• Phelps Lake

    Phelps Lake

    Phelps Lake in Grand Teton National Park is a gorgeous lake hemmed in by a terminal moraine. There are many ways to explore this lake from a short out-and-back, to a loop around the lake or even exploring the wooded ridges of the moraine. The lake with the mountains backdropping is definitely the highlight and…

  • Hiking Avalanche Lake and Biking Going-to-the-Sun Road 2018

    Hiking Avalanche Lake and Biking Going-to-the-Sun Road 2018

    When Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park is closed in the spring, the two most popular activities from West Glacier are hiking to Avalanche Lake and biking the Going-to-the-Sun Road. We decided to do both. We planned on camping at Fish Creek, waking up early and getting a parking spot at Avalanche Lake, then hiking…

  • Apikuni Falls with Red Rock Falls 2018

    Apikuni Falls with Red Rock Falls 2018

    It’s been a while since we made it into Glacier National Park, but we made it happen this weekend. The trick is always to figure out where to go. Spring really restricts where you can go due to snowpack (especially this year!). This slimmed our pool of options, so we decided to hit up Apikuni…

  • Schwabacher’s Landing

    Schwabacher’s Landing

    A series of easily accessed beaver ponds along the Snake River is sublimely backdropped by at Schwabacher’s Landing in Grand Teton National Park. It’s also a perfect place to spy moose! We pulled into the parking lot of Schwabacher’s Landing surrounded by a sea of sagebrush. This dry terrain contrasts with the collection of wetlands…

  • Cunningham Cabin

    Cunningham Cabin

    This short, level stroll through the open grasslands of Jackson Hole in Grand Teton National Park takes you to an old, historic cabin. The homesteader farmed using a series of irrigation ditches. You’ll be able to see a bit of history with interpretive signs and sweeping views of the vast grassland backdropped by the impressive…

  • Marion Lake and Granite Canyon

    Marion Lake and Granite Canyon

    A great way to explore the alpine areas of Grand Teton National Park is to take the tram ride up from Jackson Hole Resort in Teton Village to the top of Rendezvous Mountain. From there, traverse across the sublime landscape to Marion Lake, then back down through Granite Canyon and loop back to the village.…

  • Your Hiking Distances Are All Wrong (And So Are Mine)

    Your Hiking Distances Are All Wrong (And So Are Mine)

    Ever get done hiking and realize that the trail sign, your map, guidebook, and your GPS are all telling you different distances? Well you’re not alone. There are a few things at play here. As I’m working on my new Yosemite map, I found myself staring at the screenshot below and thought it illustrated perfectly…

  • A Few Of My Favorite (Hiking) Things

    A Few Of My Favorite (Hiking) Things

    Every year I log hundreds of miles on the trail. Through those miles, some gear rises to the top that I end up absolutely loving. Here are a few of them… There are a lot of sites/bloggers out there who do extensive reviews of products. They’ll list the “Top 10 day packs” and review them,…

  • Winter is not for hibernating

    Winter is not for hibernating

    I’m often asked if winter is the slow time of year for me. I’m definitely not running around like I am in the spring (product distribution), summer, and fall (hiking). I am, however, busy editing blogs, making the actual topo maps, and writing trail descriptions. It kind of reminds me of seeing birds like the…