This post is part of the “Olympic Dreams” series where I try Olympic sports and explore Olympic host cities. Read more Olympic Dreams posts HERE. “It’s a really great workout.” That was everyone’s reply when I told them I was going to try cross country skiing for the first […]
trail
16 posts
On a trip through Grand Teton, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Parks, Grand Teton was probably the park I was the least excited about. I constantly thought, “It’s just a big mountain, right?” Well, technically yes, Grand Teton is a very big mountain. But this 310,000 acre park in Wyoming includes […]
Four Mile Trail is a misleading name. It sounds easy. Four miles isn’t that far. In reality, it’s a 4 mile hike each way with 3,200 feet in elevation gain. Four Mile Trail connects the valley floor to Glacier Point. Along the way you get full views of both the […]
In the northeast corner of Yosemite Valley lays a natural phenomenon known as Mirror Lake. A grassy, sandy meadow for much of the year becomes a still pool filled with melting snow runoff in the spring and early summer months. Mirror Lake gets its name from the near perfect reflections that can […]
I didn’t have too much prior knowledge about Yosemite National Park, but as I was preparing to go a friend said “Be sure to hike the Mist Trail. You’ll be surrounded by rainbows.” I did a little more research and I wasn’t looking forward to the 600+ granite steps that […]
I thought vacations were for sleeping in. When you’re in a crowded National Park with a couple other adventurers, they’re not. Sunrise has become my favorite part of the day in parks. It’s beautiful. Quiet. Deserted. Calm. Chilly. It’s when you’ll see more animals than people. It’s when you’ll find […]
The Cascade Mountain Range is an icon of the Pacific Northwest. Stretching from Canada through Oregon, the Cascades parallel the coast and are responsible for the wet weather this area is known for. The Cascades are also known for creating beautiful vistas of snow capped peaks. While I was familiar […]
Capitol Reef National Park. That must be somewhere in Hawaii. Or maybe Guam? Or American Samoa? Or at least somewhere off the coast of California? Right? That’s what I thought too, but no. Capitol Reef National Park is in Utah. A reef in the desert. Capitol Reef gets in name […]
Stop #6: Arches National Park The park I was most excited to see in Utah was the one we visited first. There is something majestic and magical about natural arches. We began the day with a glimpse of Delicate Arch in the distance. I said that I wanted to hike […]
A Camper Minivan? I was intrigued when I saw it in an email from Groupon. I’d always wanted to go RVing, but didn’t want to drive a big rig around. But I’d driven a minivan before; this I could handle. Ultimately the Groupon deal dates didn’t work for me, but […]
Visiting the Theodore Roosevelt National Park South Unit from the North Unit also involves a bit of time travel. The Units are an hour apart. The North Unit operates on Mountain Time. The South Unit operates on Central Time. I arrived the same time I left. Whoa. Mind blown! Theodore […]
I went hiking in Mount Rainier National Park a couple weeks ago. I wasn’t in a good place. Physically, I was in a good place, a great one even. Mentally and emotionally I was in a dark place. I was dealing with a lot of uncertainties and inner turmoil. To […]