Hiking in New England is quite different than hiking out west. The mountains are smaller, though trees are denser. Switchbacks are rare, though lakes are plenty.

We had spent five years living in Livingston, MT, just outside of Bozeman, during the second half of the 10’s. So, before beginning the long trek back to New England, we decided to spend a couple nights near our old home area.

The Upper, Middle, and Lower Blue Lakes trail is 8.7 miles, 2,509 feet elevation, and is located outside of Telluride, Colorado. It is part of the Mount Sneffels Wilderness Area.

In early June 2024 we found two places in Utah that reminded us so much of our time in Switzerland. Those places were Sundance Resort and Lake Blanche.

We spent Memorial Day weekend exploring Capitol Reef National Park and Goblin Valley State Park. Both of these are a little out of the way in southeast Utah but are well worth visiting!

Easily one of our favorite hikes in the U.S. Druid Arch is an absolute gem of a trail in the desert. You need to find your way to The Needles in Canyonlands National Park and experience this hike for yourself!

Devil’s Garden is the most popular hike in Arches National Park. This is likely because it offers the most arches, varying terrain, spectacular viewpoints, and is long enough for a day hike.

This was one of the better hikes we’ve done. It’s challenging, lightly-trafficked, and has incredible views throughout. For those of you who want to escape the crowds to experience Zion and don’t mind a challenging hike, this is the way to do it!

During a short trip down to the Phoenix area for Siobhan’s training class, we took the opportunity to get a hike in around big cacti for the first time. The Granite Mountain Trailhead is a 5.5 mile loop and is located about 45 minutes north of Scottsdale.

The main reason we started our trip in Arizona was to check out Sedona. We took two trips down from our base in Flagstaff to this red rock haven.

The Grand Canyon, one of the wonders of the world. We spent much of the day hiking to Skeleton Point as well as stopping at a few other view points to take in the unique landscape.

Reinebringen is the most popular hike in all of Lofoten. It is special for it's picturesque view at the top which you can get to by taking 1978 stone steps placed by a team of sherpas from Nepal.

The Helestinden Peak hike is in the town of Vinstad, which requires a ferry to get to. This one ranks as one of our favorite all time hikes due to the incredible views and matching experience!

Today we hiked Nonstinden and Stornappstinden for our only multi-hike day in the Lofoten Islands. It was challenging with the wind and rain but we persevered and it paid off.

Deciding not to waste the entire day, we took advantage of the sunlight and hiked up Mannen trailhead.

We were inspired to find this horned peak hike after seeing it from the top of Mt. Hoven while in Loen. We hiked the Blåvatnet Lake trail to reach the base of the peak and then continued on beyond to reach Tyssevatnet Lake.

The premier hike in Dominica. It's challenging and beautiful throughout and crosses varying terrains. Cover your face with sulphur mud and take a dip in a natural hot pool.

Located in the center of Dominica, this trail takes you back to a time to sense the struggle of a man named Jacko and his companions.

This hike with an impossible to say name features a perfect, teal glacier lake. Oeschinensee is Siobhan’s top hike and not only because her favorite color is teal.

This 4 miler packs enough beauty to fill up an entire weeks worth of hiking anywhere else. It is Doug’s overall favorite hike.