I crossed the Colombia river into Oregon at Biggs Junction, having come out of the desert and over the hills of the Yakima. I thought that I was prepared for the majesty of the Colombia River gorge, having seen into before outside of Portland, but the formation has a totally different look to it east … More Mt. Hood and Lolo Pass
Climbing and, indeed, all alpine-oriented sports are inherently dangerous. I clearly don’t need to state that fact. As any piece of climbing gear or climbing guidebook will tell you, CLIMBING IS DANGEROUS. Just this past September, we lost Kyle Dempster and Scott Adamson in Pakistan. In almost any climbing magazine, there will be a special section dedicated … More Risk, Uncertainty and the Relentless Pursuit of Self-Actualization
It’s like I did the PCT backwards. In a car. In five days. Okay, I really just crossed the PCT a few times as I snaked back and forth across the Cascades, always heading southward during my time in Washington. After an unfortunate encounter with a border patrolman who took my avocado and threw it … More Roadtrip Week 4: Mt. Baker, Chest-Colds, and the Yakima
September 14th-19th Jasper disappeared farther and farther behind me as I wended my way out through the mountains, chasing the sun as it set. Suddenly it was 6:00 pm instead of 7:00 pm, and I had crossed the time zone into British Colombia. The Canadian highway 5 became absolutely terrifying once dark had fallen, and … More Squamish Part 1: And it Rained
September 9th-12th I fled from Lake Louise, wanting to leave the cold, rain, and throngs of tourists behind me; ironic, considering I was going to Jasper. I drove the Icefields Parkway, remembering vaguely the last time I had been there as a ten year old. I did as everyone does and stopped at the Crow’s … More Jasper’s Lovely Lady
September 8th and 9th Lake Louise A hike was in order. I left Canmore and drove the beautiful Route 1 to Lake Louise, where, despite the sun in Canmore, it was even colder and stormier than the previous few days combined. There, I went up and joined the throngs of people getting their picture taken … More A Shout-Out to Tea and Bread
September 7th- 8th Canmore and Banff After a full few days of climbing harder and more consistently than usual, I felt the need for a rest day or two…or a week as the rain just started inexorably rolling in. After Sept. 6th the weather in the Canadian Rockies turned to just cold, cold rain. It … More A Halt in the Plans
Guest post time! Written by one of my JMT partners, life companion, and sister, Claire McCahan … More A John Muir Trail Reflection
That title sounds like I’m waxing poetic about cheese. I guess that would be “stilton.”- Don’t get me wrong, I could absolutely wax poetic about cheese, but I won’t today. One of the many reasons I love to go up Stinson Mtn in Rumney is because of its old growth birch groves. It’s really difficult … More Stinson on a Cold Tuesday
Sunday, November 22nd, 2015 Before I get back to retracing my steps through Montana and California, I thought I’d do a little sharing on my place now; my home, New Hampshire. A lesser known secret about hiking in New Hampshire is that it’s about A SKABILLION times better when done in the Fall and Winter. … More Smarts Brook Loop
