Crater Lake was formed when Mount Mazama erupted and collapsed 7,700 years ago, leaving a deep basin. As the volcano continued to erupt, it sealed the floor of the basin so water could then fill to form the lake. Wizard Island is a cinder cone that was formed during the eruption. The deepest point in … More Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
We hiked to Lower Yosemite Falls, but due to drought, there were no actual falls! Who knew that could happen? I didn’t! On the way back, we saw a mama bear and two cubs. They were so little that they barely showed above the grass. We hiked to Mirror Lake. Unfortunately, due to the time … More Yosemite National Park, California
The magnificent sequoia trees are massive and full of grandeur. They can live for three thousand years and have various survival tools that enable them to live much longer than other trees that have a life span of around 300 years. They have thick, fibrous bark that insulates against fire and actually require fire to … More Sequoia and King’s Canyon National Park, California
We spent four days in Salt Lake City after Whitney took her Geriatric Board Exam at the beginning of October. We ate all of our favorite food, caught up with old friends, and visited one of our favorite mountain ranges. We hiked Grandeur Peak one day to catch some falls colors. We drove the Alpine … More Salt Lake City, Utah
Amid all of the chaos of 2020, we decided to go on an anniversary getaway to Flathead Lake. We rented a tiny log cabin for the night and drove the perimeter of the lake for some early leaf peeping. Full fall foliage is still a few weeks away, but we enjoyed the drive. This is … More Anniversary Getaway to Flathead Lake
Whitney’s parents have talked about the Beartooth Highway as one of the most beautiful drives they’ve ever done. That is saying something, given their extensive road trip history. Earlier this year, we decided to take a family trip down to Yellowstone National Park and over the Beartooth Highway. Our route started in Helena and we … More Beartooth Highway and Yellowstone National Park, MT and WY
This past weekend, Whitney and I went backpacking along the Teton Crest Trail in Grand Teton National Park with our two friends, Rachel and Trevor. The Teton Crest Trail can be extended farther than we hiked, but due to time constraints, we opted to hike about 30 miles over three days. We started by hiking … More Teton Crest Trail, Wyoming
I have wanted to backpack in the Wind River Range since we moved to Utah over five years ago. This majestic range is just outside of Grand Teton National Park and boasts countless alpine lakes and beautiful glaciers. We backpacked in to Seneca Lake and camped for two nights, taking a long day hike on … More Backpacking in the Wind River Range, WY
This past weekend we backpacked in Sluice Boxes State Park, near Great Falls, Montana. We went with our friends, Blake and Emily, and Blake’s parents. The water was incredibly cold, like knives in your feet, especially first thing in the morning, but it was a fun and relatively easy hike in to our campground. We … More Sluice Boxes State Park, MT
Moving to a new state can be daunting, but having such great resources around like Whitney’s parents who have driven nearly every back road and pass in the state has been phenomenal. They recommended a day trip loop out of Missoula, one they’ve driven before and tagged along for this time as well. We started … More Skalkaho Pass, MT