Because I've been busy working on a writing residency, I've kept my recent hikes simple and close to home. If you like to see wildlife, Rabbit Mountain near Lyons, Colorado is a fun choice. The chatty prairie dog town at the trailhead might tempt you to hang out there...
Girls Hike Too
HIKING BIG BLUESTEM LOOP – Boulder, Colorado’s South Mesa Trail
One of my favorite things about Denver is that I don't have to travel far to get away from the city. I recently drove 45 minutes to the South Mesa Trailhead near Eldorado Springs and South Boulder, where I hiked the Big Bluestem Loop. This relatively easy trail...
WHAT IS YOUR COMMUNITY? – Homes Within, Communities Without
This month, every morning when I wake to the pounding, clattering, and growling of machinery and men building the new house two doors down, I’ll stare at my spinning ceiling fan and ask myself, “What is my community?” July 1st, was the first day of my writing...
HIKING BETASSO PRESERVE – Exploring Colorado on Video
Instead of only reading about travel and adventure, how would you like to also see videos that show you fun, beautiful, unusual, relaxing, exciting places to go? I thought so. I have a new camcorder, so every now and then I'll offer you a more active peek at my...
THE FAR REACHES OF NORMAL – Part 3
It's a New Year, time for your next 365-day trip around the sun, and your new opportunity to resolve on the life of adventure you've always wanted. Let my trek through China's Tiger Leaping Gorge inspire you, as you consider where you might want to go, or what you...
THE FAR REACHES OF NORMAL – Part 2
While everyone else is napping, watching TV, or washing dishes this holiday weekend, let's you and I sneak away, and continue Part 2 of our trek through China's Tiger Leaping Gorge... PART TWO Tiger Leaping Gorge, China At the first dim light of dawn, I woke to the...
SKIPPING THE INCA TRAIL
We couldn’t come to Peru and skip Machu Picchu, but we're skipping the crowded Inca Trail. We've found an alternate route boasting fewer trekkers, more Quechua culture, and unencumbered vistas of peaks, glaciers, and rivers: the Lares Valley Trek. We've chosen this...
Not One Oasis
Here's a moody moment from my trek around the world that didn't make it into my memoir, "They Only Eat Their Husbands." It's a reminder that solo travel is sometimes romantic, often lonely, but always stirring. This one takes place in America. It is a story of sand...
Indian Summer at Indian Peaks
At this twilight hour, I don’t expect an hour of stop-and-go traffic to block my escape from the city. When did everyone decide to head to work at 6:45 a.m.? By the time I hit the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway, I’m running late for my climactic hike of the season. But...
A View to Longs Peak
As Dale’s ancient Acura threads the rock-bulging, water-split canyon of Highway 7, Longs Peak and Mount Meeker command our attention. Together, they're a two-headed, snow-wrinkled king who dwarfs his surrounding Rocky Mountain courtiers. Longs (14,255 feet) is the...