Hikes Around Evergreen

This beautiful view is found just a few miles up from my house on the way to Evergreen Mountain.  This is my new friend and hiking partner Katie (the wife of our realtor).I packed a thermos of hot tea to enjoy at the peak of our hike.  Here is where we stopped to take in…

Neder Nederland

You’ll find a treasure if you stay there… A breathtaking drive on the way to the trail head    The trail to Crater Lakes – James Peak Wilderness Follow Crater Lakes Trail as it climbs steeply for a mile and crosses the narrow spit of land between the two main lakes.  We took a 6 mile trail because…

Where the Red Fern Grows

Return to Natural Falls State Park Spotted Jewelweed-  This flower is also known as Touch-me-not because of its unusual method of seed dispersal.  When the seed pods become ripe, the slightest touch or swift breeze triggers a pop that sends the seeds up to four feet away. Unlike most wildflowers, Jewelweed is an annual, which means its only way…

Maroon Bells: hike to Crater Lake

We got up around 6am to beat the crowd to the popular Maroon Bells hike to Crater Lake driving straight to the trail head.  The gate is closed to car traffic at 8am and reopens at 5pm, so we decided it was best to go early.  The hike was longer than projected, because we got…

Hiking around Crystal Lake

No Jason Voorhees here…just some beautiful mountains and crystal green shorelines  There must be a mysterious story behind this package.  I bet it fell out of a crashing plane and obviously never made it to its destination in Carson City coming all the way from WV, hmmmm… This is about the time we lost our trail back…

Sahalie Falls

Getting lost in the rocky mountain hills of Chandler Park

I grew up just a few miles down the road and used to love going to summer camp here until I was about 11 years old. Today I’m exploring a new area of the park. I definitely should have worn my trail shoes. The trail and rocks were still wet and muddy, so I was…

Camping out in the Buffalo Wilderness

Full force here;this is how beautiful it looks when it’s not just a trickle

It’s a family tradition!

Every two years my mother’s side of the family reunites to catch up over drinks, food and dancing out in Osage Hills State Park in the wilderness of Oklahoma.  I saw a different side of Osage Hills this year and found the awesome hiking trails!  I was filled with joy when I saw the trail…

Cascade Pass hike to Doubtful Lake and up to the glaciers

For the first 3.2 miles of the out-and-back trail, we zigzagged up the switchbacks taking in the soaring mountain vistas across the valley to the mountain pass. We heard a rumble at one point and looked over towards a glacier to witness a truck-sized piece of glacier crack off the main piece tumbling a thousand…