Hike/Climb

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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. …

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 …

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. …

Like so many Cascadian epics, the Ptarmigan Traverse begins with a car shuttle. But the four hours of bouncing between potholes along the Suiattle and Cascade Rivers give me time to get to know my adventure partners. I previously climbed with Anthony throughout the Cascades for a couple of months, but Ken is relatively unknown, and our planned schedule is …

To prepare for the West Coast Trail on Canada’s Vancouver Island, find a ladder, preferably a wobbly one with a few rungs of questionable stability. Load your backpack and put it on. Then, climb up and down the ladder dozens of times while someone sprays you with a hose. What is the point of following a trail like the WCT …