Alpine Lakes Wilderness, Washington

To start, I would like to share my gratitude for The Outbound Collective for giving me the opportunity to be part of their Writers Residency program in 2021.  Despite having my writing published by the collective I still find myself struggling with the imposter syndrome that comes from being a r...

The Perfect Place for a Low-Key Snow Day! If you are looking for a low key snow day where you can play in some powder, Snoqualmie Pass is the PERFECT place to go!  Being from San Diego, my husband and I had never experienced powder like this before, and we finally figured out why everyone is obs...

This was one of those times that if we knew what we were getting into we would have thought twice. I found a twelve and a half-mile loop in an area we'd been curious about between Kachess Lake and Lake Cle Elum. I made the loop by connecting Kachess Ridge Trail, Silver Creek Tie, Domerie Peak T...

We went into this hike knowing it was 8 miles round trip and a portion of it being 1300 feet straight up in 1.3 miles. We expected the weather to be really snotty and rainy, but it was a lot better than we expected.  Typically, this would just be your normal hike, but for Em, HAHA NOOOOOOO. Eve...

“I’ve always wanted to go there!” are six words that used to trickle out of my mouth more often than veggies went in. Just as often were the two words “One day…” I once lived a life of hesitation and slept in a deep well of procrastination. I found every excuse in the book for why I couldn’t do s...

What do you do when you have finals and a sunny day? Drive to a lake and hammock, duh. I just got out of class daydreaming of going out and just relaxing in the sun. I have a reputation in class for not showing up if the sun's out, so when someone asked me why I was in class, I asked myself the s...

During the day, Rattlesnake Ledge is one of the most popular hikes within the one hour of Seattle. This means that the parking lot, as well as the road leading to the trailhead, is full of cars. If you hate crowds like this, then this is the time for you to go. You don't need much for this advent...

Whatever kind of backcountry adventure you're looking for, you're likely to find it in Washington. From the rugged coast to the Cascade mountains, there is no shortage of amazing trails and beautiful places to spend a night under the stars. Newbie backpackers and seasoned vets alike can find the ...

Is there anything that says summer more than camping on the Washington coast? The Evergreen State is beautiful all year round, but it is next level magical when summer hits. The typically blustery, grey coast transforms into a land of golden waters and welcoming shores for just a few months out o...

I couldn't be more lucky than moving to Washington from France. This is where I found out my love for hiking and how much I enjoy my time in the mountains. Here's my 5 favorite hikes I have done:  1. Burroughs Mountain at Mt. Rainier NP This trail is amazing from beginning to end and offers one o...

The northwest boasts some of the country’s finest backcountry camping, along well-maintained trails, past gleaming alpine lakes, through thick forests, and underneath soaring peaks with unparalleled views. Many of these environments are fragile and vulnerable to overuse, and so they’ve been prote...

In the past, your shelter options while backpacking were pretty limited – tent or…… tent. Then ultralight cuben fiber flat tarps and pyramids came along, but everything was still on the ground. Now, backpacking in hammocks is a serious option with multiple manufacturers offering products suited t...

Sure, adventure is all about the journey. But it doesn’t hurt when the final destination comes with lunch (and maybe a cold one) next a beautiful mountain lake, right? If you agree, then you’ll love exploring Washington. With nearly 8,000 lakes across the state, there are plenty of options to sat...

I recently moved to Washington from Florida on a whim. Normally, my life is a little more planned out than moving across the country without first having a job lined up, but this move needed to happen. I can honestly say that moving to Washington state has been one of the greatest decisions that ...

The last hurrah, the last weekend in Washington, so of course I had to go down swinging. My friends Brian and Tim from home came up for the weekend and I decided I needed to go to the North Cascades and Diablo Lake to cap off my year. With good weather in the forecast, I was really excited to go ...

Chances also are that you haven’t won a permit in the lottery system. Sure, the Enchantments are beautiful. In fact, they’re drop-dead gorgeous. But for those of us who haven’t won it big in the lottery yet, here are some of my favorite alternatives. These five lesser-known Washington gems have v...