Tag: hiking

  • Slide Lake Backpack 2016

    Slide Lake Backpack 2016

    I had the opportunity to go on my first backpack (yes, you read that right) of the year at Slide Lake in Glacier National Park this past weekend. The plan was to hike up Lee Ridge, drop down to Slide Lake, explore around and then hike back out the next day. Originally, we were going…

  • Starting Grand Teton National Park

    Starting Grand Teton National Park

    Any time I’ve mentioned that I’m heading down to Grand Teton National Park, the response is always, “It’s so beautiful there!” As we drove into the park and the mountains came into view at sunset, we felt like we were driving into a surreal painting. This week begins the hiking that I need to do…

  • Sentinel Meadows & Queens Laundry

    Sentinel Meadows & Queens Laundry

    The hike to Sentinel Meadows and Queens Laundry gives you a level trail with wide open meadows, hot springs, ponds, birds, and a little bit of Yellowstone National Park history. The trail can be done by hiking directly to Queens Laundry and back or made into a little loop that’s a bit longer through another meadow.…

  • Gunsight Pass 2016

    Gunsight Pass 2016

    The long and wonderful hike over Gunsight Pass in Glacier National Park is traditionally done as a two day backpacking trip (or a nice stay at the alpine Sperry Chalet), but we decided to tackle it as an incredible day hike. It was a perfect day full of blue skies, stunning lakes, waterfalls, wildflowers, and…

  • Siyeh Pass 2016

    Siyeh Pass 2016

    Hiking Siyeh Pass in Glacier National Park in July and August inevitably leads to incredible amounts of wonderful flowers and this trip, under a cloudless blue sky, did not disappoint. I was hiking with some friends Mary and Baker who had won a hike with me during the annual Backpacker’s Ball that the Glacier Conservancy puts…

  • Duck Lake

    Duck Lake

    Duck Lake in Yellowstone National Park is a short hike near the West Thumb of Yellowstone Lake that takes you to a nice lake with broad, sandy beaches. With a little more time left in the day, I snuck out to Duck Lake out of the West Thumb Geyser Basin parking lot. The trail crosses the busy…

  • Logan Pass Opening 2016

    Logan Pass Opening 2016

    All 50 miles of the Going-to-the-Sun Road are now open for 2016! While more snow than we had last year at this time, the snow is definitely disappearing fast. If you’re planning on hiking in the high country on such trails as the Highline, we still have some time before that melts out. I also drove down…

  • Avalanche Lake Spring 2016 Bike and Hike

    Avalanche Lake Spring 2016 Bike and Hike

    It was a beautiful spring day and we decided to grab out bikes and backpacks and head up to Glacier National Park. I wanted to get a picture of Avalanche Lake on a bluebird day, so we made that our destination. Currently, the Going-to-the-Sun Road is closed at Lake McDonald Lodge, so we needed to…

  • Observation Peak

    Observation Peak

    The Observation Peak Trail in Yellowstone National Park is a trail that takes you through beautiful meadows, past a lake and up on an alpine ridge to a great overlook. The lookout on the summit is no longer staffed, but a great building with panoramic views. You can start your trek to Observation Peak via the…