences from the year. There are 11 categories, mostly centered around different hikes or places. Next week I will announce the winners.

The purpose of the awards is twofold. 1) to help me remember and catalog my experiences for the year and b) possibly provide some insight for others on what great hikes are out there. So without further delay. . .THE NOMINEES ARE:

Best Non-Summit Hike

• Artist's Point Snowshoe (Mount Baker-Snoqualmie NF, WA)
• Dolly Sods Traverse (Dolly Sods Wilderness, WV)
• Grand Canyon Corridor Loop +(Grand Canyon National Park, AZ)
• Lover's Key Loop Dayhike (Lover's Key State Park, FL)

Best New Gear

• Merino Wool Buff
• TSL Backcountry Snowshoes
• Soto Micro Regulator Stove

Best Summit - East

• Camel's Hump, Camel's Hump State Forest, VT
• Gothics, Adirondack Park, NY
• Mount Lafayette, White Mountain National Forest, NH
  
• Mount Moosilauke, White Mountain National Forest, NH
• Mount Washington, White Mountain National Forest, NH
  

Best Wildlife Encounter

• Bald Eagle on Tamiami Drive, FL
• Bighorn Sheep near Truchas Lake, NM
  
• Grey Fox at Bright Angel Campground, AZ
  
• Goats in Chicago Basin, CO
  
• White Mountains Safari Adventure, NH
  

The Challenger Peak Award for Best "Teachable Moment"

• Whiteout on Kaaterskill High Peak (Catskill Park, NY)
  
• Goat Attack (Chicago Basin, CO)
  
• Lost Tunafish (Grizzly Peak, CO)

Best Mountain - West

• Mount Elbert (San Isabel National Forest, CO)
• Mount Eolus (Weminuche Wilderness, CO)
• Jupiter Peak (Weminuche Wilderness, CO)
• Grizzly Peak (Weminuche Wilderness, CO)
• Truchas Peak (Pecos Wilderness, NM)

Best Brewery

• Backcountry Brewery (Frisco, CO)
  
• Beaver Street Brewing Company (Flagstaff, AZ)
• Keegan Ales (Kingston, NY)
• Steamworks Brewing Company (Durango, CO)
• Woodstock Inn Station & Brewery (North Woodstock, NH)

Best Long Trip (3+ days)

• Chicago Basin (San Juan National Forest, CO)
• Grand Canyon Corridor Loop+ (Grand Canyon National Park, AZ)
• Presidential Range Traverse (White Mountains National Forest, NH)
• Truchas Peaks (Pecos Wilderness, CO)

Best Hiking Partner*

• Ace (for multiple trips)
• Judar (for Chicago Basin)
• He of the Shallow Water (for Chicago Basin)
• Whit (for Chicago Basin)
• Y-Town (for Dolly Sods)

Best Summit Hike

• Camel's Hump (Camel's Hump State Forest, VT)
• Mount Eolus (Weminuche Wilderness, CO)
• Grizzly Peak (Weminuche Wilderness, CO)
• Mount Moosilauke (White Mountain National Forest, NH)
• Truchas Peak (Pecos Wilderness, NM)
• Mount Washington (White Mountain National Forest, NH)

Best Photo

• The nominees for this award will be posted in another. . .post, and the winner will be selected by a popular vote. Use the comments section to cast your vote!
  

*Tory is ineligible for this award because she already won my heart with her backcountry cooking and foot massages. And she let us borrow her car that one time, that was awesome.

So have fun speculating for the next week (feel free to use the comments to make your guesses) and congratulations to all the nominees!

-Unit

Current Song: Paper Planes by M.I.A.