By the time we’d reached the Echo Canyon Trail (after hiking the Ed Riggs Trail, Mushroom Rock Trail, and Big Balancing Rock Trail, taking a side-loop to hike around the Heart of Rocks Trail, and then traversing the Sarah Deming…
If you haven’t had enough rock formations after walking the Heart of Rocks Trail (and somehow I never have), you can continue to enjoy the formations from a distance if you walk back to your vehicle via the Sarah Deming…
In my last post I talked about hiking to the Big Balanced Rock in Chiricahua National Monument. If you like the Big Balanced Rock, you’ll absolutely love a trail that starts only yards from that rock formation: the Heart of…
There is no place in the US that is quite like Chiricahua National Monument. Rocky spires shoot straight up out of the hillsides in fantastic formations and an awesome display of uniqueness. Because of this, I’d like to spend a…
Occasionally, I’ll see a picture and instantly think, “If that’s in the US, I’ve got to go there.” Medicine Bow Peak, in southern Wyoming, was one of those pictures. After a single glimpse of the area, I knew I’d be…
Olympic National Park really is a study in contrasts: from snowcapped mountains to rain forests to ocean beaches. This makes it a really fun place to visit because there are so many varied activities in the park. My personal favorite…
Independence Pass in Colorado is a beautiful area. Many 13ers and 14ers stand straight and massive around it, and alpine meadows and lakes set off the mountains’ craggy slopes. So, when we had a few hours to kill while traveling…
Is your sleeping bag still in great shape, but the zipper’s shot? I can’t even tell you how many times that has happened to members of our group. Since I’m the official seamstress for them, they usually ask me to…
An accessible, deserted viewpoint at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon with fabulous views? Yeah, right, I thought when I first heard about Shoshone Point. However, I found out that the Point is deserted compared with other viewpoints on…
After ascending Amphitheatre Peak, we decided we didn’t really want to descend the way we’d come along the Wall Lake Trail (#1818). I’m sure some of our group would have been just as happy to do this, but others of…