Your first backpacking trip doesn’t need to be scary and intimidating. Washington has plenty of low commitment trails where you can test the waters and see if backpacking is right for you. Here are five of my favorites, check them out if you are new to backpacking or want a chill night out in the backcountry without a ton of work.
Read MoreThousand Island Lake is in the Ansel Adams Wilderness outside of Mammoth, California. You need permits to camp overnight, and there are multiple trails to hike in on. You need to submit for a permit on the trail you plan to hike to reach the lake. You can find more information about the permitting process here. During peak Summer months you also need to take a shuttle to the trailhead. Since we went at the end of September we were able to park at the trailhead.
Read MoreTrip report from my three day two night trip backpacking the Copper Ridge Loop in North Cascades National Park of Labor Day Weekend.
Read MoreIf you are taking someone on their first backpacking trip and you aren’t sure how they will feel about it, I recommend Garibaldi Lake. The lake is beautiful and the campground has multiple outhouses and bear shelters for storing and cooking your food. No need to bury your poo in the woods or attempt a bear hang. As far as backpacking goes it doesn’t get much more glamorous than this! This place has been on my to-hike list for a while. After years of drooling over this view, I was able to convince Doris and our boyfriends to come along with me!
Read MoreWhen someone tells you they scored camping reservations in Yosemite Valley and invites you along, you drop everything you are doing, buy a plane ticket, and show up. At least that is what I did when Doris got reservations and asked me if I wanted to come along on her Fourth of July trip to Yosemite!
Read MoreA trip report from my recent climb up Mount St Helens in Washington. You can learn what to expect when climbing the mountain in mid-June!
Read MoreHave you ever hiked 22 miles for a famous cinnamon roll? This Memorial Day weekend I did exactly that!
Nestled on the northern shore of Lake Chelan lies the town Stehekin. Unreachable by car, the only way to reach it is either by a four hour ferry ride or float plane. A fun third option? Take the Lady of the Lake ferry to the Prince Creek stop and backpack 17 miles on the Chelan Lakeshore Trail into town!
Read MoreWhile you may not know about the Alabama Hills by name chances are you have seen it in a TV show or movie, it’s an extremely popular Hollywood filming location. The road your drive down to reach the campsites is even called, “Movie Road” Before white settlers and eventually Hollywood stumbled across this location the Paiute Tribe called this land home and you can even find pictographs in the rock formations. Now Alabama Hills is managed by the Bureau of Land Management, which means there is free dispersed camping. There are some rules in place surrounding this so double check the BLM site before planning your trip!
When my friend Doris asked me if I would want to sign up for the snow camping event with her, I must admit, I was super on the fence. We had car camped in the North Cascades in October and I spent a miserable night freezing in my car in 19-degree temps. My initial thoughts were, why would I willingly sign up to cry in a sleeping bag again…? Doris assured me she would help me figure out a better sleeping system and that it would be fun so we reserved our spots (these events fill up super quickly!) and I anxiously awaited the arrival of this weekend.
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