South Dakota Hikes: Cathedral Spires and Little Devil’s Tower

Mid-week we finally had a day where the temperature was less than 100 degrees so we headed for the (Black) hills to hike and camp near Sylvan Lake in Custer State Park. We've enjoyed hiking in this area before - notably our recent hike to the top of Black Elk Peak, the highest point in …

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Washington Hikes: Sauk Mountain

After a couple days of hiking at Baker Lake and Shannon Ridge in North Cascades National Park, we enjoyed a beautiful, clear day for the final hike of our trip - Sauk Mountain. Brian and his brother hiked Sauk Mountain many years ago and really enjoyed it. We always said we would make time to …

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Washington Hikes: Baker Lake – Maple Grove

During our recent getaway to Seattle, we headed north and spent the long holiday weekend (and my birthday!) hiking in North Cascades National Park and around Mount Baker. Our first morning we opted for a longer hike with minimal elevation gain as a warm up for the more challenging hikes on our list. We selected …

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South Dakota Hikes: Black Elk Peak

Fun fact: The highest peak east of the Rockies and west of the European Pyrenees is here in South Dakota! I discovered that yesterday when we reached the summit of Black Elk Peak at 7,242 feet / 2,207 meters. A favored hikes in the Black Hills, Black Elk Peak culminates at an old stone fire …

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Colorado Hikes: Rattlesnake Gulch Trail

When our Asheville-based friends let me know they were spending spring break in Colorado this year, we decided to add a stop in Boulder to the end of our California/Nevada road trip so we could spend a day with them. While they are avid hikers, it is not their daughter's favorite activity so we chose …

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An Afternoon at Colorado National Monument

At the tail end of our recent road trip out to California and Nevada we came back through Colorado to hike with some friends who were spending spring break in Boulder. The day before we met up with them, we stayed in Grand Junction, Colorado, and stumbled upon an outdoor treasure - Colorado National Monument. …

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Exploring Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area

I randomly tagged the Red Rock Canyon National Recreation Area outside Las Vegas as a quick stop on our drive back from California. Little did I know it would end up being an all-day adventure and a favorite of the trip! This protected area is part of the Mojave Desert and home to a variety …

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