New Mexico is all about blended diversity. Situated at the confluence of the southern Rocky Mountains and the southwest desert, it is one of the most geographically spectacular places in the country, but also one of the most culturally unique— Native American traditions and hispanic influence con[...]
Although we’d already been enjoying our time in New Mexico up until this point, it was unquestionably this week that impressed us most and cemented innumerable sites and experiences among our trip highlights. From one of the country’s youngest national parks to riverside hot springs and beachfr[...]
Travelling deeper into New Mexico, we definitely enjoyed the warmer days and above-freezing nights that had brought us down here in the first place, but also the unexpected autumn beauty of the desert and all the incredible Nuevo Mexicana cuisine we could eat. For a last-ditch effort to escape the[...]
Nestled in the centre of the American Rockies and with the highest average elevation of any US state, Colorado is a mecca for epic outdoor adventures, from its dense concentration of windy 14ers and world-class ski resorts to its scalding natural hot springs and sprawling alpine deserts. W[...]
Our final week in Colorado was spent at two amazing national parks, neither of which were part of our original plan. Although missing a lot of hiking in the Rockies has been disappointing, the reimagined route was incredibly beautiful and totally new for both of us— perhaps it all worked out bett[...]
Now that the snow has really started to fall in Colorado, we spent the week trying to occupy ourselves indoors. Of course that entailed visiting a few breweries from Silverthorne to Glenwood Springs, but more importantly, it also included long afternoons spent in hot springs and even a relaxing eve[...]
We spent much of this week making our way from Denver to Boulder to Fort Collins, visiting more breweries than are possible to count (although of course I did count and we are up to #95), eating heaps of wonderful food, and chatting to everyone we met along the way. By Friday, we joined the cro[...]
Moving at a much slower pace due to my broken toe, I spent most of this week working to finish a large consulting project related to my research while Dan hiked in the Wind Rivers. By the weekend, though, we were in Colorado's colourful capital hopping between some of the best breweries in the coun[...]
We spent this week exploring the country’s oldest national park, and despite both having been to Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana previously (as well as Dan having been to Yellowstone), we were suitably blown away by autumn in Big Sky Country. The colours were amazing, the camping was unbeatable,[...]
Out of Washington and into new territory, we spent the week hiking and exploring through Oregon’s Eagle Cap Wilderness, stopping to restock in Boise, Idaho and then finally arrived in West Yellowstone. With autumn right on our heels, the scenery was unbelievable and the crowds were greatly thinne[...]
This week, we finally rolled out of Seattle and onwards to new adventures! It’s been amazing exploring the PNW for the last 2 months, and we’ve ticked some major things off our outdoor bucketlist lately, but all the long mountain trips have also left us missing our little home on wheels and we[...]
Frequent readers may have noticed that I haven’t published a single “Vanlife diaries” update since we were in the Sawtooths in late June, and that’s because we’ve been back in Washington for the last 2 months, spending as much time out of the van as we have in it— on various mountaineer[...]
Stretching 700 miles from southern British Columbia to northern California and comprising more than 3,750 named peaks, the Cascades are undoubtedly one of the continent’s most spectacular mountain ranges— and Washington’s Cascades are the very pinnacle. The summits are taller, the lakes are b[...]
Pioneered in 1938 by the Ptarmigan Climbing Club, a group of 4 climbers out of Seattle who summited 12 peaks and put up half as many first assents over just 13 days, the iconic Ptarmigan Traverse represents Washington mountaineering at its very finest. Each day brings high passes, steep glaciers, w[...]
Among the most popular photo vantage points in the entire North Cascades, Sahale Glacier Camp is simply breathtaking. After hiking an incredibly gentle trail to Cascade Pass and then continuing through the heather to ascend a much steeper, rockier route to Sahale Arm, the entirety of the range seem[...]
Standing at the base of central Idaho's towering snow-capped peaks, their serrated silhouette dramatically backlit by the summer sun, it's truly impossible to understand why the Sawtooth Mountains aren't more popular. They have all the grandeur of the Tetons, even greater accessibility than the Nor[...]
Growing up in the shadow of Mt Rainier, the most glaciated peak in the continental US, it seemed only fitting that this be my first major glacier climb— what I hadn't anticipated was just how incredibly technical, physically exhausting, and mentally demanding it would be. This week, I set[...]
Idaho locals would have you believe there’s nothing particularly special about this landlocked western state (their licence plates say “Famous Potatoes”, need I go on)— turns out they were just trying to keep the gem state all to themselves this entire time. And honestly, who can blame them[...]
As one of the country's most popular parks, it should come as no surprise that Zion National Park in southern Utah is literally overflowing with amazing things to do— but unlike other destinations that can be checked off a bucket list after a few days, Zion is the kind of place that takes a[...]
Nestled between towering sandstone cliffs and extending along lush riverbanks, Zion National Park preserves an extensive network of canyons, desert towers, thriving forests, and altogether unlikely landscapes in southern Utah that truly defy comparison— in a state whose claim to fame is the[...]