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 MoreIn late August Alex and I went on a road trip through Idaho and Wyoming to complete a few of our bucket-list backpacking trips. Our initial plan also included Glacier but the Howe Ridge Fire closed the west side of the park and we had to cancel our backpacking trip there.
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 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 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”.
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