Summiting Lassen Peak

One of the most fabulous moments of my birthday motorcycle trip through Oregon and California was spending the morning of my actual birthday at 10,457 feet, having summitted Lassen Peak in Lassen Volcanic National Park! We woke up early and hopped on Brian's motorcycle to ride into the park from the southwestern entrance to the …

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Motorcycling Through Lassen Volcanic National Park

One of the highlights of our week-long motorcycle loop through Oregon and California was spending a couple days in Lassen Volcanic National Park. I had never heard of this park until I started looking at a map of national parks within some proximity to where we live in Spanaway, Washington. I don't know how long …

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Motorcycling Through Lava Beds National Monument

The longest day's ride of my birthday motorcycle trip was 280 miles, traveling from Bend, Oregon, to Fall River Mills, California. This stretch of our trip not only set a record for the most mileage I've put on my bike in one day, it was the first time we've had our bikes in California! It …

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Washington Hikes: Carter and Madcap Falls

We set out yesterday morning to hike Narada Falls to Reflection Lake in Mt. Rainier National Park. However, despite arriving just as the gate opened, there was absolutely no parking left at Narada Falls when we arrived. I either sorely underestimated the popularity of this hike, or I simply underestimated the number of people who …

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Grand Canyon: Driving Desert View Drive

Our last day in Grand Canyon National Park was beautiful. After clouds, snow, and hail, we had bright sunshine and brilliant blue skies for our morning hike on the South Kaibab Trail and our mid-day cruise on Desert View Drive. The East Entrance to the park is closed right now so this ended up being …

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Grand Canyon: Hiking South Kaibab Trail

After our six-mile hike on the Bright Angel Trail in Grand Canyon National Park, I was feeling prepared for what we should expect hiking the other major South Rim trail our second full day in the park. The South Kaibab Trail is 6.8 miles to the Colorado River. The National Park Service - in line …

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Winter in Grand Canyon National Park

After an amazing morning hiking Bright Angel Trail and a mid-day siesta to avoid the hail storm that was passing through, we decided to spend our first afternoon in Grand Canyon National Park exploring Hermit Road. Hermit Road is usually closed to personal vehicles. During peak season, you have to take one of the park …

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