P.S. If you are looking to go on a relatively brief backpacking venture this winter, I will be doing the River to River Trail in Southern Illinois. It takes less than two weeks, maybe less than one depending on your speed. There are sandstone bluffs, lakes and the Mississippi River to feast your eyes on when you finish. A nice way to keep your legs and connection to Nature strong. I began hiking after I got into rock climbing. Here https://steemit.com/motivation/@hmfoucault/steemit-community-what-do-you-do-for-fun is a link to an entry about climbing and seeking to develop a community using discussions of hobbies and passions.

This is a photograph of me near Panther's Den on a daytrip hike this Spring.