The Wonderland Trail is 93 miles long, includes 22,000' of elevation gain and loss, and circumnavigates the tallest point in Washington: Mt. Rainier. It is a world-class hike that has been on my mind for years so finally being able to complete it was such a wonderful feeling, but it wasn't an easy road (or trail) to get there.
Read MoreI looked out at the mountains from our vantage point at the Minaret Vista parking lot and furrowed my brow. The mountains, which should have been clear and crisp from our distance appeared vaguely through a smoky haze. The Lions Wildfire that was sparked by a rogue lightning strike on June 1 was only partially contained and the smell of smoke was overwhelming.
Read MoreThe main goal of Alex's and my trip to Escalante was to tackle a backpacking route we’ve been wanting to do for awhile: Coyote Gulch. The gulch is 25 miles long and drains into the Escalante River which in turn drains into the Colorado River. Coyote Gulch is located in central, southern Utah so it had some similarities to the Paria Canyon hike but it was also different enough that it didn't feel repetitive.
Read MoreOver New Year’s weekend Alex and I headed to Yosemite National Park to complete a backpacking trip we we’ve been trying to do each January the past two years. Delayed flights and historic snowstorms on the previous trips thwarted our attempts, but on this third try we finally succeeded.
Read MoreHavasupai has been on my "must-visit" list for a couple of years now. In 2016 I missed out on the very short window of reserving permits so the hike was, unfortunately, out of the running for that year. However, I was determined to make it to Havasupai in 2017 so on February 1, when permits are available for reservation, I was on the phone and dialing the office.
Read MorePlanning a trip for late fall can be tricky as the weather is completely unpredictable in most locations. In late November the Grand Canyon can see snow and ice or it can see warm, sunny days that call for shorts and a t-shirt.
Read MoreIn late November Alex and I took a road trip from Tucson to Las Vegas, stopping at all of Arizona's national parks on the way. Our second stop was at Petrified Forest National Park where we planned to spend a night in the backcountry. The park doesn't have any trails in its backcountry nor does it have designated campsites so we knew we were in for quite the adventure!
Read MoreOver Labor Day weekend Alex and I had planned on going on a 35+ mile hike through the Glacier Peak Wilderness. Unfortunately, the road to the trailhead was too much for our 2WD sedan to handle so we had to turn around and find a plan B. A number of other unforeseen circumstances got in the way of plans B, C, D, and E and finally we ended up hiking plan F: Snowy Lakes in Wenatchee National Forest.
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