When we were planning our trip to Banff National Park, my mom forwarded me several articles that encouraged visitors to consider traveling to attractions somewhat off the beaten path given the increasing popularity of the sights that always make the top 10 lists. I was more than happy to include those recommendations in our itinerary, …
Continue reading Banff National Park: Lake Louise & Moraine Lake
My favorite hike in Banff National Park was Big Beehive at Lake Louise. This 7.5 mile roundtrip hike with 2,547 feet of gain was the longest and hardest of our trip and offered spectacular views! If you have the time and inclination, I would highly recommend adding it to your list! We knew we wanted …
Our first morning in Banff National Park we left Canmore and headed toward downtown Banff. We had decided the night before to begin our day by heading to Tunnel Mountain, Banff's smallest summit, to take a sunrise hike for views overlooking Banff and the surrounding area. It was short trip to Banff where we winded …
Continue reading Hiking in Banff National Park: Tunnel Mountain
The weekend after my master's degree classes ended (HOORAY!) we set out mid-morning for one of the longer bike-and-hikes we've tackled in a while. Our destination: Lake Serene. By the time we arrived parking at the trailhead was scarce and I was glad we were on our bikes and able to sneak into an available …
Continue reading Washington Hikes: Lake Serene and Bridal Veil Falls
Brian’s birthday fell on a Sunday, two days after I turned in the final paper of my master's degree program, so of course I immediately drummed up all of the fun weekend getaways I keep stored in the back of my brain for just such an occasion, ready to hit the road and celebrate! Unfortunately …
We set out Saturday morning to tackle a new hike near Steven's Pass on the western side of the Cascade Mountains called Heybrook Lookout. This short but steep hike to the lookout ended up being about 2.5 miles roundtrip with 992 feet of elevation gain. You better believe our hearts were pumping after that mile …
Shortly after we moved to Seattle my mom sent me a link to a YouTube video about visiting Yosemite National Park in the off-season in order to experience a phenomenon called frazil ice. Frazil ice occurs when mist freezes--streams end up looking like they are flowing with slush rather than water. Obviously there are other …
Finding direction and purpose on the road, in the outdoors, and on the page
Finding direction and purpose on the road, in the outdoors, and on the page
Finding direction and purpose on the road, in the outdoors, and on the page
Heather's Compass 