a former gymnast with a neverending case of wanderlust
After somewhat of a lull in hiking in the latter portion of 2023, my 2024 hiking pursuits began just three days into the new year when Savannah invited me on a snowshoeing excursion to Forest Lakes. These lakes had been on my to-do list for a while but never seemed to make it close enough… Continue reading Colorado Day Hikes: Forest Lakes
I've hiked in Glacier Gorge in the summer. I've also hiked in Glacier Gorge in the winter. A lot, in fact. Winter in Glacier Gorge is one of my favorite things in Rocky. And while I've published posts on Sky Pond in summer and Sky Pond in winter and Black Lake in summer and Black… Continue reading Rocky Mountain National Park: winter hiking in Glacier Gorge
Although ‘volcano’ and ‘Arizona’ aren’t two words that seem like they should go in the same sentence, in fact it’s a very appropriate combination. Most of central Arizona is volcanic in origin, including the Superstition Mountains, which formed about 20 million years ago when three supervolcanoes deposited a 1000 foot (305 m) thick layer of… Continue reading Hiking in Arizona’s Superstition Mountains – Siphon Draw Trail to the Flatiron
Well, it's that time again. Time for me to jump on the bandwagon of writing an end-of-the-year wrap-up post. I always enjoy looking back at what I've accomplished in the year while also looking forward to the blank slate of the new year that awaits us. So without further ado: January I never really got… Continue reading A year in review: 2023
This happens to everyone, right: you do something wrong and you get corrected and then you can never remember which version is wrong and which one is correct? As a kid I attended a school named for Chief Joseph and, in one of the more embarrassing moments of my time there, I misspelled the word… Continue reading Colorado Summits: Chief Mountain
There are many Lost Lakes in Colorado. Apparently. I didn’t realize this until I just googled “Lost Lake” in an attempt to verify the mileage of this hike and a whole bunch of options came up. Turns out there are at least 7 or 8 of them. Back in the day, people must not have been very good at keeping track of all the lakes. Anyway, on an unseasonably warm February day Pat and I headed out with our friends Kaylyn and Holden to snowshoe to the Lost Lake that’s just outside of Nederland, Colorado, a small town about an hour west of Boulder.
In the years since we moved to Colorado, more than one person has told me that Lawn Lake is their favorite hike in Rocky. Obviously, I couldn’t ignore a recommendation of that caliber. And while it’s not #1 on my Rocky hikes list – Chasm Lake retains that designation – I can see why people… Continue reading Rocky Mountain National Park Hikes: Lawn and Crystal Lakes
In 1930, workers in Glacier National Park blasted a 250 foot (76 m) tunnel through the sheer rock of Ptarmigan Wall, forming an easily navigable connection between the Many Glacier and Belly River Valleys. Located at about 7200 feet (2195 m) of elevation, Ptarmigan Tunnel is now a popular day hiking destination, as well as… Continue reading Glacier National Park: hiking to Ptarmigan Tunnel
I’m just going to come right out and say it: this might be the most underrated waterfall in Rocky. Given the deluge of rain we received in May and early June this year, I figured it would be an optimal time to hike to a waterfall. And boy, was it ever. Of course, we also… Continue reading Rocky Mountain National Park Hikes: Bridal Veil Falls
A couple years back, my mom – an avid blog reader since day one – wrote her first ever guest post. She really enjoyed the process and offered to write more posts in the future should the opportunity arise. This one had actually been in progress for a while and, since my California trip still… Continue reading Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park, Montana
Handstands Around the World 