Hidden Lake Lookout! What a trail that promised much and delivered more! The name evokes pictures in my mind of a half-frozen lake, rocky crags still studded with snow, and wildflowers galore along the trail. Its 9.3 mile length also…
Lookout Mountain – Fabulous Views of Mt. Hood!
The views of Mt. Hood from Lookout Mountain are downright stunning. And I don’t say that lightly…it’s true! So often, it’s difficult to get far enough away from the unique mountains that you can actually enjoy their splendor. But here,…
Skyline Divide: Best Views around Mt. Baker
Skyline Divide! What can I say for the jaw-dropping views, the endless vistas, and the snowcapped peaks nearby and far away? Every time I thought we’d gotten to the best of the best views, we crossed another high point on…
Hiking the Bridge to the NJ/PA State Line on the AT
I don’t hike the AT much, but it seems like when I do, it’s either in North Carolina or New Jersey/Pennsylvania. I don’t know why; maybe it’s just because the AT is a convenient trail in those areas. At any…
Hiking Third Beach to Strawberry Point: Rain Forests and Sea Stacks
I wanted a beach walk. And I wanted sea stacks. And it had to be long – at least, longer than a mile or two each way. And since I was at Mt. Baker, Olympic National Park wasn’t too far…
10 Suggestions for Getting The Most out of the Mayflower II
I’ve been on the Mayflower II twice – once when I was about 8 and a second time in 2014. Both times were an interesting experience, although as much as I enjoyed it as a child, I’m sure I appreciated…
(Accidentally) Visiting Nooksack Falls
We wanted a place to eat lunch. Really, that’s all we were looking for. A convenient dirt side road appeared as we drove along the Mt. Baker Highway, so we took it, figuring we could, at the very least, pull…
Sunset on the Plymouth Jetty
One of my hiking companions has always wanted to walk the Plymouth Jetty. When he first visited Plymouth, MA some 45 years ago as a kid, he wanted to do it…but it didn’t pan out. A couple weeks ago, some…
Lovely Mt. Rainier Views from Spray Park
Often, the reason the lesser-known parts of national parks are lesser-known is because they aren’t worth seeing. Or at least, they’re not as nice as the better-known parts. But that simply isn’t true of the northwest section of Mt. Rainier…
Location Review: The Hobo Pool, A Great Free Hot Spring in Wyoming
What? Another free hot spring, complete with showers, in Wyoming? And it’s only 20 minutes off of I-80? Why haven’t I heard of it before!?! The Hobo Pool in Saratoga, WY isn’t particularly well-known, but it sure is nice. Two…