Blog – Hiking & Backpacking
Quick hikes through extended backpacking trips, follow my adventures through the mountains.
Teton Crest Trail, Day 4 – Paintbrush Divide
After a pretty spectacular sunrise at Lake Solitude, we trudged up the 2 miles and the 1600 feet and across the Paintbrush Divide.
Teton Crest Trail, Day 4 – Sunrise at Lake Solitude
The problem with this Paintrush-sunrise plan was that I really did not want to get up at 3 a.m. to hike this section alone and everyone else in my group thought I was straight crazy for thinking that this was a good idea.
Teton Crest Trail, Day 3 – Alaska Basin to the North Fork of Cascade Canyon
After a beautiful sunrise atop Hurricane Pass along the Teton Crest Trail, we dropped into the South Fork of Cascade Canyon to try to hunker down out of the wind and wait for the rest of our group to catch up.
Teton Crest Trail, Day 3 – Sunrise atop Hurricane Pass
When I first hiked the Teton Crest Trail in 2014, Hurricane Pass was unquestionably my favorite spot on the trail and one of the more impressive views I had thought I have ever seen.
Teton Crest Trail, Day 2 – Fox Creek Pass to Alaska Basin
had purposely planned our second day on the Teton Crest Trail to be one of the easier days because I knew we would still be getting our trail legs under us and because I knew the last two days would be the tougher ones.
Teton Crest Trail, Day 2 – In the Clouds Atop Fox Creek Pass
After the storms finally subsided enough to get camp set up on Fox Creek Pass, just outside the national park boundary, they left an ethereal fog behind in their wake.
Back into my Favorite Mountains! The Teton Crest Trail 2019
when I got the invite to backpack the Teton Crest Trail last summer, I jumped at the chance, even though I had already done most of the 32-mile trek back in 2014.
Backpacking Willow Lakes in Eagles Nest Wilderness outside of Silverthorne
It was mid-July and the Colorado high country was finally thawing out from an incredibly wet and cold spring. Summer was halfway over and I had yet to get a backpacking trip under my belt.
The Best Photography Spots Along the High Sierra Trail in Sequoia National Park
When I’m backpacking, I usually enjoy doing little-to-no work once I’ve reached and set up camp. Because of this, there were times during my once-in-a-lifetime High Sierra trip where I didn’t even go out and shoot during the golden hours, usually using the excuse of being too tired to wander around.
High Sierra Trail Day 7 – Guitar Lake, Summiting Mt Whitney, on to Whitney Portal
Hiking under the moonlight, I knew we had made quick work of the 3-miles of switchbacks traversing up the west side of Mount Whitney, but I was in serious disbelief as we topped out at Trail Crest well before sunrise.
High Sierra Trail Day 6 – Crabtree Ranger Station to Guitar Lake
The High Sierra Trail continued for a bit through the same, dried up forest we encountered the previous day, but as we approached treeline, the landscape gave way to familiar soaring alpine habitats with trickling creeks, grassy tussocks, soggy meadows, and occasional tarns.
High Sierra Trail Day 5 – Junction Meadow to Crabtree Ranger Station
Waking up on our fifth morning, we were already a day ahead of schedule and still technically had that Guitar Lake rest day built-in, so we decided to break up that section with a night at Crabtree Ranger Station before continuing on the Guitar Lake.