Every “outdoor enthusiast” in the Seattle region knows about Mount Si. It’s considered a rite of passage in these parts. Everyone also knows that Mount Si is a hiker-only trail and that mountain bikes are seriously verboten. Besides, who would want to bike up that steep trail with all the roots, rocks, and hikers? Well, […]
In the summer of ’96, I ran into a friend that I hadn’t seen in awhile. After catching up and laughing about the crazy times back in college, he mentioned that a few guys were climbing Mount Shuksan in a couple of weeks and asked if I wanted to join them. I immediately said yes, […]
Imogene Pass has eluded me. Although I’ve been planning a trip to ride up to Imogene’s 13,114-foot marker for some time now, I still have never been over this treacherous pass in the San Juan Mountains. High elevation backroads draw me in like glaciated mountains used to when I was a younger mountaineer. I have […]
The Washington Backcountry Discovery Route (WABDR) is an overlanding route across Washington State from Oregon to British Columbia that utilizes mostly unpaved public backroads. The route climbs over the vast mountains and ridges of Washington’s Cascade Range. Four-wheel drive vehicles with high clearance or adventure motorcycles are the required vehicles for travel along this route. […]
In our book, 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Seattle, Andrew Weber and I barely mention one of the coolest and most unique hikes in the region. It just gets one paragraph as a “Nearby Activity” tagged onto the hike description for Lime Kiln Trail, but it deserves much more. The reason the trail didn’t get […]
I’ve never been to Gamma Hot Springs, but I heard about this remote soaking pool anytime the conversation steered towards hot springs around Seattle. Apparently, I’m not alone either – most folks know of someone who has been there, but the “knowing” feels more like playing six degrees of Kevin Bacon rather than scrolling through […]
The Southern Sixers are 53 peaks in the Southern Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee that all stand above 6,000 feet in elevation. Other than Mount Washington in the Presidential Range of New Hampshire, these mountains are the only 6,000-footers east of the Mississippi. This relatively tight cluster of high summits offers an enticing opportunity […]
Want to join a club where the only membership fee is bagging peaks? If you live in the Northeast and love to hike, then put this one on your to-do list. Each of the 46 peaks on this historic list is in Adirondack Park in upstate New York. Why is this list historic? Well, when […]
Bears Ears National Monument is a new national monument in southeast Utah, named for the centrally located Bears Ears Peaks. President Obama signed the monument into law on December 28th 2016. The national monument has many wilderness study areas and consists primarily of unprotected BLM land, used heavily by everyone from hikers and backpackers to the […]
Cedar Mesa is home to the well-explored Grand Gulch as well as many other lesser-known canyons filled with Anasazi ruins, artifacts, and artwork. The area is basically a museum without the hours, fees, and glass cases. At least for now. Cedar Mesa could become part of a huge and heavily-contested proposed national monument in Southeast […]
