Outdoor adventures in the Pacific Northwest and beyond, with some occasional reflective storytelling.
Some hikes around Washington are super well-known and well-trodden. These are the Lake 22s, Rattlesnake Ledges, Talapus Lakes, and Snow Lakes of the region. They’re popular for a reason–I’ve done several of them, and Snow Lake and Lake 22 remain a couple of my favorite hikes thus far, even with the crowding. But there’s also…
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Ahh, Cotopaxi. The volcano I admired most from my Quito bedroom window since my first day in the country. Snow-capped, majestic, imposing. And, a quick day trip from the city! It doesn’t get any better than this. Jose Rivas Refuge Hike Hiked: mid-December Distance from Quito: 2 hrs Accessibility: Difficult. While the first part of…
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It’s hard to believe, but while I was living in Ecuador for four years, I didn’t do all that much hiking. The main reason was accessibility. Though I lived in the Andes, and there are ample trails within a fairly short radius of Quito, the problem was that you can’t easily bus to many of…
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Lake 22 is a stellar hike. Possibly my favorite trail I’ve had the privilege to hike this fall. It combines all the elements of what I consider to be a “great hike”, and it’s a quick, one hour drive from the city. You’ll want to visit Lake 22 if you haven’t already. Lake 22 Trail…
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The day after Thanksgiving, we took off for a post-Turkey Trek (can we make that a thing, in addition to the Turkey Trot?) Talapus Lake was my selection for the day. Frozen or partially frozen lakes are so beautiful, that I almost feel like these types of hikes are more spectacular in the winter than…
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Itinerary for two weeks in Ecuador for adventure lovers and nature lovers.
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I’ve been heading to hikes off of highway 2 East near Gold Bar for the past two weekends. It’s been a great place to explore, because there still isn’t snow blocking the trails or the roadways, and there are beautiful mountain vistas and waterfalls in abundance. When the forecast was partly cloudy for this past…
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When I saw a sunset picture from a clear day at High Rock Lookout, I knew I had to go hike it, and do it quickly before the road to the trailhead became inaccessible for the winter season. I was in luck: the very weekend coming up was set to be completely clear and sunny.…
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A review of the Snow Lake Trail in the fall.
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Upper Wallace Falls Hike Review Hiked: mid-November Distance from Seattle: 1 hour Length: 5.5 miles round trip Difficulty: 4/10 Crowds: 5/10 Trail views: 6/10 Water features: 9/10 Overall: 7.5/10 Other trail notes: The park requires a Discover Pass, which can be purchased at the parking lot as a single-use day pass for $10 or a…
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Elizabeth Seeks 