Great Falls

Location: Great Falls National Park in McLean, Virginia. Ancestral home to the Patawomeck, Tutelo, Saponi, Shawnee, Ohio Valley tribes & likely more. Level: moderate Round trip/Gain: 4ish miles/less than 200 feet Type: loop Permit: $10 park fee I just had to see Great Falls before I left town and I went literally hours before I […]

Eagle Rock

Location: Warner Springs, California Level: moderate Round trip/Gain: 6.6 miles/900ish ft. Type: out-and-back Permit: n/a There are so many things I loved about this trail. 1) It feels good hiking in/around San Diego. It’s adding so much dimension to the place I grew up in. Being a tourist in your hometown can be a good […]

Pacific Crest Trail at Timberline Lodge

Location: Timberline Lodge, Mt. Hood, Oregon Level: easy to Zig Zag Canyon / Beginner Level: doable Round trip/Gain: 4.4 miles/500 ft Type: round trip Permit: n/a True story: this was my first time at the Timberline Lodge in my fourteen years of living in Portland. I’d driven up there a few times for the view, […]

Johnston Ridge Observatory

Location: Johnston Ridge Observatory, Mount St. Helens, Washington Permit: Johnston Ridge Observatory entry fee ($8). One free entry with NW Forest Pass Option 1 to viewpoint Level: easy Beginner Level: doable Round trip/Gain: 3.8 miles/400ft Type: round trip Option 2 to Harry’s Ridge Level: moderate Round trip/Gain: 8 miles/1000ft Type: round trip That first view […]

Enchanted Valley Trail to Pony Bridge

Location: Quinault, Olympic National Park, Washington Level: easy / Beginner Level: challenging Round trip/Gain: 5 miles/500ft Type: round trip Permit: Olympic National Park entrance fee or America the Beautiful pass I guess all trails in ONP are big backpacking trails and I’m super bummed that another summer has gone by where I couldn’t get my […]

Ozette Triangle / Cape Alava Loop

Location: Olympic National Park, Washington Level: Moderate Round trip/Gain: 9.2 miles/100ft Type: Loop Permit: Olympic National Park entrance fee or America the Beautiful pass This trail is so cool! It’s a perfect triangle 3x3x3 (& some change) miles. 6 miles of boardwalk trail through forest and meadows and a sandy, rocky ocean-side stretch. It’s mostly flat, […]

Hoh River Trail (& Hall of Mosses)

Location: Hoh Rainforest, Olympic National Park, Washington Level: easy / Beginner Level: challenging Round trip/Gain: 5.8 miles/300-ish ft Type: round trip Permit: Olympic National Park entrance fee or America the Beautiful pass Brie and I arrived after about four hours of sleep and four hours of driving. I know how popular this place is and […]

Popaganda Podcast | Bitch Media

I recently had the honor of guesting on Bitch Media’s podcast, Popaganda. Download on iTunes or listen on Soundcloud. Have you ever felt cool? This makes me feel really cool! And I know I’m not supposed to say that because it makes me totally uncool, but like, you know how I do. I’ve had few […]

Found

I was an indoor kid, a city kid, and I remained so into my adulthood. I didn’t even think about the outdoors. In the first six years I lived in Portland, Oregon, the most outdoorsy thing I ever did was drive up to the famous Multnomah Falls. Once. I struggled with PTSD, depression, self-hate and […]

Hike Trails, Get Money

I sort of hinted at this a couple of months ago, but it is finally official: REI got wind of me and I’ve been contracted to essentially keep doing what I do. They aren’t asking me to sell a product or be anything other than what I am, an unlikely outdoorsperson. For the next six […]