Adventure
First Camping Trip With a Toddler
Yeah, I was pretty hesitant at first. Camping with a 10 month old seemed like misery, but I also really wanted to see some mountains. To walk in alpine meadows. To look at the stars. I think a lot of people fall into the trap of not doing anything once they have children, or perhaps […]
Read MoreBreakfast on the Bay
I’m looking for ways to inject small bits of adventure into our daily lives — fighting normalcy and routine. Today’s little adventure of sorts was to eat breakfast differently. Normally we eat breakfast on the couch, occassionally at a table. If I had a patio or deck, I would probably eat out there a lot […]
Read MoreA Solo Mt. Laguna Hike
Mt. Laguna is quickly becoming a version of the Gorge for when I was in Portland. The scenery is nowhere near as spectacular as the Gorge, where waterfalls, cliffs, mountains, and forests greet you, but Mt. Laguna does offer a fair number of trails, and it works well in situations where I know I want […]
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Lena Lake in April
Today was a hike to a mountain lake, which is pretty nice since it’s mid-April and mountain lakes in the Northwest aren’t supposed to melt out until July. One of the great things about the Olympic Mountains is that there is actually quite a few low-elevation trails that present year-round hiking and backpacking options. Lena […]
Read MoreFirst Hike with a Small Child
Last week: walking through cactus, yucca, and a sparse desert landscape to a hidden palm oasis. This week: walking along a rushing, clear, and cold river, through tall trees and a totally lush and verdant understory. Quite the change. We did our first real hike with Mason, who is currently 7 months old. We have […]
Read MoreExploring Cuyamaca State Park
I really didn’t have a plan today, other than explore some of the maze of trails at Cuyamaca State Park. I ended up creating a nice 12.5 mile loop, that took me up near to the top Cuyamaca Peak. I’m probably one of the few people to to get that close to making it to […]
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Hellhole Oasis in Anza Borrego
Sometimes when it’s 45 degrees and sprinkling, and you’re wearing shorts, it’s the universe trying to tell you that you should be somewhere else. Sometimes you’re rewarded for listening. Today’s hike was going to be up the Noble Canyon Trail. It’s a comfortable trail for me — I know what to expect, well, at least […]
Read MoreBiking and Running Tecolote Canyon
I need adventure. I haven’t been able to do any large adventures recently, so for now, small, one-day explorations will have to do. These aren’t necessarily always about exploring new stuff, but more like exploring new ways of doing the familiar. Today’s little exploration was to run Tecolote Canyon. I’ve done this run several times […]
Read MoreThree Days in Glacier National Park
One early fall afternoon, much like this one, I was randomly looking over the Amtrak route map. I quickly realized that it will take residents of Portland, Seattle, and Spokane directly to Glacier National Park. Even better, the time spent travelling on the train doesn’t really cost you any time–you can leave on a train […]
Read MoreWill Backpack for Baked Goods
It used to be that I saw backpacking as purely a way to enjoy the backcountry and a chance to escape to wilderness. It was an opportunity to leave civilization behind and reconnect with the natural world that we were inhabitants of until only very recently in human history. It wasn’t until the Pacific Crest […]
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