Our Adventures Through City and Backcountry
Today was our scheduled rest day and we took full advantage. I started with a trip to the local urgent care to have my ankle checked out. Turns out it is not broken. Yay! I’m in a sturdy brace, on steroids, and am using a otc cream that says in big, bolded print: USE ONLT […]
Read More Day 51: Idaho Falls to ButteAuthor’s Note: This trip was a doozy and we cut it a night short for the reasons at the bottom of the post. I wrote this first part after hiking yesterday. We started this backpacking trip with a tense stop at the visitors center to pick up our permit. The heavy traffic got us into […]
Read More Day 49 and 50: Grand TetonsWe just finished our first ever two night backpacking night. We’ve backpacked plenty, but have always had the promise of a shower after one night of camping, the guarantee of a cold beer no more than a day away, a good supply of toilet paper with a nice porcelain throne tomorrow, and the knowledge of […]
Read More Days 46-48: Great Basin National ParkSeveral years ago, on our very first ever backpacking trip, we were disappointed to find the campgrounds at Great Basin National Park completely full. We drove to the tiny town just outside the park, Baker, and hoped to grab a room at the only motel. They were booked for the night, but we decided to […]
Read More Day 45: Stargazer Inn and Kerouac’sThere is little doubt that today was the most physically challenging of the trip so far, and possibly of all the adventures we’ve had. But, I would argue, it was the best too. We woke up at camp at 12:30 when someone’s car alarm was going off, and 2:30 when a group of early hikers […]
Read More Day 44: Mount MassiveToday was a rest day. We usually fill rest days with driving, household tasks like laundry, or smaller hikes. We couldn’t do any of those things today, but spent the day in Leadville. It’s the highest city in Colorado at 10,000 some feet and full of cute shops, outdoor gear suppliers, and some real good […]
Read More Day 43: LeadvilleFive years ago we attempted to summit Mt. Elbert. We couldn’t. (Blog post from that day.) Today, five years later, we did. We woke up at 5 with chattering teeth and frozen toes. We had slept in our hiking clothes with the hope of saving as much time as possible in the morning. We quickly […]
Read More Day 42: Mount ElbertWe’re at the end of two consecutive rest days, days that were needed after four backpacking days and with what the next few days will present. Yesterday was our anniversary and we spent the day wondering Santa Fe, hanging out poolside, sipping margaritas, and going on a date night to a renowned New Mexican restaurant. […]
Read More Day 40 and 41: Santa Fe and LeadvilleI fell in love with Bandelier this visit. I’m in awe of the ecotone, the combination of two eco systems. I admire the Ancestral Puebloans who called this area home and 1000 years ago. I loved the hiking here, challenging, but so rewarding. I live the other 9 months of the year for the adventure […]
Read More Day 39: Bandelier NM and Los AlamosWhat a day. It’s almost nine. The sun just set and the sky above the canyon we’re camping in has turned to magnificent purples and pinks. Zak and I are perched on a boulder drinking whiskey from a plastic water bottle that has been chilling in the bubbling stream for the past two hours. This […]
Read More Day 38: Bandelier National Monument