Tolmie Peak Lookout Hike: Big Views of Mt Rainier
As of Spring 2025, a bridge washout has caused an indefinite closure to the Carbon River Entrance of Mt Rainier National Park, including Carbon River Trails and Mowich Lake Trails. If the road reopens, I will update this article. Imagine the best views around of Mt Rainier, two alpine...
What to do with one day in Juneau Alaska
Juneau is a delightful port in Alaska’s capital city, the only state capital in the US you can’t drive to. It is a stunning location in Southeast Alaska along mountains that are home to a massive sheet of ice separating it from British Columbia. Juneau has a lively downtown,...
McClellan Butte Hike: Super hard and rewarding
By now you likely know that I don’t normally write about hard hikes, since I like to keep things low key. I do enjoy a super hard hike now and then, (check out my Mt St Helens summit climb guide here) I like to include them in case you’d...
What to Pack for a Hike in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska
This post is all about what to pack for a hike in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. As I talked about in my post about hiking for absolute beginners, you don’t need a lot of gear to get started with hiking. You may not bring the exact same things...
Deception Pass Day Trip or Weekend Adventure
Deception Pass State Park is the most popular state park in Washington and it’s easy to see why. Close to our major populations center (about two hours from Seattle) and with ocean beaches, lakes and forest, spectacular sunsets, an iconic historic bridge and endless recreation opportunities, it’s a wonderful...
Talapus Lake Hike near Snoqualmie Pass
The very popular Talapus lake hike is a 4 mile round trip with a bit under 1000 feet of elevation gain mellow hike to a lake within the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, which is awesome for summer! You have the option of adding another mile and a bit more uphill...
Exploring Ketchikan Beyond the Cruise Ship Dock
Are you spending a day in Ketchikan on a cruise ship and want to explore the town on your own? Or are you looking for the quickest way to get to Alaska and start exploring? Did you know that Ketchikan is just a 90 minute flight from Seattle? Ketchikan...
Naches Peak Loop Hike: Summer wildflowers, fall colors, epic views
The Naches Peak Loop hike is one of my favorite hikes in Mt Rainier National Park and even in all of Washington State! I’ve written about it before, including in my post about Mt Rainier wildflower hikes and my post for a day trip to Mt Rainier. This hike...
Talus Loop hike: something different on Mt Si
I’ve written before about reasons NOT to hike the Mt Si trail, but recently I set out to explore a few of the other trails from that same trailhead, now that the trailhead direct bus service serves it. The Talus loop hike is a terrific alternative to Mt Si,...
How to Deal with Mosquitoes in Alaska (and elsewhere)
One question visitors commonly have about Alaska travel is “when can I go without bugs”?? And, I get it. Dealing with bad bugs and not be prepared is the WORST. Since you can’t control the bugs and you can’t even fully predict when they will be bad, I recommend...