Last month Alex and I finally backpacked a trail we have long been dreaming of: the Kalalau Trail. We got our first taste of the Kalalau Trail when we visited Kauai back in 2015. We had only been backpacking once at that point and the idea of hiking a route that regularly pops up on “the most dangerous trails” lists didn’t seem like the smartest idea, so we only hiked the first two miles to Hanakapi’ai Beach.
Read MoreWe pulled into the North Cascades ranger station in Marblemount at 5:00am, two hours before the office opened, but as our headlights swept through the dark lot we saw that we weren’t the first to arrive. There were already two people waiting at the front door, their headlamps illuminated a map as they talked over their options. I parked the car, turned off the engine, and walked over to join them. We were all here hoping to secure a walk up permit for North Cascades National Park over Labor Day weekend.
Read More“So do we turn back?” I asked the group, disappointment echoing in my voice. Everyone averted their eyes, staring off at the horizon or down at their feet. I knew it was inevitable: we had to return to camp. It was simply too hot to hike, the brush too cumbersome to bushwhack through, our nerves too frayed by the fourth day of our trip, and our exhaustion too high. We turned around.
Read MoreAlex and I spent the first weekend of June climbing Mt. Adams and skiing from its summit with our good friend Nate. While it is possible to climb Mt. Adams in one day, we opted to take two days. The extra time would allow us to enjoy a sunset, sunrise, and a starry night from the Lunch Counter campsite.
Read MoreOver Memorial Day weekend Alex and I headed to the Olympic Coast to embark upon our first Washington backpacking trip of the season. We had our sights set on Olympic National Park’s North Coast. The campsites along most of the coastline does not have a permit quota, but campers still have to show up at the ranger station and pick up a permit.
Read MoreThe final hike of Alex’s and my honeymoon in New Zealand was to Brewster Hut. The hike was another New Zealand classic: relatively short, but strenuous. In less than 3 miles we gained 3,200’ of elevation over gnarly roots and steep ridges.
Read MoreOne of the places I was most excited to visit in New Zealand was Mueller Hut in Aoraki/Mt. Cook National Park. Like most of our experiences on the South Island, our overnight trip to Mueller Hut was affected by the weather. But this time, a weather delay actually worked in our favor!
Read MoreWhen we touched down in Queenstown, New Zealand the weather was beautiful. Blues skies stretched for as far as the eye could see and there was nary a cloud in sight. This seemed to bode well for the trip we had planned for the next day: the Routeburn Track. However, the forecast told a different story.
Read MoreOn Friday, February 1 my friend Nate texted me and asked if Alex and I would like to join him for a sunrise mission up Mt. Ellinor in Olympic National Forest the very next day. It would mean we would have to wake up at 1am two Saturdays in a row (the weekend prior we climbed Mt. St. Helens), but we immediately said “yes!”
Read MoreI’m not a peak bagger, I don’t suffer from summit fever, and I have no burning desire to stand on top of the highest mountains. I actually prefer looking at mountains from below, staring up at their lofty peaks, being overwhelmed by their impossibly massive walls, and admiring their powerful presence. But, sometimes I make an exception and that is exactly what happened a few weeks ago when Alex and I set out with a group of friends with the goal of summiting Mount St. Helens and skiing off the summit.
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