Ape Caves and Lava Canyon

Crawling over boulders 100 feet below the earth’s surface, I was consumed by excitement and pitch black. A damp chill clung to the walls of the lava tube and any exposed skin. The only light, the one I carried. Behind the shadow of the south rim of Mt. St. Helens, ancient lava tubes known as

A Snowy Hike up Granite Mountain

With the year’s first snow accumulation crunching under our feet and melting quickly in the October sun, I climbed, slipped and shimmied to the top of Granite Mountain for amazing views of Mt. Rainier and the Cascade Mountains with my Everest Base Camp hiking buddies. Taking advantage of the sunny weather this fall in the

Return to Rainier Sweepstakes

Originally posted on ESCAPE YOUR EVERYDAY:
From the snow-white peak of Mt. Rainier to the lush, green rainforests on the Olympic Peninsula, the National Parks are finally back open! Can you hear the corks popping and our team getting out our hiking boots? This week we’re returning to Oregon and Washington’s parks on our regular,…

Indian Heaven Wilderness

Fall is here and with it the rain, wind and wild weather has arrived. But don’t let it stop you from exploring! Grab your raincoat, rain-fly and waterproof hiking boots and get muddy on some the area’s best trails. For my first big hike this fall I headed to the Indian Heaven Wilderness in the

Hamilton Mountain Loop

With waterfalls, lush forested paths and mountain vistas, the Hamilton Mountain Loop trail has it all for hikers heading out to the Gorge this fall. Follow the 7.5 mile out and back trail to an open plateau and enjoy views of the Bonneville dam and the rugged cliff lines of the Columbia River’s banks. The

Boulder Cave Hike

Explore the Washington Cascades’ underbelly at Boulder Cave. Located just minutes off of highway 410 in the Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests, Boulder Cave Trail is a short 1.5 mile loop hike great for young families looking for a little adventure! The trail weaves first through Ponderosa Pine trees before it drops down to the

Cape Horn Loop Hike

“Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.”  ~Kahlil Gibran With high cliff views of the Columbia River Gorge from the Washington side, the Cape Horn Loop Trail is a 6.8 mile loop that meanders through the woods to pop out points with

Top 10 Northwest Snowshoe Areas

When the snow starts to fall and you just can’t stand being cooped up any longer, head out hiking. Grab a friend, some poles and a pair of snowshoes and try one of these fun snowshoe trails around the Pacific Northwest. You might just bump into me this winter! Oregon Tumalo Mountain, Bend A 4-mile

Wetlands at Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge

With over 3,000 acres of salt and freshwater grasslands, marshes and wetlands, the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge located just north of Olympia, Washington is bird-lover’s and nature photographer’s haven. Established in 1974, the reserve offers natural protection for thousands of migratory birds along the southern bays of the Puget Sound.

Cross-Country Courage

Sliding and swishing through the snow like the polar bears in this year’s Coca Cola Super Bowl commercial, I cruised around Mount Catherine at the Snoqualmie Summit in Washington this past weekend. With blue skies, warm weather and hardly a cloud in sight, I strapped two skinny skies to my feet for a day in