In January I planned nearly all of my trips for 2017. I knew that permits for some of the places I wanted to visit would be tough to come by so I made sure to secure them the moment they became available. For the long July 4th weekend I had (barely) snagged a couple of permits for a 4 day/3 night backpacking trip through the Ansel Adams Wilderness.
Read MoreAfter our never-ending day hike to Mount Whitney Alex and I hightailed it to Ventura to check into a hotel and get some rest before waking up at 6am to head to the Ventura Harbor and catch the Island Packers ferry to Santa Cruz Island. Whew!
Read MoreAt midnight on Friday, June 9th I awoke from a fitful bout of rest to the distinct sound of my alarm ringing. Instinctively, I reached to snooze it, but when my blurry gaze fell upon the dial that read 12:00am my reality hit me. Snoozing my alarm didn't mean that I wouldn't have time to shower before work it meant that I would delay my attempt to summit the highest peak in the contiguous US: Mount Whitney. Suddenly sleep was the furthest thing from my mind.
Read MoreAfter our 3 day/2 night kayaking excursion to the Northwestern Fjord in Kenai Fjords National Park Alex and I decided to stop at Exit Glacier.
Read MoreThe highlight of Alex's and my trip to Kenai Fjords National Park in early May was the 3 day/2 night kayaking trip we went on with Miller's Landing. While there are a few trails to hike in the park the best way to see and experience Kenai Fjords is by boat and we didn't want to take just a short day cruise, we wanted to really immerse ourselves in the park.
Read MoreThe summer backpacking season is just around the corner and I'm in the process of finalizing almost all of my trips. Since you may be as well I thought it would be a great time to finally put together a review for my guided backpacking trip to the Arrigetch Peaks in Gates of the Arctic National Park last summer, in case you want to add it to your itinerary!
Read MoreOn New Year's Eve Alex and I finally tackled a hike that we have wanted to do for over a year and a half, and we couldn't have done it without the help of Chelsea (who joined me on my trip to Blue Lakes in October!)
Read MoreThe past two years Alex and I have taken the long Thanksgiving weekend to #optoutside and spend some quality time in the national parks. Finding places to go in November that aren't too cold or too snowy can be a challenge but we've found that Utah is a pretty good bet. Last year we hiked in Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks, but this year I wanted something a little more remote.
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