After an enthralling hike at Heather-Maple Loop Pass, we decided to wet our whistles at a brewery that is an institution for Highway 20 hikers–Birdsview Brewing.
Larch Madness at Heather-Maple Pass
After being on my wish list for years, I finally got to do Heather-Maple Pass Loop. This hike checked all of my boxes, and despite its exploding popularity, it’s a top-three favorite hike for sure.
Channel Islands National Park: Pelican Bay on Santa Cruz Island
Sometimes, fate gives you a little push. A family vacation in Southern California, just 10 minutes from a boat that will take me to one of the least-visited National Parks in the country? Sold!
Are You Down?
If you camp or backpack, chances are you’ll need a sleeping bag. If you start camping and backpacking more often, upgrading your sleeping bag can go a long ways for helping you hit the trail refreshed. But how does one pick a sleeping bag?
Dru Bru
Similar to Mason Lake, I have attempted or meant to go to Dru Bru many times before, but was thwarted. However, Beers at the Bottom recommended it as their pairing brewery to go with Mason Lake, in their book Beer Hiking the Pacific Northwest, so I felt that if Mason Lake happened, Dru Bru was […]
Ira Spring: Mason Lake
To myself and many other like-minded people, beer and hiking go together like peanut butter and chocolate. There’s something to me abut misty alpine lakes and tall mountain peaks that make me crave hops. Beers at the Bottom have been writing about hikes and the brews that come afterwards since 2013–and now literally wrote the […]
Water Water Everywhere
When backpacking, as I mentioned before, you *can* bring all of your water with you, but that can be very heavy. It’s far easier to get water on the trail. While some may think filtering or purifying water isn’t necessary, that’s a gamble I would only make in a life-or-death instance. But with so many […]
Inside My Tent: My Sleeping Set-Up
Whether backpacking or car camping, typically I’m going to be so zonked from hiking that I’ll sleep deeply. But a comfortable sleeping set-up makes all the difference in being bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in the morning, or an evil swamp witch. Here’s how I have my tent prepared for a good night’s sleep.
Lake Malachite
Backpacking on a weekend–can it still be done? With the ever-exploding popularity of hiking and backpacking, finding a weekend no-permit-required hike-in campsite without driving six hours seemed improbable.
Annette Lake
It’s been a summer where I feel like I’ve done nothing and yet I’ve been too busy to hike or camp at all! Luckily, I was finally able to hit the mountains to see the stunning Annette Lake.