The hikes that begin from the Mt. Baker Highway in northwest Washington State have got to be some of the most spectacular in the Continental US. There’s something about Mt. Baker’s cone, Mt. Shuksan’s rugged profile, and all the other…
Up the Cleft in the Rock: Table Rock
I don’t go to New England much. I’m not exactly sure why; maybe I’m spoiled by the mountains west of the Mississippi, or maybe it’s just so hard to find free (or even cheap) places to camp that trips to…
Cooper Spur: Snow, Ice, and Rocks
Sometimes we just have to do a hike twice. It’s just that epic; that worth redoing that we’ll drive 100 miles out of our way just to do a single hike again. Such is Cooper Spur, high on the side…
Fort Stanwix: The Hands-on Fort
For some reason, few people know about Fort Stanwix. I live within a few hours, yet I’d never heard of it until one day when I was looking for national public lands areas near my home. Then it went on…
A Day Canoe Trip in Voyageurs National Park
Voyageurs National Park has been one of those places I’ve always thought about going, but could never figure out a good reason to. For one thing, you really need a boat to see it (at least during the summer months),…
10 Best Things to Do in Niagara Falls
Sometimes I forget about the nice stuff near home. It’s not that I don’t appreciate it. I just don’t think about it because I’ve seen it enough times that my thoughts are on faraway places like the Tetons and the…
The 6 Best Day Hikes in Grand Canyon (South Rim)
Grand Canyon National Park tops our list for the number of times we’ve visited a park. At last count, between the North Rim, South Rim, and Toroweap Area, we’ve visited a total of 10 times – more than any other…
Pictures: Lake Ann Trail to Swift Creek
We really didn’t need to hike another trail. We’d already hike most of the best-of-the-best around the Mt. Baker Highway, including Ptarmigan Ridge, Heliotrope Divide, Artist Ridge, and Skyline Divide. Still, it was supposed to be rainy in North Cascades…
Biking the Auburn Trail / Lehigh Valley Trail
A few weeks ago, I celebrated a birthday. It was a bit of a milestone, I suppose. Anyway, I decided that I’d like to really celebrate – like, something that lasted more than an hour or so. So it was…
Sahale Arm Revisited: Incredible Views!
If you could only do one long hike in North Cascades National Park, I’d recommend the trail up to and along Sahale Arm. It somehow manages to get some of the best scenery in the Cascades into one 13.4 mile…