The road must eventually lead to the whole world. – Jack Kerouac
One of most iconic hikes in Washington’s Cascades, the Enchantments trail stretches nearly twenty miles through the rugged Alpine Lakes Wilderness. To hike this unique alpine area, you have two options: (1) enter the lottery and hope to score a … Read More
We decided to hike Granite Mountain over July 4th weekend. The holiday came on the heels of a brutal, four-day heatwave the previous weekend; and trails that had still been a little dicey from an above-average snow season were on … Read More
What do you do when temperatures soar into the triple digits around the Puget Sound area? Head for the islands, of course. The last weekend in June, we watched with dismay as the region experienced a record-shattering heatwave. It was … Read More
Arguably the state’s most iconic peak, Mt. Rainier’s 14,410-foot summit can be spotted from cities across western Washington. The peak is known as Tacoma or Tahoma to indigenous tribes, meaning ’snowy mountain peak.’ Although it hasn’t had a major eruption … Read More
Mt. St. Helens was a bit of a haul from our place in Snohomish – three hours with no one on the road, and just over four at any time of day other than the hours between midnight and 5 … Read More
Being a couple of IPA enthusiasts, I’m not sure we could have spent two months in Central Washington without making a trip over to hop country. Luckily, Yakima was just a couple hours from our place in Leavenworth. The Yakima … Read More
Hey everyone! It’s Sanchez. I’m hijacking this post from my mom. Don’t get me wrong – she’s okay at this writing thing, but Lake Wenatchee was my absolute favorite place in Leavenworth. I want to make sure it gets the … Read More
Dirtyface Mountain is a prominent, 6,200-foot summit that sits beside Lake Wenatchee’s northwestern shore. Since arriving in Leavenworth back in March, we’ve taken Sanchez to the lake at least two or three afternoons a week. With the park absolutely devoid … Read More
Hex Mountain is a 5,034’ peak just outside the small town of Cle Elum. It sits along the eastern shore of Cle Elum Lake with an easily-accessible trailhead just off Salmon La Sac Rd (WA-903). The 7-mile out-and-back follows a … Read More
About 30 minutes north of Wenatchee and less than an hour from Leavenworth, Swakane Canyon sits just across the Columbia River from Lincoln Rock State Park. Swakane Canyon seems to be a pretty lightly-trafficked area, which drove our decision when … Read More
Established in 2005 as a federally-recognized viticultural area, Horse Heaven Hills is a sizeable growing area bounded on the north by the Yakima Valley, and on the south by the Columbia River. With the river’s moderating effect on the area’s … Read More
For the first time in the six weeks we’ve been in Leavenworth, we finally picked out a hike that was right here in town. I don’t know why it took me so long to stumble across this trail, seeing as … Read More
When Stephan and I picked Washington state for our next temporary home, the alpine trails of the Cascade Mountains were the driving force behind that decision. However, having moved to the area in early spring of a record-setting snow year, … Read More
When you think of premier wines in the U.S., your mind probably goes straight to Napa or Sonoma Valley. Indeed, the two regions are home to some of the largest and most established producers in the country. By comparison, Washington’s … Read More
Last weekend we continued our relentless quest to find spring hikes after what has been a record-setting winter for much of Washington state. The state’s snowpack will likely rank as the third-highest on record, and here in the Cascades it’s … Read More
