The Spray Park Alternate Route Packing up as quietly as possible so as not to disturb others in camp, we donned our headlamps and started up the forested trail out of Cataract Valley at 4am. Within the hour, we came out into more open terrain and the sky began to slowly brighten and illuminate the…
And We’re Off! Waking up with the sunrise, we broke camp and climbed up the Wonderland Trail towards Granite Creek. Our first steps were in the cool shadows and the ridge lines with lingering snow brightened by the sun. Lavender lupine lined the trail as we moved into sections with more vegetation. We had 15.3…
In 2015, I set out to complete the Wonderland Trail in 6 days. The 93 mile loop circumnavigates Mount Rainier and is a rite of passage for many Pacific Northwest locals and backpackers from around the world. I had already completed the Washington State section of the Pacific Crest Trail (and 200 miles of the…
This last December after Christmas, the hubby and I took a drive down to stay on the Columbia River Gorge for the weekend. One of the hikes we did was on the Lyle Cherry Orchard Trail just outside Lyle, WA. This turned out to be an interesting stroll with expansive views of the gorge despite…
If this is the year you decide to take your non Standard American Diet lifestyle into the wilderness, this 3 day paleo and nightshade free backpacking meal plan is just for you. Maybe you have been following me along for awhile now and love the paleo and nightshade free recipes but have yet to through…
I’m not sure that title could get much longer… Do I know how to cram a lot into a road trip or what? Yes, we were in the United Kingdom for 10 days and we saw about as much as one could hope to see of the country in such a short time. And as…