I set out to climb 50 summits in 365 days. Here are some things I learned about setting and pursuing goals along the way.

At 12,633 feet, Humphreys Peak is the highest point in Arizona. It’s also one of the easiest to climb of the 11 western U.S. high points.

The standard climb up Mount Borah, Idaho’s highest peak, is physically challenging and, for half a mile, somewhat technical. It ascends more than 5,000 feet along a prominent west ridge from the Lost River Valley to the summit at 12,662 feet.

At 14,505 feet above sea level, Mount Whitney is the highest peak in the lower 48 United States and a big physical challenge for climbers.

Mount Tukuhnikivatz is a picturesque 12,482-foot peak in the La Sal Mountains of Utah, and it’s listed as one of the fifty classic ski descents of North America. While it’s a formidable mountain that deserves respect, Tukuhnikivatz is not a complicated ski mountaineering puzzle.

Hiking to the summit of Mount Saint Helens in southwest Washington state is a big but achievable effort that rewards climbers with panoramic views of Mount Rainier, Mount Adams, Mount Hood and a good chunk of the central Cascades at the same time.

Climbing Hawaii's highest peak is technically very easy and physically very hard - a perfect adventure for Big Island visitors looking for a change of pace.