The Wandering Dogtor

I have been to Denver at least 6 times in the last decade to visit friends. Every time I go, I state I want to go to the Rockies, because I've never been. So this time, I rented a car and took control of the situation, and even got to drag my boyfriend on his first trip to the mountains. We stayed in Estes Park, and it quickly became one of my favorite towns I've ever seen. It was so beautiful and adorable and there were herds of elk just hanging out. There were perfect coffee shops (this picture was from Coffee on the Rocks), and the fall colors at that elevation were at their peak the second week of October. I loved everything about it.  Four Lake Loop Trail  We had one day to fit in a good hike, since neither of us adjusted well to the elevation, and that definitely had nothing to do with an EDM concert at Red Rocks the day we got there. But, this hike was the best given those circumstances. There are two parking lots that allow you to access this loop, one at Glacier Gorge...

Before visiting Seattle, I thought people were a little intense with how much they love this mountain. But, I can confirm it's justified. I lucked out with another beautiful, sunny day. The mountain really can hide behind clouds that come out of no where at a moment's notice, though. There are two main sides to the park, Sunrise and Paradise. They are about an hour and a half drive apart, so best to do some research and decide which you'd rather visit, as both in a day would be challenging. I chose the Paradise side, which is the more popular side, especially for wildflowers during the summer. Even on a Thursday, I got there before 8am, the main lot was almost nearly full. So get there as early as you can!  Skyline Trail According to AllTrails, this is about a 6 mile loop with 1800ft of elevation gain. There are a ton of other trails off of it, so I ended up at about 8 miles with the different routes I took, with about 5 hours worth of meandering. I started in a counter-clo...

I know I say this a lot, but this park definitely warrants days more to explore than I was able to give it. The hike we did was absolutely spectacular, but this is one of those places you could take a week to explore and never get bored. There is a rainforest and a beach section to this park that I've only seen pictures of, but can't wait to go back and check them out for myself. Also, I didn't realize how obsessed I am with moss covered trees, but turns out they're really important to me.  Mount Storm King  This hike starts as a vary large and VERY busy trailhead (even on a Wednesday afternoon), since it's an easy hike to Marymere Falls from that point. I would consider this hike difficult, at only 4 miles, but with 2,000ft of elevation and a ropes course, this was a very fun challenge. It took us about 4 hours, stopping a while at the top, and adding in Marymere.  This hike starts off on the wide, well maintained trail that takes you to Marymere Falls, and this tr...

This park isn't nearly as popular as the others in the state (it's like, really far north), but absolutely worth a trip to visit. The road up to this part of the park was sketchy at best, but we made it in my friend's Honda Fit, which maybe isn't recommended but feasible.   Cascade Pass Trail  We only had time for one hike, and opted for this 6.7 mile with 1700ft of elevation gain up at the top north corner of the park. There was a big lot at the trailhead that was surprisingly mostly full for how little traffic we saw on the way in. The views from the parking lot alone were absolutely stunning. This hike took us about 3.5 hours.  The hike started with a lot of switchbacks in the woods with some occasional breaks in the trees, which being the first hike after The Enchantments, were welcomed. It then came to a couple of straight aways with clearings to look over the valley. It was foggy and misty and was just serene. There was also park of the trail that was mostly ju...

For lack of a better term, this hike was an experience. This beast is an 18 mile through hike, and can take an insane amount of time if you're my friend and I who thought it was not going to possibly take 17 hours, but somehow it did. My disclaimer is I'm from the Midwest and we don't have mountains here. My friend's disclaimer is she is she has been living in Washington for about a year and she had coworkers that said it "wasn't that bad". This hike was absolutely amazing, but definitely something you need to be physically and mentally prepared for. And, there are lots of mountain goats, need I say more.    There are two trailheads to this hike, both outside of Leavenworth, WA, which in and of itself is a precious town with great food and beer and coffee (like many places in Washington, which I can appreciate). It's a pretty touristy spot, which is nice in that there is a lot of lodging and food and groceries and such. The trailheads are the Snow Lake...

 Third Time was Just as Charming  This was my third trip to the Smokies, and second time solo. I completely lucked out with sunshine, and the wildflowers were seriously one of the most memorizing things I've hiked through. As mentioned previously, when coming to the Smokies, be ready for no cell service (except at Newfoundland Gap and the visitors centers) and bring your own food for the day, since there's nothing available there.  Having been to the Smokies in May and July in previous years, June was the happiest medium. It wasn't raining (when I was there), and it wasn't blazing hot, so it was easy to hike very comfortably all day. Plus the wildflowers. I'm gonna talk about them too much because they meant that much to me. It was so fun to see what was blooming at different elevations, and all of the pink and white flowers to contrast the vastness of green. I'm telling you, this place is so magical.  Same rules applied as previous solo hikes- Phone, First aid ...

 A magnitude of incredible that can't be described.  I've saved this page for last, mostly because I want to dedicate some time to doing this park justice, but understand it is so much more than I can say. Zion has been the top of my National Parks Bucket List for as long as I can remember, and it really was an ethereal experience. Looking back on these pictures honestly feels like a dream, and I'm so lucky to have experienced all that I did over the two days I spent hiking here. I have never been so tempted to pack up and move somewhere in my life. Okay, I say that every time I go somewhere. But, I meant it more this time. There is something about this region of the country that resonated deep in my soul and I cannot wait to go back. The minute you drive into the park is jaw-droppingly beautiful, and there is so much to love and feel and experience. 10/10 would recommend, and take me back with you when you go.  Angel's Landing  It's really fun. It's kinda scary...