The trails around these parts seem to have a common theme … steep, unmarked and no people, but lots of cows. The Chico Trail fit perfectly into this mold. We tried to research it, but there was very little info on the Internet. We have the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest map, but it is from the…
This blog post is brought to you by my awesome and crazy husband, J. The above title is one of my favorite Blues Traveler songs and for this post it stands true for my latest adventure. In the pursuit to climb the highest peak in every state, my latest adventure brought me to Mt. Hood, Oregon’s…
We have a *few* friends/family willing to make the long haul out to visit us this summer. But we know we are a far way from anywhere. So, we are willing to take second best, which is meeting up in Spokane, a quick 3.5 hours from us. Our kindred spirits from NH (Paul/Second Nature and…
As soon as we saw a glimmer of good weather, we knew we needed to take our kayaks out for a spin. We live in an area surrounded by snaking rivers (including the Snake River), which is why we lugged our kayaks all the way across the country. We’ve missed our kayaks. Last summer, they…
J & I went down into Joseph Canyon this past weekend and this time, we turned it into an overnighter. The last time we hiked down, we left right from RR, crossed private property and dropped 2,000 feet over 5 miles. We are scouting out other trails that do not illegally cross private property and…
Well, this shouldn’t surprise you, but J & I are entering a contest. And we need your help to win!! This one is through Backpacker Magazine for us to win a week-long adventure trip to Montana as Step Out of Bounds Ambassadors. We would graciously let others live vicariously through us using the written word,…
I came across a “Currently” blog post from this Colorado blogger and I loved the idea. Apparently, this is not new to the blogging scene, but once again, I live under a rock when it comes to these things. So here goes my own version of “Currently.” Currently thankful for: being on blood thinners for…
You know those life experiences that you have once and then swear you’ll never do again? Like bikini waxes. Or pregnancy and giving birth. I think snowboarding was on my list. I took lessons once, 4 years ago, and according to my very own blog post, I should not try to be a snowboarder. Well,…
Back when we started our contract with BP, we got an e-mail from our boss asking if we were available for a photo shoot on July 19. Of course we complied, thinking it was probably related to the tour. As the photo shoot got closer, we received the contract and were surprised to see so…
We’ve been in Colorado for 10 days now. And in no particular order, here are 10 highlights of our time here so far. 1) J’s Bday We celebrated J’s bday with football watching (that is a Sunday tradition regardless) and a home-cooked dinner and Rum Cake made by Rachel/DocDoc with some friends. 2) Speaking of…
First of all, happy birthday to my old man!! For the many, many years, he would tell people he was 22 when they asked his age. Lately, he’s been saying 31. Getting closer to his real age, but still in denial! J shares his bday with a number of our friends and friend’s kids ……
Our whole summer has been speckled with spur-of-the-moment decisions and seizing the opportunity because we’re there. This weekend was no different. We had 2-3 days in southeastern California and wondered what to do. We knew we couldn’t hit the high point of Nevada even though we were driving RIGHT BY IT because the 14-mile road…
We’ve traded in coniferous trees and high-alpine lakes in the Pacific Northwest high country for barren landscapes and prickly cacti in the Southwest. We had forgotten how HOT it is in the Southwest, even though it is approaching “fall,” but we’re still hiking! Lately, we’ve had local “guides” on our hikes. In New Mexico, we…
We knocked off 2 more high points as we have been making our way to the Southwest … this makes 7 for this year! With 17 left, you’d think we were in the home stretch. But many of the high points left are daunting with their elevation and difficulty … and we know how I…
As I said in my last blog post, our time in the Pacific Northwest was wrapping up. But I couldn’t go without one last blast of pictures from Crater Lake National Park in Oregon because this place is too good to be true. Almost as unbelievable as its beauty is its formation. Something like 7,000…
I love Washington … always have. How could you not love a state with such diverse ecosystems? We have been lucky enough to come to Washington 3 different times this year and get to really experience its diversity. You already heard about our experience in the alpine ecosystem up on Rainier. But to get the…
… you have to stop and smell the roses, literally and figuratively. The last couple of days have been splendid. We have been staying at University of Portland’s Holy Cross Court, mostly apartments for priests, but we have our connections. UP is a pretty sweet campus, set far enough from the city in that there is…
We just spent the last week exploring Idaho. For those of you thinking Idaho is not so cool of a state, think again. It is way cool. This state is covered more by national forest and wilderness land than anything else. The state even survived a mysterious volcano and earthquake, so brownie points for that.…
I’ve always said it is about the journey, not the destination, and this is certainly true for my experience on Mount Rainier! As you all probably know by now, J successfully summited, along with Fire Marshall Mac. In J’s words, it was the most difficult outdoor recreation thing he ever attempted–even frightening at times–but he…
We are alive and well!!! J and Fire Marshall Mac beat the mountain and hit the summit at 5:45 am PST … on the other hand, the mountain beat me at a little over 11,000 feet. A more detailed account will come … soon!!!