Hey there! Being down and out with my foot injury still, I’ve spent a lot of time reading other blogs to live vicariously through others and keep up with the latest and greatest in the Outdoor Industry! I decided to sign up for Bloglovin’! If you like to browse blogs, it keeps you up to date and organized on all the new posts. Follow my blog with Bloglovin My current favorite blogs are: Just A Colorado Gal – A…
In 2013, Brian and I were visiting friends and family in Montana. One of my all-time bucket list climbs for Montana is a burly mountain called Great Northern. It stands just beyond the southern edge of Glacier National Park rises to 8,705 ft. It’s the tallest peak in the Great Bear Wilderness, so the views into Glacier from the peak are fantastic. The trail isn’t maintained, or even marked. It’s kind of a local’s secret, so is more of a…
We have been living in Summit County, CO for the last 10 months. It’s been fantastic on a lot of different levels. It truly is our Mountain Happy Place. The big downer, however, has been finding a place to live. I read somewhere that only 30% of the actual population of Summit County actually lives here full-time. The rest are second homeowners and vacation rentals (mostly from Texas). When we sold our house in Portland, it went blessedly quick. Because…
A while ago, I wrote about “Wilderness Jackwads” and how crazy they make me. So I figured I should address the idea of Leave No Trace… What is Leave No Trace? Leave No Trace is an ethical code of conduct for anyone exploring the wilderness or really doing any outdoor activities. Leave No Trace is also a non-profit that was founded as part of a conservation educational program by multiple government agencies in the early 90s. Why should you care…
This past weekend, I finally got back outside for a little overnight backpacking trip with Brian and Scotty dog. The last year was a little crazy for us with work, travel and moving to CO, so we haven’t been backpacking since an amazing long weekend trip in 2013. That year, we spent 4 days backpacking the southern and western slopes of Mt Adams in Washington. We didn’t see a single soul the entire trip, until the last 1/4 mile of…
I’m usually one of those people who turns up their nose at the thought of just DRIVING through a National Park. I love hiking. I love camping. I love to smell the air and feel the breeze. I want to really experience what makes an area special and DO something. I want a spectacular view and the chirping of birds and the light scent of wildflowers in the air. Mostly, I love to get away from the crowds and enjoy…
Change is the spice of life. And trying something new is the heart of adventure. Well, during my summer of (f)unemployment I am gonna try a few new things! For my first adventure, I decided to try the Stand Up Paddleboarding craze. It’s the fastest growing water sport and has been tremendously popular. I did some research and it sounded like it was easy to pick up, but I was still reluctant to go out on my own and just figure…
Back in March, I made a list of 10 things I had learned about living over 9000ft. Well, summer is here now, so I’ve added a few more life lessons onto the list. Here’s the original list, plus a few new additions: Hydrate!! You’ll regret it if you don’t. Follow the high altitude baking directions. If you don’t have any, make up your own. Cooking everything takes much longer (see above) and you’re 80% likely to either undercook it…
A lot of folks asked me how I got involved in the outdoors. Most folks assume that I grew up with it like Brian did. If you’ve ever met my family, you’d know there is NO WAY I was genetically inclined. I was raised outside Washington, DC. Camping meant taking the RV for the weekend when I was growing up. Despite this, I still loved being outside. I played in the woods and built forts and campsites. I was a…
I had an interesting run-in over this holiday weekend. It was a great reminder of everything you SHOULDN’T do. Travel in the wilderness, especially in high-altitude mountains, requires a certain respect for mother nature. You never know when she will turn on you and you should always be prepared for her to do so! In the outdoor world, it’s known as Wilderness Risk Management. Plan for the worst. 99% of the time, you won’t have to deal with it. That…