Never Summer Mountain Range from the Ute Trail, RMNP

Two Days in Rocky Mountain National Park

July 19, 2024

At the end of June, we visited my parents in Longmont for a week. They generously offered to watch our three kids so Lindsay and I could go away for a night. We decided to stay in Estes Park and spend two days exploring Rocky Mountain National Park.

The night before we leave, my parents give us the run-down on the timed entry system and we secure our spot for 9 am the next morning. Thankfully, the National Park Service releases 40% of timed entry spots the night before at 7 pm so it’s possible - like us - to plan a last minute visit and still get timed entry!

Trail Ridge Road, RMNP. Can you spot the cyclist?

Is this thing still on?

July 12, 2024

Is this thing still on? I have a post coming soon about the 24 hours I spent in Rocky Mountain Park at the end of June, but before I share that I thought I’d share a brief update explaining my long blog hiatus.

Backpacking the Northern Loop in Mount Rainier National Park

August 26, 2021

I’ve lived in the Pacific Northwest for almost 10 years but have only been to Mount Rainier National Park twice since moving to Portland. Since I started backpacking in 2014, I’ve dreamed of hiking the Wonderland Trail, which circumnavigates the massive 14,411-foot glaciated volcano in 93 impressive miles. With limited time to take off from work, though, we decided we’d try for permits to backpack the Northern Loop, a 33-mile loop with about 11,000 feet of elevation gain that follows 17.5 or so miles of the Wonderland Trail (from close to Sunrise to the Carbon River) and the 15.5 mile Northern Loop Trail. Now that I’ve had a taste of the Wonderland Trail, it’s high on my list to complete the entire loop (and maybe we’ll have more views next time!).

Hiking the Paradise Park Loop Trail on Wy'east (Mt. Hood)

July 29, 2021

Most people hike the iconic Paradise Park Loop from Timberline Lodge. Since we backpacked to Ramona Falls for our weekend base camp, we start from Ramona Falls.

After a breakfast of oatmeal and coffee, we pack our daypacks and hit the Timberline Trail/PCT by a little after 8:30 am. My legs are a little tired from yesterday’s adventure to Yocum Ridge but overall, I feel great. Our plan is to hike the Paradise Park Loop Trail and return to our campsite at Ramona Falls, pack up, and hike out to get back to Portland by evening. Overall, it’ll be about a 17 mile day to wrap up a 32 mile weekend.

Hiking Yocum Ridge on Wy'east (Mt. Hood)

July 29, 2021

For our seventh wedding anniversary we decide to spend a few days hiking in the Mt. Hood Wilderness. Ever since we backpacked the entire 41 mile Timberline Trail around Mt. Hood last August, I’ve been wanting to return.

We get an early start from the Ramona Falls Trailhead on Friday morning with our packs on. After about a mile, we cross the Sandy River easily on some logs. After about 3.5 miles and under an hour and a half, we arrive at Ramona Falls and find a nice secluded site a minute walk from the falls. This will be our basecamp for the next two days. We set up camp quickly and pack our day packs.

A paddle boarder takes in the scenery of Lake Crescent at sunset.

A Week in Olympic National Park

July 9, 2021

Olympic National Park is a treasure and I’m so grateful we spent a week here at the end of June. Luca lived his best life and is a true lover of the outdoors. The wonder, the joy, the curiosity. If only every adult approached nature with the same sense of awe, our planet would be in much better shape. I hope we can continue to foster a love of - and commitment to protect - the natural world and a deep respect for all living things in Luca as he grows older.

Backpacking in Eagle Cap Wilderness

August 7, 2020

I’ve lived in Oregon now for almost 10 years and have always wanted to go to the Wallowas. Lindsay and I were supposed to go to Norway for ten days for a good friend’s wedding in July, but alas, our trip was canceled due to the pandemic. We decide to keep the same week off to have something to look forward to in the spring when we are in full tread water mode adjusting to full time work and childcare responsibilities. I casually suggest to my sister Kristin that we meet up to go backpacking and she hardly thinks twice about it, despite an 18 hour drive from Colorado. It didn’t take any effort to convince my brother either. It did, however, take a global pandemic for three of the four Brady siblings to finally go backpacking together for the first time.

Exploring the Central Oregon Coast

March 13, 2020

There is just something about the coastal air that is truly renewing. In mid-January, we booked a cozy cabin in Seal Rock, a small town about 15 minutes south of Newport on Highway 101. This cabin would be our home base for the weekend as we explored Newport and the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area south of Yachats for the weekend.

A Weekend in Sedona

March 9, 2020

At the end of January, my parents suggested we join them for a long weekend in Sedona, Arizona in February. A chance to see my parents and for Luca to spend quality time with his grandparents? A brief escape from the mid-winter Pacific Northwest clouds and rain? A longed-for opportunity to boost our Vitamin D reserves? It was a no brainer.

2019: a year on the trails

January 10, 2020

I didn’t post much in 2019. One of the reasons for this (aside from working full time and trying to keep up with our busy toddler) is that I fell in love with trail running. I ran over 1,100 miles last year - more miles than I ever have run in a year, by far. And I loved running almost every one of those miles, even those that came on road, in the dark, and in cold rain. (For more on why I love trail running, check out my reflection on running to Larch Mountain).

In January last year, my goal for health/well-being was to stay fit and strong, keep trail running and hiking, listen to my body (always!), and not get injured. I accomplished this goal - and then some. If you would have asked me a year ago if I could have fathomed I would complete a rugged 20 mile trail race in the Mt. St. Helens backcountry or a challenging 50K on some of the most beautiful trails in Oregon, I would have said, no way.

Here’s a year-in-review of my 2019 trail adventures (I initially anticipated that this would be brief, but 12 months x multiple photos is a lot! Good luck making it to the end.)

Backpacking the Copper Ridge Loop in the North Cascades

September 5, 2019

Ever since I started backpacking in 2014, I’ve wanted to venture into the North Cascades to experience the ruggedness and remoteness of the landscape for myself. Jagged snow-topped peaks (the park is home to 300 glaciers), emerald alpine lakes, mountain ridges, wildflower meadows, densely forested valleys, diverse flora and fauna … what more could one seek in a back country adventure? When I hear the famous John Muir quote, “the mountains are calling, and I must go” - I think of the North Cascades.

The place feels truly wild.

Larch Mountain Trail Run

August 20, 2019

I have fallen in love with trail running this last year.

There is just something about running on a winding trail through the woods - with all of the ups and downs - that fills me up. When I breathe in the crisp air and soak up the brilliance of the sun’s rays filtering through the trees on a quiet early morning trail, I am completely tune with myself and my surroundings. I feel wonderfully small yet also connected to everything around me.

A Rainy Weekend in Squamish, BC

August 9, 2019

On the Fourth of July last year, as fireworks boomed loudly for hours in our neighborhood in NE Portland, Lindsay and I decided we would spend the next year’s holiday outside of the city where we might find a little bit of peace and quiet.

In the spring, when we were deciding where to go for the holiday weekend, we threw out a visit to the provincial parks north of Vancouver as an option. We last visited British Columbia in late summer of 2016 and were blown away by the beauty of Canada’s westernmost province. The epic scenery - pristine alpine lakes, towering peaks, rugged mountain ranges - left me speechless.

Squamish is a small town at the northern end of the Howe Sound. The area attracts outdoors-lovers and is well-known as a destination for climbers, hikers, mountain bikers, and trail runners. The granite monoliths that rise thousands of feet from the sea reminded me a little of the majestic granite walls in Yosemite.

Weekend on the Salmon River

June 5, 2019

Is this thing still on?

A short while ago, Lindsay and I moped to each other that we had not had a vacation since Christmas. Poor planning on our part. So, as you can imagine, we were thrilled to spend the long weekend with our brothers Myles and DJ and DJ’s girlfriend Olivia in a beautiful cabin nestled in the woods near the lush Salmon River just off of Mount Hood and only about an hour drive from home.

We leave after work on Friday and are pleasantly surprised that in less than an hour we arrive at the cabin. I can hear the Salmon River nearby and am grateful that the house is surrounded by trees. What a perfect spot to spend a long weekend.

Our favorite section of the Jedediah Smith State Park's Boy Scout Tree Trail.

Retreat to California's Redwood Coast

June 27, 2018

Has it already been a month?

On Memorial Day weekend we set out on our first road trip since Luca joined our team back in August. We were ready for a vacation and to spend some time in the woods...

We spend two lovely nights in Bandon, a small town on the Southern Oregon Coast, before making our way to the Northern California Coast Redwoods of Jedediah Smith State Park. On our way to Bandon, we stop at the Oregon Coast Aquarium and enjoy fish and chips (with fresh Alaskan halibut!) in Newport. In Bandon, we enjoy a long walk on the beach in Cape Blanco State Park (we are the only family on the beach for a while!) and spend a lot of time hanging around our delightful Airbnb nestled in the woods just out of town. How grateful I am for this vacation.

The Wonder of Opal Creek

May 25, 2018

Opal Creek Wilderness is home to the largest contiguous area of low-elevation old growth forest in Oregon. One of the oldest and largest trees in the Opal Creek area is a Douglas Fir that is 1,000 years old. Incredible.

This is a place that will stick with you. We first visited back in February of 2015 on a crisp morning. As we walked the trail along the creek, the sun poured through the old growth forest filling me with awe and wonder. How special is it to walk among ancient trees and feel so small? I have wanted to return ever since.

Winter in Forest Park

February 21, 2018

Forest Park is a truly special place. I have spent innumerable hours hiking or running its beautiful trails since we moved to Portland in 2011. Before we moved to NE Portland last August, Forest Park was our backyard. I could jog from my apartment in Northwest and be on a trail in the woods that meanders along a delightful creek in just 10 minutes.

Forest Park - at nearly 5,200 acres - is the largest urban forest in the nation. I am so grateful for the work that the Forest Park Conservancy and City of Portland do to maintain and preserve such a precious natural place. One could spend years here and never explore all of the park's 80 miles of trails, fire lanes, and forest roads.

Spectacular Siouxon Creek

February 16, 2018

We hiked at Siouxon Creek in the southern Washington Cascades just last weekend; yet, it feels like an eternity has passed. I learned on Sunday that my beloved grandma's health is declining. And then Wednesday brought the devastating news of a mass shooting at a high school in Florida. When will enough be enough?

As I reflect on our walk in the woods, I can still feel the cold air on my face. I can smell the moss covering a young Douglas Fir. I can hear the birds chirping, almost as if they are expressing relief that spring is on the way. But I don't have many words.

Here are some images from our 5-6 mile walk along the Siouxon (pronounced SOO-sahn) Creek Trail in Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

Rainy morning? No problem. The thick ocean air helped clear Luca's congestion and a rain coat kept him nice and dry!

Luca: Our Little Hiker

February 9, 2018

If you've followed my blog in the past, you know that my posts include descriptions of hikes, thoughts and observations, and photos. Now we have an infant, the light of our life, Luca, and there aren't enough hours in the day. (My Dad would smile and say, "At least it's only one and not three!") I hope to still post, even if it is infrequently. My posts will likely include more photos - of our treasured landscapes and our family in nature - and fewer words.

Backpacking the Salmon River Trail

June 30, 2017

Better late than never.

It was a long winter in the Pacific Northwest but I'm finally emerging from my seven month blogging hibernation. We didn't stop hiking when the weather turned last fall - we still did plenty of it in the rain and snow - I just lost momentum with writing up our hikes. (I remember sitting down to write after a solo hike along the Eagle Creek Trail a few days after the election but couldn't muster the energy or will to do so. And somehow that lack of will to write continued for months.)

A lot has also changed in our lives since my last post on our trip to the Canadian Rockies. We are pregnant and due August 28! Lindsay is feeling good and the baby is moving a lot, which is exciting. We have also embarked on the journey of finding and buying a home. As a result, we've slowed down a bit with our weekend adventures and are focusing on preparing for these exciting, daunting life transitions. We still relish every opportunity to get outside and into the woods, even if it is less often.

Lindsay and I knew that early June would probably be our last opportunity to go backpacking before welcoming our new addition in August, so we jumped on it. We were looking for a relatively flat trail that was not too far from Portland. My brother Myles and his girlfriend Rosemary made a last minute decision to join us.

The Salmon River Trail is a true gem. Just a little over an hour from Portland, it is a super accessible trail that winds along the river through lush old growth forest. There are numerous areas along the river to camp. The trail climbs from the Salmon River a few miles to a bluff with multiple viewpoints of the Salmon River Gorge. The entire 33.5-mile river is a protected National Wild and Scenic River.