FIELD NOTES
The trail is a patient teacher. Here, I document the lessons learned between the trailhead and the summit—from the gear that keeps me safe to the moments that keep me sane.
Finding the Path (and a Few Thorns) at Lover's Leap
Sometimes, the hike you plan isn't the hike you get—and that is exactly what makes it an adventure. When a winter storm closed our original route, my friend Jatin and I found ourselves pivoting to the snowy, unpredictable trails of Lover's Leap. From discovering the quiet stillness of a frozen lake to bushwhacking through a strikingly beautiful burn scar (and battling a poisonous mountain thorn along the way!), this journey tested our limits. But as I've learned time and again, the mountains have a unique way of trading physical exhaustion for complete mental clarity. Read the full story and check out the photo gallery to see why getting a little lost in the woods is sometimes the perfect cure for an anxious mind.
The Sapphire & The Snow: A Journey to the Frozen Heart of Lake Aloha
A visual journey to the frozen heart of Lake Aloha. Experience the transition from lush green forests to a world of granite and ice, and read about the rare wildlife encounter that made this hike unforgettable
Granite & Grace: The Hard Road to Ropi Lake
Between the deafening roar of the waterfall and the perfect silence of the summit lies a path of pure granite. This is the story of the hike to Ropi Lake—a vertical journey that tested our endurance and rewarded us with the kind of stillness that heals the soul.