Lucifer Falls tries to steal our souls!

Lucifer Falls tries to steal our souls!

“Why don’t you climb up on that ledge to take a photo,” Paul said. “That way you’ll cut out all that stuff in the foreground.” I mumbled a response about how I kind of liked the stuff in the foreground, but what I was thinking 

So, I’m trying to think of a clever title for this post about gorges near Ithaca…

So, I’m trying to think of a clever title for this post about gorges near Ithaca…

That’s what everyone says, right — “Ithaca is Gorges.” We have, at last count, three items in our (downsized) house that bear those three words. You can’t go anywhere here without seeing these three words stamped or printed or carved on every object imaginable. The 

Falling into canyons at Black Canyon National Park

Falling into canyons at Black Canyon National Park

I keep having this recurring nightmare: Paul and I are standing on the edge of a canyon. One after the other, we fall in. Paul falls in, then I fall in. I fall in, then Paul falls in. Over and over. Sometimes we fall in 

Dinosaur National Monument gives us the perfect desert goodbye

Dinosaur National Monument gives us the perfect desert goodbye

Yes, Dinosaur National Monument has dinosaur bones. The best bones have long been removed and placed in museums, but they’ve left a few in place to illustrate the amazing forces that made these bones find-able in the first place: first, lots of animals and dinosaurs died in 

The best view in Yosemite: the Sentinel Dome-Taft Point loop trail

The best view in Yosemite: the Sentinel Dome-Taft Point loop trail

The most famous view of Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park is the vista from Glacier Point. That’s where everyone heads, and you’ve got to see it, but try this first: stop at the Sentinel Dome trailhead and hike the 4.9 mile Sentinel Dome/Taft Point 

Hiking Etiquette (aka Lisa’s Trail Etiquette for Everyone)

Hiking Etiquette (aka Lisa’s Trail Etiquette for Everyone)

Hiking isn’t like walking in the city. In the city, you’re just trying to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible while avoiding eye contact at all times. Sometimes people bump into each other, sometimes they step in dog poop, sometimes 

Olympic NP’s Trail of Terror

Olympic NP’s Trail of Terror

The Trail of Terror starts with the flat and easy 1.4 mile stroll to Third Beach near La Push, WA along Olympic Park’s Pacific shore area. Walk south down the beach towards the waterfall. Look for the trail sign near where the beach narrows. It’s 

Highlights from Arches National Park — The Fiery Furnaces and Delicate Arch

Highlights from Arches National Park — The Fiery Furnaces and Delicate Arch

After a few visits, we’d exhausted all there is to do in Arches National Park, but since we were in the area, we couldn’t resist stopping again for a scramble around the Fiery Furnaces and a Delicate Arch revisit. Hiking in the Fiery Furnaces is 

Hiking in Capitol Reef National Park

Hiking in Capitol Reef National Park

After our haphazard trip across mid-central-south Utah, we ended up in Capitol Reef National Park and wanted to chill for a few days in the relative warmth. Much to our surprise, so did a few hundred other people. Capitol Reef is always listed as one of 

Hiking in Zion National Park

Hiking in Zion National Park

Zion National Park is my favorite place in the country, beating out even Death Valley. The trails and vistas in the park are so fantastic that they sometimes defy belief. These trails wouldn’t be built today, and I live in fear that they’ll finally be closed 

How to Prepare for a Desert Hike

How to Prepare for a Desert Hike

Hiking in the desert is dangerous, right? Wrong. Dead wrong. It’s just like walking along the beach. There’s sand, there’s sun, you may even see some mirage water. If you can walk along the beach, you can hike in the desert. First: remove your shirt. 

Finding a Party and the Best Wash Hike in the World at Lee’s Ferry

Finding a Party and the Best Wash Hike in the World at Lee’s Ferry

I wanted to go to Lee’s Ferry, because I wanted to see the place where Grand Canyon rafting voyages begin. I’ve been working up my courage for a Grand Canyon rafting trip for years (I’m still a few years away). In my mind, Lee’s Ferry