Since I get many questions from readers asking how they can begin backpacking I've decided to put together a "Backpacking 101" series where I will share posts that will hopefully make the overwhelming process of getting into backpacking just a bit more manageable. Last week I shared all of the gear I use backpacking and this week I will share all of the mistakes that are easy for beginning backpackers to make so you can avoid them!
Read MoreOne of the more frequently asked questions I receive is "What gear do you take backpacking?" My gear closet is a constant evolution, I'm always trying new pieces (I still am not sure I have found a water filtering system I love) and upgrading old, heavy gear I bought when I first started backpacking. However, I know how overwhelming it can be when you walk into REI to buy backpacking gear for the first time only to discover the store feels like a bottomless pit and wait, there are how many different tents?!
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 MoreThe question I am asked the most, without a doubt, is "what camera do you use?" so I decided it was time to create a blog post to answer that question. Keep in mind that I tried to keep this post informative yet succinct, so I won't be getting into the nitty gritty technical details about this gear. There are many websites who dedicate themselves to just that and do a much more thorough job than I could ever hope to do. This post is simply going to answer that ever-so-popular question and explain why I personally like and chose the gear I did.
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.
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