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Tag Archives: John Muir Trail
Featured Video: Dayhiking to Yosemite Valley Waterfalls
This is the time of year when Yosemite Valley’s world-famous waterfalls are roaring with spring snowmelt. Experience it vicariously through this video of dayhiking to Upper Yosemite Falls and on the Mist Trail to Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall. Read my story about this trip, including a gallery of photos and tips on how to plan this adventure.
April 22, 2013
Five Great National Park Adventures
Hearing the thunderous roar and walking through the rain of mist coming from some of North America’s biggest and most iconic waterfalls in Yosemite Valley. Seeing mountain goats, bighorn sheep, and one (fortunately unaggressive) sow grizzly bear with cubs in Glacier National Park—as well as incredible mountain scenery almost every step of the way. Backpacking through a landscape of multi-colored canyon walls and wildly sculpted sandstone monoliths in Zion National Park. Paddling a sea kayak past seals in Alaska’s Glacier Bay, while watching a mile-wide glacier with a snout 200 feet tall explosively calve bus-size chunks of itself into the sea. And backpacking through vast fields of wildflowers below jagged peaks on one of the country’s premier multi-day hikes, the Teton Crest Trail. Continue reading →
Featured Photo Gallery: The John Muir Trail
There may be no more gorgeous long backpacking trip, step for step, than a thru-hike of the John Muir Trail through California’s High Sierra, from Yosemite Valley to Mt. Whitney. See why in this photo gallery, then read my story about it and see a video. Then start planning your hike.
January 1, 2013
New Year Inspiration: My Top 10 Adventure Trips
I often get asked, “What’s your favorite trip?” And I can’t answer that one. To pick just one from all the amazing adventures I’ve had the good fortune to take feels impossible to me. But I tried really hard and pared the list down to 10 all-time favorites (so far).
So as you’re thinking about what great adventures to take in 2013, consider the following admittedly subjective personal picks, chosen from scores of backpacking, dayhiking, paddling, trekking, and other trips I’ve taken, domestically and internationally, over the past couple of decades as an outdoor writer. Continue reading →
December 19, 2012
Inspiration For 2013: My Top 10 Family Adventures
At this time of year, I start pulling out maps and guidebooks and poring over my lengthy—and always growing—list of outdoor trips I want to take. (My document slugged “Trip Ideas” is now 11,855 words long.) There are two reasons: First, to make those big dream trips happen, you have to think, plan, and dream months in advance. Plus, the planning is almost as much fun as taking the trip.
Here are my 10 favorite family adventures at The Big Outside (another list that will keep growing and evolving), to help give you some ideas and inspiration for 2013. Continue reading →