At the end of September, Alex and I went on an overnight backpacking trip with our friends Alisha and Sean to a place we have been dreaming about for a couple years: Sahale Glacier camp. This backcountry campsite is one of the most sought after destinations in North Cascades National Park so, understandably, the competition for permits on weekends is fierce.
Read MoreAs Alex and I neared Jackson the sky grew dark and angry, sending down torrents of rain that our faulty windshield wipers had trouble mopping away. We were on our way to pick up our backcountry permits for the Teton Crest Trail, permits I had applied for the moment they became available for reservation on January 3, 2018. After nearly eight months of anticipation it became an increasing reality that the weather could foil the hike I had spent more than half a year dreaming about.
Read MoreThe 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 More“We’re ahead of schedule, get your stuff ready to go. Now!” One of the deckhands appeared out of nowhere and startled us. Alex and I hadn’t finished eating our lunch yet so we scarfed down the last few bites of our sandwiches and quickly headed to the deck below to gather our 13 dry bags and 3 stuffed-to-the-brim bear canisters. Standing at the bow of the boat, with a pile of gear at our feet Alex started up his camera and pointed it at me, “how are you feeling?”
Read More“Where are we supposed to go? Do we go over or under these rocks?” Alex asked. I looked around at our surroundings, to either of our sides towering sandstone walls shot up from the ground and surrounded us, enclosing us into a space no more than a couple feet across, ahead of us was a pile of fallen boulders that looked impenetrable, it seemed we hit a dead end. I fished my phone out of my pocket and consulted my AllTrails route. A flashing blue dot that indicated our location was nearly on top of the waypoint marked “tight squeeze”.
Read MoreIn May of 2016 Alex and I visited Crater Lake for the first time. We hadn't done much research so we were surprised to find most of the park still buried in snow and the entire length of the rim road was not yet open so we were confined to the Rim Village and a few miles of road along the West Rim. We visited over Memorial Day weekend and it seemed thousands of others had the same idea as us as the park was filled to the brim with visitors.
Read MoreLast Friday Alex, a few friends, and I ventured to the Mt. Baker wilderness to do some winter camping. The forecast called for overcast conditions with possible overnight snow flurries but instead we were treated to the most perfect bluebird day. Since we were heading out on a Friday afternoon there were very few people out on the trail and we were able to get our pick of campsites.
Read MoreI opened up the weather app on my phone and apprehensively scrolled to the tab for Ashford (Mount Rainier National Park) and saw a bright sun next to Saturday and Sunday—the weather window was holding and it was going to be a beautiful weekend in the mountains.
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.
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