Here we are in the Lake Tahoe Basin, carving alongside glacial valleys beside volcanoes. The geologic stories from the rim and canyons of the Lake Tahoe Basin are in motion, at times avalanching through canyons to gently settle in sky blue waters. This is not a brochure to hastily summarize the geologic formation of Lake …
It was summertime and my roommate and I were about to embark on the trip of a lifetime. Ten days in northern Scotland, 16 hours of flight time, five modes of transportation to our arrival point, and, finally, countless hours to explore the best day hikes in Scotland. The trip took us through some of …
No day is the same as another on the John Muir Trail (JMT). But let’s take a journey into a day on a JMT thru hike and see where the trail leads today! JMT Mornings The first light of morning on the JMT begins to stream over the mountains, through the tree’s canopy, and into …
How was Lake Tahoe formed? It is one of the most common questions I have heard while guiding throughout the Lake Tahoe Basin. This question deserves an answer with depth, humility, clarity, and clairvoyance, like the crystalline Tahoe waters that bound to over a thousand feet. An Intro To ‘Stories of Stone’ Enter the School …
I’ve never been one to use vacation time to sip Mai-tais and work on my tan. I prefer to use that time to explore new places and push my physical limits. If you’re like me and you feel like your vacation time is best spent pushing yourself to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime experience, check out these …
As a guide myself, I have to admit to some level of bias as I undertake this article. But I’ve also been recreating outdoors (doing a lot of different activities) for many years. Sometimes it’s hard for me to imagine paying for a guide when I can pop online to research trails, weather, and anything …
I feel very fortunate that I grew up in a place with such easy access to the backcountry. Living in Truckee, CA, it’s absurdly easy for us to get on a trail and get away from town in under an hour. I recognize that this isn’t the case for many, many people out there living …
So you want to get into sleeping elevated, do you? From experience, it takes some time and requires a degree of trial and error to dial in your hammock camping gear list and perfect your setup. Getting a good hang (as die-hard hammockers call it) takes some experimenting and can require different considerations depending on …
Hammock camping is my preferred method of sleeping for any trips under a week in length. And I find myself leaning towards a hammock set-up that can function for even longer trips (like the JMT or PCT!). But for many hikers and backpackers, sleeping all night in a hammock either sounds uncomfortable or impractical. Today, …
For experienced backpackers, the process of putting on a pack is probably second nature. But for all of you just getting into backpacking, it’s important to know that there is actually a preferable technique for putting your backpack on and adjusting it for comfort. In this article, I’ll cover some easy tips on how to …