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…
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…
Hole in the Rock: Scramble to Lake Powell!
I was shocked the other day when I found out that I’d never done a post on Hole in the Rock, at the end of Hole in the Rock Road in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (one of my favorite parks…
The Mist Clears Away: A Stroll at Ruby Beach
We arrived at Ruby Beach in Olympic National Park very early in the morning. We hadn’t slept nearby – after hiking Third Beach the day before, all we wanted to do was find a place for supper and then go…
Table Mountain near Mt. Baker
Ok, so maybe you can’t do Ptarmigan Ridge. You’d love to see those views, but you just can’t make such a long hike, especially over permanent snow fields. Well, don’t despair. There are two trails that give you similar (if…
How to Visit the Deception Pass Bridge for Free
Ever since I saw my first picture of the Deception Pass Bridge in northwestern Washington, I wanted to see it in person. There was something so uniquely interesting about the graceful spans, and knowing some of my group members pretty…
Hidden Lake Lookout: A Most Fabulous View!
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,…