The Additional Essentials
by Glenn Nelson Everybody, including us, offers a list of the 10 Essentials. No one calls them the Only-10 Essentials. That’s because there are additional, Glad-I-Brought (or Wish-I-Had) Essentials. Study. Bandana (or Wipe Cloth): Because we sweat. We spill. It rains on our glasses. And...
On Rating Hikes
Above: No one said anything about snow on July 31 in Mount Rainier National Park! I am a journalist, so I am accustomed to researching the bejeebers out of everything, including my outdoor experiences. So imagine my surprise when I reached Third Beach in Olympic...
What’s in My Pack
by Glenn Nelson I’m a journalist and a gearhead, so all my equipment is heavily researched and curated. Keep in mind that I’m on the trails for the soul-slaking experience, but also to photograph and otherwise record the experience. This is the gear that comes...
Million-Plus National Parks
Photo: Sunset at Clingman’s Dome in Great Smoky Mountains National Park by Scott Basford (Creative Commons) U.S. National Parks that have a million-plus, year-to-date visitors through the most current month, and ranked by attendance, as reported by the National Park Service. Through Dec 2014: Yellowstone...
Lakes Loop Trail (WA)
A lot of my favorite places in Mount Rainier National Park – Reflection Lakes, Faraway Rock, Mazama Ridge, Paradise River, and more – all jammed into one stroll. The Lakes Loop Trail Download Click to Download .GPX File Highlights: Glorious bodies of water, Mount Rainier...
Kautz Creek to Indian Henry’s (WA)
This is one of those glad-I-went-there, destination hikes, requiring effort for the payoff. The Indian Henry Download Highlights: Rolling meadows with wildflowers (in season) and views of Mount Rainier and, on clear days, Mount Adams and Mount St. Helens. Travel Time (from Urban Centers to...