a former gymnast with a neverending case of wanderlust
This post was originally published in May 2020 amidst the upheaval of everyone's travel plans, including ours. With the stay-at-home orders in place, our planned travels for the summer were replaced by local outings, including multiple backpacking trips through the Colorado mountains. Even as we've been able to travel more widely again, we've continued to… Continue reading Backpacking 101
I was never the girl who planned every detail of her dream wedding. Or any detail, for that matter. I didn’t have a dream wedding. But somewhere in the back of my mind, I always envisioned getting married in the mountains. So when Pat and I first started planning our wedding – which was supposed… Continue reading How to get married in a national park
I never really gave any thought to winter hiking until we moved to Denver. I'd been snowshoeing twice, but that's about it. Here in Colorado, though, there are some truly stunning winter hiking opportunities, so we decided to tackle a new challenge. Before heading out for a hike in winter conditions, there are some additional considerations that aren't a typical part of summer hiking. With lots of help from other people and some of my own research, I've gradually acquired the knowledge and gear necessary to stay warm and safe while winter hiking. That's what I'd like to pass along to you today. We'll talk about necessary and optional gear, choosing an appropriate hike, and what to expect when you're on the trail.
I admit, I’ve had a lot of trouble motivating myself to sit down and write my next post, which is why you haven’t heard from me in a couple weeks. I’ve been stubbornly sticking to my original plan of writing about my adventures in chronological order, and as a person who likes things to be… Continue reading How To: pitch your tent in the sand
In today's edition of my ongoing How To series, I’m going to talk about something that has begun to bother me greatly over the last few years: the amount of waste that people generate while camping. I’m not sure if it’s just because I’m older and more observant now, but when I was a kid… Continue reading How To: be more eco-friendly while camping
If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time, you’re probably well aware that I love my home state. I’ll defend Montana until the day I die. Well, most of the time. I’m not proud of the fact that we top the list for number of drunk driving-related deaths. I don’t always agree… Continue reading How To: avoid an awkward encounter with a bear
I’ve been thinking for a while now that I should mix things up a bit on here. While I never tire of talking about my adventures, I’m sure you all tire of reading about them at times. And over the years, I’ve gained more than just photos from my outdoor experiences. I’ve gained knowledge. So… Continue reading How To: not be a jerk while camping
Handstands Around the World 