A Snapshot and The Scoop: Kaleidoscope, An East Coast Epic Story

Other than monarchs, I have never seen butterflies congregate in groups like the one pictured above until I visited Great Smoky Mountains National Park this last summer. Some kind of swallowtail, the beautiful black and blue wings of this butterfly caught my eye as they fluttered slowly while resting in the grass near several pull-outs in the park. I can hardly be blamed for thinking of fairy circles and little dances, though this photo was taken mid-morning instead of at midnight. I took far too many pictures of these groups of butterflies (called a kaleidoscope!) during the short time I spent at the park, but I am definitely not sorry.

A Snapshot and The Scoop: Fire Scars, An East Coast Epic Story

Just over three years ago now Great Smoky Mountains National Park made national headlines as the country watched it burn. A fire started by a couple of idiot kids high on a mountain top burned thousands of acres, hundreds of buildings, leveled part of the park's eastern gateway town, and killed 14 people. My visit this past summer revealed a forest in the midst of healing. Some of the trails affected by the fire are still closed, and some of the charred skeletons of trees still stand, but the forest is regrowing, the burned areas fully green with smaller shrubs and grasses flourishing in the fire scars. I didn't have the time to get out and hike the area, but from afar the forest looked like it was making a comeback in the way only a forest can. Next time I'll get out among the trees and see how far the earth has healed.

A Snapshot and The Scoop: Bear-Jam, An East Coast Epic Story

Countless cars stopped right on the road, people hanging out of their windows, some even out of their vehicles; if you've ever been in a national park, you know this sight very well, and you know exactly what it means: Animal Sighting. Now, don't get me wrong, I love a good animal sighting just as much as the next person. I may not get super excited about deer or elk anymore but I acknowledge there are people who've never seen one in person and I don't begrudge them their enthusiasm. I know there's nothing to do in these situations than to just sit back and be patient, turn the music up, and wait for the line to move. Yes, people really should use the pull-outs designed to keep traffic flowing around stopped vehicles, but those pull-outs are designed for only a handful of cars, not the multitude that travel park roads daily, and an animal sighting is going to cause a back-up regardless. The picture above was a traffic jam caused by a bear sighting off to the left in a grassy field. Unfortunately I arrived too late to see it, but I had to deal with the after effects as visitors returned to their cars. I would like it to be known, though, that no matter how excited you may be for a wildlife sighting it is never a good idea to leave your vehicle, especially if said wildlife is something that could seriously injure you (like a bear!). I managed to spot five bears during my short visit to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but didn't get a single clear photo of any one of them. Next time, perhaps!

National Trails Day 2019

Beneficial. It's no secret that being outside makes you feel better; there's been research supporting this for years. We've even seen a trend toward "green" prescriptions: where doctors recommend spending time in nature to lessen anxiety, improve mood, and even promote healing. No wonder, then, that people like me have made a holiday celebrating the trails that take us into nature, where we can forget our troubles and find happiness. To celebrate National Trails Day this year, I've compiled a list of my favorite hiking trails over the last five years or so. Some of these trails are short day hikes, some are long multi-day backpacking trips, but each of them hold wonderful memories and make me wish I was back on them as I look at each picture. In no particular order, here they are:

Andrew's Glacier, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO

If you're looking for a small challenge with a big reward, hiking to one of Rocky Mountain's few glaciers is definitely worth it! A beautiful walk through a mountain forest spits you out on the shoulder of a mountain, and up you go! You can't see the glacier or the tarn until you're standing on the edge of the world... And what a feeling it is!

Chesler Park, Needles District, Canyonlands National Park, UT

A long day hike, and not one to do in the heat of the day, this desert park is a place that I keep meaning to revisit! Surrounded by red and white striped hoodoos on all sides, this grassland looks like a meeting place for desert fair folk.

Rainbow Falls to Mt. Le Conte, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN

While I really wouldn't recommend this hike alone in the rain, the foggy landscape sure set the mood for a quite hike to a remote mountain top in Great Smoky Mountains. Of course, grab a hiking partner and plan to get wet, because the view from the top and the tunnels of green are worth it.

High Dune, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, CO

Who doesn't like to play in the sand, especially when surrounded on three sides by 14,000 foot mountains and on one side by biologically diverse marshlands? And hiking 3 miles to the top of some of the tallest dunes in North America just adds bragging rights. Make sure to pack plenty of water and sunscreen before you tackle this hike!

Hidden Canyon, Zion National Park, UT

A lush, cool canyon hidden away on the wall of an even bigger canyon, all in the heart of a desert? Yeah, that's what you get when you make the trek to Zion's Hidden Canyon. Getting here is half the fun and not for someone afraid of heights; there are several sections of chains to grip along the narrow parts of this cliffside trail.

Angel's Landing, Zion National Park, UT

Another trail for those with no fear, the hike to Angel's Landing is short but absolutely not easy. The entire last quarter mile to the Landing is located on the ridge of a narrow fin, with a chain to help keep you from falling off. The challenge makes the trail popular though, so don't expect to be alone up there.

Tonto Trail, Grand Canyon National Park, AZ

A less-used connector trail in the mid-elevations of the Grand Canyon, this trail hosts some pretty awesome backcountry camping sites and all but guarantees you solitude. Be warned, you're looking at a minimum 3 night trip to do even a small section of this trail, including descending to it and ascending from it on trails from the rim of the canyon on your first and last days.

Thunder Pass via Box Canyon, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO

Another trail that, while technically can be used as a day hike, is much more rewarding if you stay at the backcountry site along the way. Right at the edge of the park, Thunder Pass marks the park boundary. On one side is the park, on the other a national forest area, with trails leading to the pass from both sides.

Sky Pond, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO

I don't know anyone who doesn't love alpine lakes, and pretty trails along glacier basins to get to said lakes are even better. Done as a day hike this trail isn't too strenuous or too long, and as long as you're below treeline before the summer afternoon storms hit, every step is worth it!

Buffalo River Trail, Buffalo National River, AR

A friend and I spent a couple years section-hiking this 30+ mile trail during autumn in the Ozarks of northern Arkansas, and we enjoyed our time there so much we're heading back again now that we're finished to hike the shorter trails in the area. We aren't quite ready to give the Buffalo River up yet!

I hope these snapshots and glimpses onto my favorite trails inspire you to hit your own local trail, if not today then maybe sometime soon! If you go, send me a picture so I can check it out too!

In Celebration of National Parks: National Parks Week 2017

Happy National Parks Week! This week, every year, we celebrate the 417 National Park Units across the nation and take a moment to acknowledge the landscapes, history, knowledge that these parks house and protect are what makes the United States amazing. I have been fortunate enough to visit twenty-three of these units, scattered across the states, within the past three years, some of them more than a few times. The weekends bracketing National Park Week (April 15-23) are fee-free weekends, so if you are able to get out and enjoy your parks now would be an awesome time to do so! I haven't been able to get to a park unit yet this year, but starting next month I have plans in place to travel to several over the summer months. Scroll on below for a gallery of every National Park Unit I've been to in the past three years and find some inspiration to visit one or two yourself!

Arches National Park, UT

Big Thicket National Preserve, TX

Brown's Canyon National Monument, CO

Bryce Canyon National Park, UT

Canyonlands National Park, UT

Capitol Reef National Park, UT

Capulin Volcano National Monument, NM

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM

Chimney Rock National Monument, CO

Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, CO

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, CO

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Guadalupe Mountains National Park, TX

Homestead National Monument, NE

Hot Springs National Park, AR

Hovenweep National Monument, UT

Mesa Verde National Park, CO

Petrified Forest National Park, AZ

Rocky Mountain National Park, CO

Sunset Crater National Monument, AZ

White Sands National Monument, NM

Wupatki National Monument, AZ

Zion National Park, UT

My Top Four Favorite Campsites

If you've read anything on this blog at all you've realized by now that I love to camp. And not the lavish, high-end glamping, but the roughin' it down and dirty camping in a tent, preferably with no people, no showers, and amazing views. Just in case that wasn't clear, I've compiled a list of my favorite campsites and have laid them out below. Please keep in mind: this is a work in progress and I will update the list as I continue to find new, fantastic places to pitch my tent. Here are my top four favorite campsites, in no particular order:

My Spot, CO

My Spot has been a long standing campsite in our family, ever since we discovered it years and years ago on a family vacation. It was always the place I chose to camp any time I was asked to pick a spot, and I have many fond memories playing on the rocks near the cold mountain creek near Monarch Mountain in the central Colorado Rockies. The last time I was there we only stopped for a lunch picnic, but I would love to go back and camp again, just for the trip down memory lane.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Cosby Campground, TN

Great Smokey Mountains National Park completely blew me away as a whole, but camping at Cosby Campground, as the only person on my entire loop, backed up against the forest and warned about the resident bear, I was in awe. Evening sunlight filtered through the thick canopy of leaves, and nights were darker than I thought was possible. Shining a flashlight around revealed the eyeshine of millions of forest bugs, and I fell asleep each night to the melody of a thousand crickets. Each morning I woke up to a tent covered in dew, and smelled the musty rain scent of a forest that is perpetually wet. I would love to go back to that park and get out into the backcountry, maybe try out the AT for a few nights!

Sea Rim State Park, TX

I'm a morning girl and a sucker for sunrises, and I'm not sure a slow sunrise over an ocean beach can be beat. I loved camping on the beach of the North Texas Gulf Coast so much that I went back a second time, and I wouldn't say no to several more trips per year. The sunrises linger on, from the first glimmer of light on the eastern horizon to when the sun finally gets her round face fully over the horizon, and even a little after as she continues to light up the low clouds like fire. Plus the fact that it's a relatively unvisited little park with five miles of deserted beach, and the ability to camp anywhere on the sand that you want as long as you're not on the tidal dunes and out of reach of high tide. Now that's my kind of park.

Great Sand Dunes National Park, CO

This campsite right here is a bucket list item I can finally cross off! I have wanted to backpack into the tallest dunes in North America for years, and have stayed right on their skirts in the park's established campground, but never had the chance or the gear to actually hike into the dunes and pitch a tent. I have finally accomplished this goal, and slept soundly in the dead quiet night surrounded by mounds of sand. After climbing the dune ridge to catch the sunset (skypainting, when words are hard), and sitting outside my tent watching the stars unfurl into the Milky Way, of course. And waking up to glowing ridges and deep bowl shadows then next morning? Bliss.

Have I convinced you to tent camp a little more? Have I inspired you to take your own adventure, by yourself or with a friend, to a place where you can pitch a tent in a lovely place? Let me know if I have, and if you're at all interested in camping with me next time!

Celebrating National Park Week

Grand View Point, Canyonlands National Park

Get excited! It's National Park Week! To celebrate, all national parks are offering free admission to all of their units across the United States; make sure to get out there and take advantage of it! In honor of this week, I've compiled a list, complete with a photo, of all of my favorite national parks/monuments/recreation areas/ect. Each place listed has at least one other blog post associated with it, except Glacier, and I would like to point out that these are in no particular order.

Arches National Park:

This park, located near Moab, UT, is incredibly popular, and for good reason. The rust-red sandstone is prime for forming the largest concentration of arches in the world. You can hike to many of them, though the most popular by far are Delicate Arch (pictured above) and Landscape Arch.

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve:

Where can you go wrong with the highest sand dunes in North America? Absolutely nowhere, as long as you go visit this park, located in central Colorado between two mountain ranges sporting several 14ers. Ringed by life-giving seasonal streams, Great Sand Dunes is a desert paradise, located right next to a mountain oasis. You have to at least make the three-mile trek to High Dune, the tallest dune on the front range of the dune field. If you're feeling adventurous, continue on several miles to Star Dune, the tallest dune in North America (though make sure you bring plenty of water..and don't be on the field in a thunderstorm!)

White Sands National Monument:

Speaking of sand dunes, did you know there is such a thing as snow-white sand dunes? A trip to White Sands National Monument in New Mexico will show you I'm not joking, and that the picture above really is sand, not snow! This desert park bakes during the day, and the white sand is really good at reflecting the sun right into your eyes. Try visiting in the morning or the evening to fully enjoy this beautiful park. Also, you can backpack in the dune field. I want to go back!

Great Smoky Mountains National Park:

This is the most popular park in the states for a very good reason. Not only are the Smoky Mountains located in the southeastern US, where a great population of citizens live and work, but there is something alluring about the rolling green mountains, waterfalls, and open coves that stretch on for miles. The Appalachian Trail cuts directly through the middle of the park, and wildlife (including bears) are abundant. Make sure you have plenty of time when you visit this park; you're gonna need it.

Canyonlands National Park:

As Arches National Park's less-popular neighbor, Canyonlands doesn't see nearly as many visitors, though in my opinion that's what make it amazing. Maybe it's the drive up a mesa to get to the Island in the Sky District, or the distance to the three other districts encompassed in the park (including The Needles District, pictured above) none of which are connected by roads through the park, requiring you to drive miles and spend hours just to get to them. Whatever the reason people skip this park, Canyonlands has something to offer to sightseers, hikers, backpackers and jeep junkies alike. As of right now, this is my favorite park out of all of them. I've only visited the Island in the Sky District and the Needles District, though I would love to visit The Maze and Horseshoe Canyon at some point!

Capitol Reef National Park:

For reasons unclear to me this park, located in south-central Utah, is often skipped over by travelers making a beeline between Arches National Park and Zion National Park. They have no idea what they're missing! A great uplift in the earth's crust thousands of years ago created a great barrier to easst-west travel of cliffs and canyons, and the desert sun parched the land. There is, however, the Fremont River that carves its way through the canyons and brings life to the area. The ancient Fremont Culture used to call the park home, and in more recent times Mormons settled the area and farmed the little oasis. Their orchards still stand, and during the fall you are welcome to pick your own fruits. Don't forget to take a hike through Grand Wash or Capitol Gorge, or hit one of the backcountry roads for a bumpy, thrilling ride.

Bryce Canyon National Park:

Not a true canyon, red rock hoodoos tower within this amphitheater located at the highest elevation of the Big Five national parks in southern Utah. Due to this elevation, the park is often blanketed with snow during the winter months, which actually draws photographers from all over to try to capture the snow-topped hoodoos. Be warned, if you visit during the summer there is a good chance of thunderstorms, and it is very hot. If you visit during winter most of the park road is closed, and the plows have a hard time keeping up with the amount of snow that gets dumped on this high desert park.

Zion National Park:

Ever wondered what it would be like to walk up a shallow, cool river in the middle of a desert summer, while red cliffs tower hundreds of feet above you? Take a trip to this park and you can find out for yourself. While the Virgin River Walk is definitely popular during the summer and fall months, this park is enormous and offers hiking for all abilities. Angel's Landing, the dizzying strenuous hike to the top of a narrow sandstone fin hundreds of feet above the canyon bottom is another popular trail, though it's not for those afraid of heights. Whether you're there for a day or a week, you won't run out of things to do at this amazing park.

Rocky Mountain National Park:

My list wouldn't be complete without Rock Mountain National Park. As the first park I actively remember visiting, and definitely one I've revistited most often, Rocky Mountain holds a special place in my heart. Hikes anywhere from an hour to several days await you in this park, and Trail Ridge Road is not to be missed. Don't just stop on the east side of the park either, but cross the Continental Divide and check out the west side. You're much more likely to see moose on that side down by the banks of the tiny Colorado River!

Glacier National Park:

This is a park that I haven't visited in nearly ten years, but the fact that I'm including it on this list ought to be enough to convince you to go check it out for yourself. Located in northern Montana, this is a park that is a little bit difficult for me to get to at the moment, especially given that I prefer to drive everywhere I go. That being said, I'm working on plans to get back up north and revisit the park that remains under snow well into summer. From my memories, journals and pictures, this park is a hiker's haven, and I would need at least a week there just to scrape the surface. Plus, as it's name implies, there are glaciers to explore!

Morane Park, Rocky Mountain National Park

If you've been following along, you know by now that I have no intentions of ending my travels. I would love to visit every single one of the National Parks units sometime in my life, and often plan trips according to what parks are close by. I tend to revisit my favorites, though I am trying to branch out and discover new places. Every park has something that makes it special; go discover it for yourself!

Medano Creek, Great Sand Dunes National Park