One of the benefits of spending time in the mountains is the opportunity to escape from the constant barrage of distractions, silence the chatter, and find time to reflect. Recently, I found myself contemplating the role ‘prosperity’ plays in my life. I have been ‘rich,’ and I have been ‘poor,’ and if given the option of one or the other, …
Read More »Hike/Climb
3 Great Hikes for Winter
Marymere Falls Located near Lake Crescent in Olympic National Park, the short hike to Marymere Falls offers a delightful walk through a verdant rainforest. Along the way, the trail passes through a botanist’s dream: a garden of mosses and ferns beneath a majestic canopy of ancient trees. Viewpoints afford views of the rambunctious falls from above and below. Choose both. …
Read More »Stillness
There is a level of hustle and bustle in the world that is hard to avoid. To be a part of “what’s happening,” socially or professionally, means engaging in often frenetic activity where everyone seemingly goes a mile a minute. I’m as guilty as anyone in perpetuating this behavior. I’ve been known to stare at the screen on my cell …
Read More »The Quietest Sound
The Olympic Peninsula has the best place names of anywhere I’ve lived. Humptulips. Hamma Hamma. Wynoochee. Duckabush. My favorite – Dosewallips. At the end of autumn, when a window of clear weather opened, I traveled on a road alongside the Dosewallips River. Several years ago, a storm-swollen flow pulverized a stretch of pavement, closing the route to motorized vehicles. After …
Read More »A Hiker’s Quick Guide to Sunglasses
Hiking is undoubtedly one of the most beneficial outdoor activities a person can do. Aside from the mental health benefits of being out in nature, hiking’s physicality offers other concrete perks. These include preventing obesity since you can burn up to 100 calories per mile, improving sleep quality by regulating your circadian rhythm, and building bone density through the absorption …
Read More »A Larch Pilgrimage to Upper Eagle Lake
The rain falls for two days and nights, drifting through the trees, chilled by the breath of oncoming winter. Here at the Klipchuck Campground in the Methow Valley at the tail end of September, Jesse, Al, and I are waiting for the weather to turn so we can head up into the mountains. The rain falling here is likely falling …
Read More »Autumn in the Kootenays
The mountains of British Columbia are justifiably world famous for their rugged beauty and isolation, stretching in range after glorious range across the vast province, which is larger than France and Germany combined. British Columbia is a mountain lover’s dream come true. If the words ‘Larch Madness’ have you racing for your gear, then you’ll love the Kootenays. The province’s …
Read More »A Tale of Four Elephants
1. The Elephant in the Park North Cascades National Park contains some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in the United States, but due to its rugged topography, accessing the alpine zone is physically demanding. Most trails begin at low elevations in old-growth forests, and hikers must work to get to the tree line for truly jaw-dropping vistas. …
Read More »Autumn on the Mountain Loop Highway
When we think of the “North Cascades,” I’m sure we all have a certain image that pops into our heads. Perhaps it’s the awesome view of Mount Baker or Shuksan from Artist Point or one of the stunning vistas from the North Cascades Highway, like the Diablo Lake Overlook or Washington Pass. For me, it’s Glacier Peak and the Mountain …
Read More »To Hell with Mars
My father swings the truck around another corner up a dirt road in Southwest Colorado. We’ve been traversing the state with our fly rods for the last few days, and as we climb into the San Juan Mountains, ranch land gives way to National Forest. As we crest another hill, our first view of the Uncompahgre Wilderness fills the windshield. …
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