From the trail
The big trips, year by year: what we hiked, who came along, and what nearly broke us.
Exploring the Great Plains
A Chicago-to-Dakotas round trip through Theodore Roosevelt, Wind Cave, Custer State Park, and the Badlands.
Turned back by snowpack
A 2-day backpacking loop we couldn't finish; snow at the saddle point stopped us short. Made up for it with a cave tour and a night of stargazing.
Chicago to the Dunes, by bike
Cycled from Chicago to Indiana Dunes and camped overnight, with stops at Calumet Fisheries and a few breweries along the way. Stephen and Eric joined for this one.
Chicago to Shenandoah and back
A road trip hitting Cuyahoga on the way out and New River Gorge on the way back. Cycled 45 miles of Skyline Drive, hiked to a waterfall at Cuyahoga, and caught a quick vista at New River Gorge.
Two miles in, three lakes across
Boat to a trailhead, a 2-mile hike to our canoes, then across three lakes to camp on an island in Quill Lake. Jack and Steve joined as the newest Mountaineers.
Denali, Kenai Fjords & a very cold lake
Sea kayaking, class 5 whitewater, a wildlife cruise out of Anchorage, homemade sushi, and glacial lake plunges followed immediately by saunas.
Yosemite to the coast
Yosemite, Kings Canyon, Sequoia, Pinnacles, then down to Big Sur and Carmel-by-the-Sea. Half Dome, Upper Yosemite Falls, e-biking 17 Mile Drive, and a wine room tasting to close it out.
Mammoth Cave
They don't call it the small cave!
A quick trip underground through the world's longest known cave system: long, dark, and somehow still not long enough.
Vegas to Denver, all five parks
Flew into Vegas, road-tripped through all five Utah national parks, flew out of Denver. Angels Landing, the Narrows, sunrise at Arches, stargazing at Capitol Reef, Wall Street and the Navajo Loop at Bryce, and the Needles District at Canyonlands, in 100 to 110°F heat the entire trip.
The first big trip, all five of us
The one that started it all. Chasm Lake and Sky Pond, with the full crew present from day one.
Smaller Trips
- Ozark National Forest, Backpacking
- Manistee