In late June, I visited Colorado and decided that we had to do a 14er. I realized only later that we’d never been above 13,000 before in our lives (except in airplanes, and that doesn’t count), and if I’d known,…
Walk in the Footsteps of Indians on the Ute Trail
Think top-of-the-world feelings. Awe-inspiring mountain vistas. Lovely wildflowers. Classic tundra experience. And you hardly have to hike to get to it. This is only a partial listing of the wonders that await visitors who walk part of the Ute…
Awesome Teton Trail: Cascade Canyon
The Grand Tetons are, in my opinion, some of the most beautiful mountains in the US. Especially in the spring and early summer, when they are still flecked with snow, the mountains look like no other, and are beyond describing. …
I think I saw this view in a movie…! – Wind Caves
Recently, a friend saw a picture of an awesomely desolate (and pretty) desert up on my computer screen. She was wondering where it was taken, and we told her that it was a Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in California. Her…
Stunning Views of Washington’s Famed Mt. Baker: The Ptarmigan Ridge Trail
Imagine magnificent views of Mt. Baker, beautiful vistas of Mt. Shuksan, and amazing flowers and snow (yes, I said snow) to set it all off. You can see all of this and much more from the Ptarmigan Ridge Trail in…
Maroon Bells & Buckskin Pass: Totally Awesome!
So I’m told, one of the most photographed vistas in the US is of the Maroon Bells Mountains in western Colorado. Especially in early summer, when the mountains still snow-covered, the view of the Maroon Bells on a sunny day…
Unknown, and Rusticly Beautiful: That’s Bisti
Bisti National Wilderness is exactly what the name implies: wilderness. That means that this area doesn’t have the services offered at other parks. In fact, I think that the only service offered is a parking area at the trailhead. There…
Moab’s Undiscovered Arch: Corona Arch
Most people who’ve been to Moab have been to Arches National Park, or have at least heard of it. Many more across the globe have seen pictures of the park’s famed Delicate Arch. However, few have seen, or even heard…
A Bear of a Butte
Bear Butte State Park is a nice little park in the north-west corner of South Dakota. Its main attraction is Bear Butte (what a coincidence!), a butte-shaped mountain that sticks up from the fairly flat land surrounding it, although Bear…
Awesome View of Pikes Peak from Raspberry Mountain
One of the things we’ve found in hiking mountains is that the pretty mountain is nicer from another nearby mountain than from the pretty mountain itself. Pike’s Peak is no exception to this, and Raspberry Mountain is an awesome place…