Steep climbs, profuse sweat, plodding pace — let’s go hiking!
Hiking is a lot like life. If you don't push through the hard parts, you don't get anywhere at all.
Hiking is a lot like life. If you don't push through the hard parts, you don't get anywhere at all.
Cautionary Tales: On the virtues of checking out minor annoyances — an itch here, an uncomfortable hot spot there — sooner rather than later.
Cautionary Tales: Here's a breakdown of different winter trail conditions, and what I'll use to make backcountry travel less of a headache.
Cautionary Tales: You've read about my tales of woe in the backcountry. Here are some of the most memorable stories readers have shared with me.
Cautionary Tales: When a thick layer of ice comes between me and my drinking water, I must learn to adapt.
Cautionary Tales: Anything I want to keep during a trip needs to be secured safely within my backpack. Everything else is fair game for Mother Nature.
Cautionary Tales: I've often been asked why I enjoy venturing into the outdoors by myself. Truth be told, it's not for everyone.
A 60-day trek across the 1,000 miles that serve as Alaska's spine is recorded in marginalia on map sheets taped together as I wormed my way into the wilderness.
A 60-day trek across the 1,000 miles that serve as Alaska's spine is recorded in marginalia on map sheets taped together as I wormed my way into the wilderness.
Cautionary Tales: Hiking the Granite Tors Trail on a late-summer day, I wanted to shake my fist at every friend who told me Fairbanks wasn't worth visiting.
How an Anchorage mom took her 10-month-old up Southeast Alaska's Chilkoot Trail.
Until our recent hike and climb in Mat-Su, I'd never have believed my sister would get such a thrill from summiting — and I'm thrilled that she did.
The late summer closure dates back to the 1990s, when three hikers were mauled by brown bears in separate incidents over a four-year period on the trail.
Settlers Bay Coastal Park is a 295-acre tract being purchased by Great Land Trust for $1.4 million — if the final $40,000 can be raised.
Cautionary Tales: Whether the mountain you're climbing is 4,000 or 14,000 feet, knowing when to turn back is crucial. But on Mount Rainier, it was a tough call.
Cautionary Tales: Much of the time I spend on the trail is consumed by food: when to eat, how to eat, and the beer and pizza waiting for me back in town.
Cautionary Tales: Here's a refresher on how to handle human waste, whether you're in the woods, on a glacier or out of toilet paper.
Incredibly, it’s only when people from outside arrive that I realize how much Alaska’s glory has already dulled.
Cautionary Tales: It's not uncommon for me to run into people I know on Chugach State Park trails — but this was one serendipitous encounter.
Four people who've spent a lot of time in the Alaska outdoors with notebooks and camera gear can help inspire you on your next adventure.