Colorado’s Flat Tops Wilderness is an overlooked gem. Overshadowed by more prominent mountains to the east (Rocky Mountain National Park) and south (Rockies; think Aspen, Glenwood Springs, etc.), the “busy” parts of the wilderness see several hundred visitors each year.…
Hiking the (Shorter) South Slopes up Mt. Agassiz
On visiting the Uinta Mountains last June, we decided on our last day to take a bit of a risk. The risk wasn’t in scenery – it’s hard not to have a good view from the top of a rocky…
A Shorter Path to Sentinel Dome
Sentinel Dome is one of my favorite places in Yosemite to view Yosemite Falls. You’re above the falls, but across the valley, so it’s easy to see, and the hike isn’t exactly arduous – if you use the real parking…
Sneak Peak: Southwestern Variety at its Finest
I just got back from another hiking-adventure trip across the western US! It was different than any before, even as we visited old and new sites across Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and even Utah and Wyoming. There were high…
A Time for Everything (Even the Desert)
In our walk with Christ, there are seasons: times of refreshing, wilderness seasons, times of great growth and of living out that growth. As Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 3, There is a time for everything, And a season for…
Early Season Hiking to Clouds Rest – and Yosemite’s Best
Turn left at the stream that looks like a trail. Then, turn right at the trail that looks like a stream. -One of my group members remembering the Clouds Rest Trail If there was one hike in Yosemite that…
Epic Day Hiking Road Trip to Yellowstone & Grand Tetons!
Yellowstone and Grand Tetons are a concentration of epic views and fascinating phenomena. In Yellowstone, water boils out of the ground to create colorful pools, waterfalls race with thousands of gallons per minute, steaming water spouts into the air, and…
Climbing Pothole Dome – Easy Yosemite Hike
If you’re looking for a short little hike in Yosemite with terrific views – and a slight sense of adventure – check out Pothole Dome to the west of Tuolumne Meadows along the Tioga Pass Road. The trail is only…
Climbing Telescope Peak!
It’s not gorgeous, it’s not all that tall, and it’s not all that easy. So why climb Telescope Peak in Death Valley National Park? One reason is bragging rights: It’s quite something to say you’ve been to both the lowest…
Overlook Death Valley & China Lake from Rogers Peak & Bennett Peak
If you happen to visit Death Valley in the spring, fall, or summer, you’ll probably want to get out of the valley as quickly as possible to escape the heat. The problem is that one of the few ways to…