Spring is in the air. The sun is shining, the snow is melting, and the jackets are resting in the closets. It reached 48 degrees at my house today, two degrees shy of a record, and the temperature got me thinking about my plans for the summer.

The high-level list goes something like this:

• Convert my easy button into a magic 8-ball easy button
• Bike at least 1000 miles
• Attend some type of goalie camp or lessons
• Backpack Isle Royale for about five days
• Backpack on the Superior Hiking Trail a couple of times during weekend excursions

The last two items on the list hint at what’s been on my mind this weekend. Visits to Philmont and the BWCA sealed my love of the outdoors when I was younger, and I want to re-engage in those activities while I’m still able. There are few things more relaxing than being out on the trail in a forest, beyond the reach of cell phones and the Internet, with everything required for survival strapped to one’s back.