By Anna Taylor
There is something truly special about a day spent in the mountains, especially when you have good company. Last month, I headed out with my Dad for a nice little jaunt into the Alpine Lakes Wilderness to visit two of Western Washington’s popular gems: Talapus and Olallie Lakes. Hike at a Glance It was a
They don’t call it Mount Defiance for nothing. This past weekend, I headed out to the I-90 corridor to tackle this famous local hike, and let’s just say, it lived up to its name. Between the late-season slush and an 80-degree spring heatwave, this hike absolutely kicked my butt. Trail Stats The day started off
We set out for the Trailhead at 6:30 a.m. Sunday morning and I knew it was going to be a cold day in the mountains. Snow had fallen as low as 5,000 feet the Friday before and it was forecast to stay below freezing all weekend. I’d been at Lake Angeles the day before and
Mike and I had about a month to prepare for our big cross-country move. We knew it was coming, but we didn’t know when. Not having a firm date made the planning process complicated. We had to find a place to live. Reserve rooms at pet friendly hotels. Cancel bills. Change our address. Get the
This was my first “long” hike since moving to Washington two weeks ago. Like a true amateur, I didn’t have a plan. I knew vaguely this trail lead to a lake, but I didn’t really know how long it would take me to get there, or how long it would take me to hike six
On our last day in Guatemala we decided to wake up at 2:30 to watch sunrise from the tallest temple at Tikal. We took a private taxi to the entrance of the park and then met with a local guide who led us by flashlight through the pitch black rainforest. We climbed to the top
The ninth morning of our trip we rejoined the rest of the group and returned to Yaxha, this time under the full light of a bright Guatemalan sun. We climbed the largest pyramid in the complex, along with several other smaller ones. The climbing is always equal parts fun and fear. Footholds can be unreliable
After a peaceful night in our riverside cabin, we took a boat ride on the Rio Dulce all the way to the Atlantic coast to the town of Livingston. We weren’t in country during the rainy season, so for almost the entire trip we had beautiful, sunny weather, but Rio Dulce is in the rainforest,
On Wednesday we boarded the bus bright and early for our more than six-hour drive to Copan, Honduras. Crossing the border from Guatemala to Honduras was an interesting process. Thankfully Tony was there to translate and give us instructions. You have to pay some sort of tax to enter Honduras, but Gate 1 took care
On our fifth day in Guatemala, we explored the historic city of Antigua. It’s equal parts charmingly laid back and bustling with action. Mayan men and women are everywhere selling homemade crafts. In the main square alone we were approached by no less than 10 women selling ornate, hand-beaded trinkets and embroidered table runners. We
Washinton Wandering 