You did it! You are the proud owner of a coveted permit to hike Half Dome later this season! You get to join the ranks of an esteemed group of people who have ascended the cables of this majestic rock. Now comes the planning process. Selecting...
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3 a.m. Alarm going off. Groan at ungodly hour. Reconsider life choices. Reconsider waking up and running. No. Must go run. Ugh. Slide out of bed. Struggle into clothes set out enthusiastically the night before. Stupid idea. Running is stupid. Sit down to put on socks....
Read MoreSummer is the ideal time to load the family into the car and set off to explore a new national park. Shenandoah National Park, for example. Yet it can also be intimidating. Not only do you have to navigate a heavily-trafficked destination with hundreds of...
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There's no reason to mince words—hiking the John Muir Trail is hard! You're likely shuffling with your blistered feet, heavy pack, eyes glued to the ground below your feet. Fortunately, that ground is dotted in a spectacular rainbow of high alpine wildflowers! June and July are prime wildflower...
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Before National Trails Day Oh man, National Trails Day is coming up. Wait, that means it’s almost June! Where has this year gone? Anyway. National Trails Day. What am I doing next weekend? Nothing that is more important than National Trails Day! I wonder what my friends...
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Thanks to social media, it's really easy to get FOMO while sitting at home looking at everyone's jaw-dropping hikes across the globe. Also thanks to social media, it's actually quite simple to hop on a plane and go on some epic hikes yourself. Last year I traveled...
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Today is Cinco de Mayo. It's also a Saturday. You have a very important decision to make. Do you spend the day partying hard like every other Cinco celebrator, or do you make yourself somewhat productive and take the party to the trails? Yeah, that's what...
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Spring is such an idyllic time of year. The cold, gray winter is over, plants are blooming, animals are frolicking, the sun is shining. Perfect. So perfect. Yeah, right. Spring is perfect in theory. In reality, it's angry and unpredictable and beautiful and cold and warm...
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Peeing in the woods. If you spend any time exploring in the outdoors, you'll end up having to do this sooner or later. And while it sounds self-explanatory, if you've ever tried to pee outside while it's windy, avoiding getting bitten by mosquitoes, or accidentally...
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March 17th. St. Patrick's Day. If we're all being honest here, no one actually knows who St. Patrick is. But everyone knows who leprechauns are and what they look like. Since 2018 is the year you are living your best life, make this the year that you catch...
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