I hiked Artist Point about 7 years ago. The view was spectacular, like nothing else in the world, and so worth doing. However, I couldn’t say the same for the trail. The path up from the Tunnel View parking area…
10 Best Day Hikes On & Around Mt. Hood
Mt. Hood may be an icon of northern Oregon, and its Timberline Trail may be epic with backpackers, but it also offers some great day hiking. The scenery can be a bit varied, too – waterfalls, lakes, meadows, rock scrambles,…
Engaging my Heart with the Wilderness
I remember the first time the wilderness caught my heart. It was spring, and my family was on a long-overdue trip to the Grand Canyon. (We made up for that by visiting 4 out of the next 5 consecutive…
Climbing the Cinder Cone in Lassen
There are certain trails in certain parks that you return to, whenever you happen to be in the area. Such for us is the Cinder Cone in Lassen National Park. Most of the trail isn’t all that difficult (except for…
When I Fell in Love with the Mountains
I have a heritage in the Canadian Rockies. Our very first cross-country trip was spent there, along with a few American parks, like Badlands, Yellowstone, and Craters of the Moon. It was beautiful. Outside of the Alps, we had never…
Honoring the Artist via His Art
I’ve long heard it said that “You can’t say you love the artist but say that you hate their art.” Or, more recently, “If you insult an artist’s work, you’re indirectly insulting the artist.” These expressions can be turned around…
Spectacular Views from North Dome
Last week I posted about hiking to Indian Rock, which happens to be Yosemite National Park’s “only” arch. Not so very much further down the trail (and it really is down!) is North Dome. It’s a great place to look…
Refreshed in the Wilderness
In our everyday lives, we are constantly asked to give: to offer help, to work hard at our jobs, to give time and affection to our families, to take care of the myriad of tasks that never seem to end.…
Indian Rock: Day Hiking Yosemite’s Only Arch
On our recent visit to Yosemite, there were a few “must do” hikes on my list along the Tioga Road, namely, Cloud’s Rest and North Dome. Actually, the dome didn’t interest me as much as a photo I had seen…
9 Best Day Hikes in Olympic National Park
Olympic National Park is definitely unique – sea stacks and tide pools give way to temperate rain forests, which melt into alpine valleys and steep-sided mountains. This is perfect environment for seaside strolls, forest hikes, waterfalls, and high-alpine hiking in…