Half Dome is the most popular hike in Yosemite National Park. It’s both a thrilling and heart-stopping experience but also requires careful planning! One of the planning steps is securing a permit - whether day hiking or backpacking. This post provides all the details you need to know to get one of the coveted permits.
Everyone should experience the iconic beauty of Yosemite - epic waterfalls, famous rock faces, breath-taking alpine meadows - in person at least once! From a stroll in the woods, rock climbing, to a serious backpacking adventure on the John Muir Trail, Yosemite offers an adventure for everyone.
The naturally forming rocks at Arches National Park makes this a memorable place to visit. Because the trails in Arches are short, I was able to combine several hikes into a day, experience much of the park in two days, still not feel exhausted, and visit the three other National Parks nearby.
Glacier National Park gives new meaning to wilderness and was the place I most anticipated experiencing on my road trip. Unfortunately, the wildfires of 2018 interrupted my plans for a three-day adventure. I still managed to see some of the beauty of this magical place - Grinnell Glacier, Going-to-the-Sun Road, Logan Pass, and countless wildlife!
Bryce Canyon National Park neighbors Zion but offers a dramatically different experience. It was an experience to walk (and ride a horse for the first time!) among the famous hoodoos, magical-looking sand structures that cover Bryce. Unfortunately, I didn’t get experience the other hiking adventures Bryce offers because a wildfire closed most of the park.
Zion National Park’s slot canyons, sandstone formations, and rock walls make a spectacular background for a range of adventures. Rocking climbing and canyoneering are popular and well worth experiencing. Zion is also a hiker's paradise with Narrows, a hike in the Virgin River, and the steep and dizzying climb to Angel’s Landing among the most famous.
Winter came early to Yellowstone (in August!), so I scrapped my hiking plans and opted to drive the much of the loop of Yellowstone National Park. Known for its thermal features, grizzly covered backcountry, stunning waterfalls, and large lakes, it is hard to capture the adventure possibilities of Yellowstone in one blog post.
During our road trip this summer, we’re visiting and camping at some of the most popular National Parks in the country. While it’s an amazing experience, camping in National Parks, particularly established campgrounds in popular ones, require advance planning. Given the ground we’re covering in five weeks, we mostly opted to stay in these places... Continue Reading →
I thru hiked (uninterrupted hike from one end of a long trail to the other) the Appalachian Trail in 2014. It was a crazy and wild adventure, but it also helped me fall in love with the outdoors again. Here, I answer a few of the most frequently asked questions about my experience (53).
The Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2 Tent is an extremely light but durable tent. In the three years that I owned the Fly Creek, it survived six months on the Appalachian Trail, an eight week cross-country motorcycle trip and many short camping trips in between! If the tent had not been stolen on... Continue Reading →
Hiking Misadventures 