The last time we got up stupid early to cross a pass, I was still battling jet lag, and hardly even noticed the evil hour. Apparently, I’m over that now, because 4:30am really hurt today. I turned up in the dining hall for my pre-hike hot tea unprepared to face cheerful Surya, who has not … More Expedition Poked-Everest, Day 12: Cho La Pass
I came, I saw, I poked. We started our day in Lobuche, along with about six trillion fellow mountain-hunters. We left the guest house around 7:45, somewhat later than the bulk of the crowd. Still, before long, we found ourselves in trekker traffic jams that left me gritting my teeth and questioning how badly I … More Expedition Poke-Everest, Day 9: Mission Accomplished
“If you don’t stop picking huckleberries, we’ll be late for dinner!”
“So we’ll have huckleberries for dinner!”
“You burned, like, 6,000 calories today. If you eat huckleberries for dinner tonight, I’m going to have to carry you down tomorrow, and I don’t want to.”
Grinnell Glacier is one of the most popular hikes in Glacier National Park, and it was so worth the trek. And not just because of the huckleberries. … More Hiking to Grinnell Glacier
“I’m afraid we’re going to have to splurge on a room at the Crater Lake Lodge,” I said.
“Are you proposing we buy a $300 hotel room so that you don’t miss the chance to buy a $100 dinner?” Dustin asked.
“NO,” I replied not-at-all too quickly. “No, but really, look: we’re coming from the north entrance of Redwoods. It’s a 4-hour drive, and if we manage to get a tour at Oregon Caves along the way, the earliest we can hope to arrive at Crater Lake is mid-afternoon. That means we’ll be in the park for less than 24 hours. If we camp, we’ll spend our entire visit hiking in and out of our campsite, and none of the campsites have views into the crater.” … More Crater Lake
“There’s not a lot of shade out there. You’re welcome to stay with us tonight if you don’t want to fight the heat.”
A sparkle of doubt crept into my exuberant plan. The hike to our camp site would cover about four miles. We’d have to wear our big packs. It would be hot. Relentlessly hot.
But… but… I wanted to be one of less than a hundred people! Also, there were volcanos back there I wanted to collect.
“We don’t have to go right away,” Dustin said. “Why don’t we go do some of the frontcountry trails, see some of the caves, then we can start out for the wilderness when it starts to cool off?”
This plan sounded eminently sensible, so I sent a note to his highness confirming my enthusiasm for hiking in three-digit temperatures, and we set off for the loop road. … More Craters of the Moon: extreme hot, extreme cold, extreme solitude, and extreme awesome
Lava Beds National Monument: lava as far as the eye can see! Well, not hot lava. This lava hasn’t been hot for at least a thousand years. It’s cool. Really cool. (See what I did there?) So. Cool lava. Miles and miles of black, broken landscape standing testament to the power of the earth. When … More A tale of two unsolicited pieces of advice
Last stop on this trip! Florissant feels like it’s rather in the middle of nowhere, but what a beautiful nowhere! Canyons and valleys around every corner, hillsides swept with my beloved pines. … More Laura’s Journal: Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
Hello, Colorado! How much more like home you feel. I’ve missed my granites and pine trees. I do love to explore, but I will always be a mountain girl at heart. … More Laura’s Journal: Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Poor geology museum! My plan for today was to show up on their doorstep at opening time and camp there literally all morning, reading every single display, touching every sample rock, and bothering the staff with questions until I understand how this vast and gorgeous rockscape works. … More Laura’s Journal: Being a normal, nerdy Grand Canyon tourist
Thither & Yon 