Backpacking Buckskin Gulch and Paria Canyon is one of those dazzling trips worthy of bucket lists the world over. Over the course of about 45 miles, you'll travel through some of the most mind-blowing scenery the American Southwest has to offer. Permits and suitable conditions for this hike are hard to come by, and I feel extremely lucky I was able to get in on a trip. If you ever have the ...
hiking
Backpacking Havasupai in October: Trip Report + Seasonal Tips
Havasupai is an incredible destination and no longer just a local northern Arizona secret. Thanks to social media, its amazing waterfalls and beautiful waters are now a bucket list destination for travelers around the world. Permits are incredibly competitive, so I was thrilled to snag permits during what I think is one of the best months here: October. My trip was October 28-30. This post ...
Stunning New Zealand Day Hikes: Isthmus Peak near Wanaka
Two lakes for the price of one: that's just one reason among many that Isthmus Peak makes a wonderful day hike. Isthmus Peak is a great alternative to the iconic, wildly popular Roy's Peak. Both of them are challenging hikes involving a great deal of climbing, and both treks reward hikers with dazzling lake and mountain views. I waffled between the two hikes because we only had time for one, ...
Stunning New Zealand Day Hikes: Lake Marian, Fiordland National Park
Fiordland National Park is well-known as one of the gems of New Zealand's South Island. Teeming with day hikes and backcountry alike, beauty is tucked away in every turn of its untrammeled wilderness. Lake Marian is located just off the Milford Road, a bit more than an hour of gorgeous driving north from the town of Te Anau. The official distance for this hike is 4.4 miles with just shy of ...
The Good, the Bad, and the Very Damp: Backpacking Kalalau Trail
I may have never been backpacking, but I wasn't about to go to Kauai and miss out on Kalalau Trail, the iconic Na Pali coast experience. After all, Hawaii seems like an awfully nice place to get your feet wet (literally, it turns out!) in backcountry adventuring, so I was up to the challenge. In the months leading up to the trip, I spent hours learning about the hike, reading backpacking tips, ...
The Magic of the Grand Canyon in Winter
What's the Grand Canyon like in the winter? At least as amazing as the summer. The Grand Canyon is always spectacular, but winter transforms the experience. I've made it something of a tradition to do the rim-to-river day hike once a year. I made it under the wire for 2017 by just a couple of weeks. This was my 3rd time doing this hike (I wrote about the first and the second previously), ...
