The Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon has long been recognized as one of America’s most magical places. Even the name affirms its grandeur…there is no need to explain WHAT canyon you are talking about (it’s the canyon of the Colorado River, technically speaking.) All you need to do is say that it’s the Grand one. Everyone knows which canyon you […]
Alto Sierra
The Rae Lakes Loop: Day Four (The Big One) Dawn could not come soon enough. Part of the reason we had pushed so far along on the third day was so we could get as close to Glen Pass as possible, so that we could tackle it as early in the day as possible. Our concern had been the unseasonable […]
The Canyon of Earthly Delights
Kings Canyon National Park In 2009 we returned to California for a second helping of vacation. Our time spent along the Big Sur Coast had left us more than suitably impressed enough to go back for seconds. Brian especially wanted to see John Muir’s celebrated range of light, the Sierra Nevada. On our first trip, which had been in winter, […]
Back for Another Year!
The Holidays are Over and We’re Back Online We back from our holiday break and ready to embrace new adventures! In addition to hosting Sylvia’s family from Dallas, we spent much of this time bringing the new member of the team, future BecauseItzThere dogsled captain Fitz Roy, up to speed. It has been quite an adventure. The problem is not […]
Where Was Our First Hike Together? Believe It Or Not…
Hemmed in Hollow, Arkansas Yep, dang ole’ Arkansas *This post continues the mining of old photographs taken in the pre-digital era. We therefore apologize in advance that the quality of the pictures is not quite up to the usual standards. Also note that our description of the falls was accurate for the time we visited, which was in 2005, things […]
Looking to Get Off the Beaten Path? Try the Lone Star State
Big Bend and Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas Looking for a great American National Park experience? Our suggestion is to look off the beaten path. As far as the outdoor recreation community is concerned, that perfectly describes the dang ole Great State of Texas. No one thinks of Texas as being a hiking mecca. But in our opinion, trans-Pecos Texas […]
Standing Indian Loop Video
The Standing Indian Loop Hike via the AT In our newest video we hike the Standing Indian Loop in western NC…a very popular 3 day backpacking trip. It is one of the very few places where a long loop hike involving the AT is even possible without a great deal of logistical complication. It’s also a great option for anyone […]
Another Blockbuster Movie!
By popular demand we have a NEW HIKING VIDEO… The Mt. Cammerer Hike, Great Smoky Mountains National Park! This is an 11 mile out and back to Mount Cammerer and its unusual fire tower — our favorite single viewpoint in the Smoky Mountains, and quite a challenging hike. Don’t miss our trip report! And while you are at it, check […]
The Great Fall Color Chase Part I
The Quest for Fall…Adventures with Mikey! (The events described here have been compressed from two weekends spent in Western NC with nephew Mikey from Texas. Since then Mikey has vanished; he was last seen downloading “Red Dead: Redemption 2” for the PS4, aka ‘that thar consarned infernal contraption!’) Fall is out favorite season in the mountains. Every year Sylvia and […]
Hike the Patagonian Route of Parks? Um, Not Exactly…
Patagonian Route of Parks: Update A couple of weeks back, we mentioned a story on the “Patagonian Route of Parks” that had been heavily posted all throughout the travel and outdoor recreation blogosphere. NatGeo, Travel and Leisure, the BBC, Lonely Planet, Men’s Journal… As we are headed to Patagonia next year, we were very excited about this, but details about […]