The Grand Teton, Grand Teton National Park, WY

The Grand Teton, Picture below taken Wednesday, August 20, 2025

The Grand Teton has been on my bucket list for some time after completing the Colorado 14ers 10 years ago with the summit of Capitol Peak. I was looking for something challenging that could incorporate my route finding skills from the 14ers and my rock climbing skills from my years of technical climbing. This created a bit of a conundrum with the Grand Teton because with any technical climb, you need a partner with equal or better skills than you to help belay. After asking around for some time if anyone was interested in joining me, and turning down several who had no idea about the technical nature of what I was seeking, I asked a caving expert from our church, Grace Lutheran in Little Rock, if he had any interest in the Grand Teton. He had already completed a guided hike of Mount Rainier many years ago and continues caving to this day. Shaun Baker quickly got back with me and said, "Yes, that sounds like fun!" He said he had the technical skill but had never done a high alpine climb before and so this started to interest him. Both of our talents started to mesh well as most of my experience was in high alpine environments with route finding capability and his with technical rigging. You need both to climb the Grand Teton.

Makapu'u Point Trail

My family and I found our way here at the tail end of a 10-day Hawaiian trip that included a 7-day Inter-Island Hawaiian Cruise. On our last day we disembarked our ship at 8am and had until 9pm when our flights left. We decided upon a tour of the east side of Oahu which included lunch in Kaneohe and then a drive down the coast past the beautiful Waimanalo Beach culminating at Makapu'u Point.

Pu'u Hinahina Trail

.Waimea Canyon State Park is one of the geological highlights of Kauai, and that's saying something on an island full of great sights. Many call the Canyon the "Grand Canyon of Hawaii" and it is a title well deserved. I would compare some of its better overlooks to that of Zion National Park, no joke.

While I wish we had time for a more full hike in the canyon we decided to at least do a little something during our visit. From the Pu'u Hinahina Parking Area there is trailhead signage for the Canyon Trail. I honestly thought we were starting onto the Canyon Trail but other trail sites suggest that's not what we did. Rather we were on a Pu'u Hinahina connector trail that heads to the lookout and the actual Canyon Trail. Either way, we made the nice hike down to a cliff overlook and enjoyed the sights. The trail started flat and then eventually began a steep and very rooted descent. It then began to climb again and this confused me. I thought we were still heading north and it felt like we were climbing back up to the Canyon Road where we started. In actuality, we had descended down to the Halemanu Stream bed and the ascent was coming back up the other side to the overlook. The jungle forest was so thick it was truly hard to keep bearings. We encountered a steady stream of hikers along the trail. The overlook had a guard rail as it very dramatically was on a cliff with a deadly dropoff. The trail was entirely in the trees until we reached the overlook.

1974 Lava Flow (Hawaii Volcanoes)

There was no trail here, but there was plenty to explore. As we drove the Chain of Craters Road through Hawaii Volcanoes National Park we saw the parking and the signs for Luamanu Crater. What we found even more interesting than the crater was the 1974 Lava Flow. It was easily walkable and gave plenty of room for adult and kid alike to explore this unique landscape. If time had allowed we would have been able to go much further. We wondered if this flow came from the Keanakako'l Crater which the maps suggest. It would be reasonable to conclude all of these flows and craters connect back to the Kilauea Volcano.

Sliding Sands Trail (Haleakala)

The Sliding Sands, or Keonehe’ehe’e Trail is the easiest and best ways to hike into the Haleakalā crater. We used it as a way to get just a tip of the iceberg taste of hiking here. I stumbled upon it as an idea on another site which recommended the Sliding Trails trail as a combo with the Halemau'u Trail. From one trailhead to the other was 11.4 miles and would cover gorgeous terrain. We were planning this in the middle of a family visit to Maui and in particular the Haleakala Sunrise. We had our reservation in places for the Sunrise and our whole family group of 15 would be up there in 3 rental jeeps. We just had to figure out who was hiking and who wasn't and how to handle the vehicles. If we did this great combo hike we'd have to shuttle vehicles between trailheads or figure something else.

Diamond Head Crater

We got to Diamond Head parking at 753. It was interesting driving through the one-lane tunnel to get into the Crater area. The entry gate didn't make a big deal we were 7 minutes early. The hike up Diamond Head was fantastic. The early part was paved nicely and then eventually it changes into a nice switching backing trail. It was mostly slabby rocks and firm trail the whole way, very sustainable for the large crowds. Railings were on the sides of the trail for much of it. Near the top there was a long staircase and then a walking tunnel we went through. At the top of the tunnel there was a trail option. Another steep staircase which would lead into the bunkers or a more gradual ascending trail to the summit area.

Mt. Democrat 2025

There were some who questioned our decision to hike the Decalibron on the 4th of July with all the potential crowds. It was a reasonable question. But the crowds weren't the issue for us today. While there were a fair amount of people on trail in the relatively short time we were up there, that wasn't really the problem. In fact, we've now spent 2 years in a row on 14ers on the 4th of July and it becomes quite fun to wish random people on the trail "Happy 4th" as you enjoy what should be a favorite pastime of America: enjoying our beautiful outdoors.

Mt. Massive and South Massive Peak

The North Halfmoon Creek basin is quite the lovely place. I've been eyeing some camping and exploring up there for several years now. My brother and I had at one time planned a summit of Oklahoma with a traverse over to Massive but it never quite came to fruition.

As my father and I looked for backpacking and camp options for our 2025 travel I planned a return to the basin. The initial plan was to camp and likely hit Oklahoma. It seems a great Centennial summit and a fun bit of bushwhacking to get it. When my two sons and I finally got down to it we ultimately decided on Massive so they could get a new 14er summit. We made plans for the Southwest Ridge route on Massive which my father and I had previously done in 2018.

Lake Ann to Hartenstein Lake Backpacking

Approaching Brown's Pass with
13er Magdalen Mt in background

With options wide open for us and a summer 2025 Colorado trip we explored wide and far what we might do. Did we want dayhikes and summits? Did we want backpacking? As much as I love a good summit, I equally loved it when my boys said backpacking would be fun. I explored options in the San Juans, in the Gores, in the Sangres and our beloved Sawatch. While some tempting options came forward in every range we finally settled on the "easier" answer of sticking to our familiar Sawatch. No reservations or permits needed. No extra hours of driving. Close and familiar.

My father had spoken for years of having a hike up to Lake Ann. Pretty much everytime we went in to summit Huron Peak we looked with interest at the trail breaking off to Lake Ann. I decided now was the time and looked for ways to pair Lake Ann with something like a full backpacking loop. Couple this with meeting the needs of our family on this trip. My father was joyful to join us for some backpacking but he is also in his 70s and his ability for distance is not quite what it used to be. On the other hand my boys and I are happy to cover some miles on the trail (that being true, mostly regarding me). We settled on a plan where the four of us hike together to Lake Ann to camp. the next day my father hike's out to the Jeep and drives it around to the Denny Creek TH. He hikes up to Hartenstein Lake to await us. His mileage is relatively short and he gets to enjoy both lakes with us. The younger crew hikes the 15+ miles of trail in between. It was a great plan, now just to bring it to fruition.

Trip Summary:
June 30 Clear Creek Trailhead to a camp just below Lake Ann following the Colorado Trail/Continental Divide Trail. July 1 Camp to Lake Ann to the Lake Ann Pass. Following the Timberline Trail to the Texas Creek Trail and then to the Brown's Pass Trail. Camped at the Brown's Pass Trail Jct with the Hartenstein Lake Trail July 2

Hartenstein Lake Trail out and back, then the Denny Creek trail out to the Trailhead.

Stat Totals: 30.04 miles 5923 ft. ascent 6261 ft. descent

Sleeping Bear Point and Lake Michigan Overlook Climb (Sleeping Bear Dunes)

Jump to Lake Michigan Overlook Climb

Sleeping Bear Point Trail
Sleeping Bear Point is at the northern end of the National Lakeshore. It is just west of Glen Arbor. There is a nice parking lot trailhead at the end of a dirt road. I did this loop trail counterclockwise. In this direction it begins on pure sand and very quickly comes to a junction where you can turn right and go about 2/10 of a mile down to the Lake Michigan beach. Definitely worth it especially if you have kids to go and explore and enjoy the sand and the beach. Once back to the loop it's meanders on the dunes and you follow blue posts to stay on route. For the most part it's fairly easy to keep on the route. You spend a lot of time on the sand with plenty of up hills and subsequent downs. The last 0.75 takes you into the woods on a beautiful single track with plenty of fall colors. I was engaged the whole loop hiking on my own and didn't for a second think of putting in my earbuds to pass the time. Definitely a winner of a trail and hike while visiting Sleeping Bear Dunes.

Vasa Pathway - 10K Loop

The Vasa Pathway is the crown jewel trail system of the Traverse City area. It is clearly well funded and well taken care of. It provides trail opportunity for people through all 4 seasons whether you're looking for biking, hiking, or winter sports. Though I don't live near Traverse City it is still a trail system I've heard of from other parts of Michigan.

While in the area for a conference I made it a point to have an adventure out here during some afternoon free time. Given the time I had available I targeted the 10K loop. It was all clearly marked. The whole of the 10K loop was a double-track forest road. I believe in the winter this would be groomed for XC which is a treat.

Deepwater Point Natural Area

Deepwater Point Natural Area is protected by Acme Township and the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy. It is a 17-acre forested area with beach area and wetlands. It provides beautiful views of East Grand Traverse Bay. There is just under a mile of hiking in the woods following two loops and several connecting trails. There are also short use trails to various places on the beachfront. It surely must be a hidden treasure amongst locals who can easily access this gem of nature.

I was exploring it during an afternoon break during a conference I was attending the Traverse City/Acme area at the Grand Traverse Resort. This was less than a mile from the Resort and made for quick and easy access to a nice hike. I loved getting pictures of the East Bay which proved so very scenic.

Klamath River Overlook Trail

As my wife and I continued our Northern California tour we made it to the coastal section where we were driving south from Crescent City eventually heading to Sacramento. The Klamath River overlook was one spot which drew our attention for its scenic beauty of seeing river meet ocean. Upon arrival we found a nice parking lot with great views from there. Though when we arrived the river outlet was a bit fogged in.

I found the trail to be a fun option to try while we were there. It leaves from an obvious location on the southeast side of the parking lot with a sign there to help. It was very overgrown on the sides but enough opening in the middle to see dirt trail below feet. The vegetation was brushing up tight most of the way. In the first couple tenths of a mile I found numerous blackberry plants.

Cleetwood Cove Trail (Crater Lake NP)

One of the highlights of our Crater Lake visit was to do the Wizard Island Boat Tour they offer. This entailed a 2-hour tour of the lake itself and then 3 hours on Wizard Island for further exploring and hiking. We had scored tickets for the 9:45am tour and we made our way over to the parking and trailhead. We were disappointed that morning that we woke up to white-out conditions around the lake. At first we were just worried about the views. We didn't exactly consider the worst that could happen. Sure enough, when we arrived at the parking we went up to the ticket booth to check-in for our tour, as many others were doing, and we were told the morning tours were cancelled due to the weather. It was surprising. We had held hope things would clear up but apparently this is how they operate.

Garfield Peak (Crater Lake NP)

As my wife and I drove up to Crater Lake I was listening to some podcasts on the park to help pass the time. One of the notable hikes mentioned was Garfield Peak. Its not the highest point in the park but its up there. Also noteworthy was the fact that the trail starts from the edge of the Crater Lake Lodge. This was perfect for me as my wife and I were fortunate to be staying there. I began to plan out when in our busy itinerary I could sneak away for an hour or two to make the hike. It turned out this would work right upon arrival as my wife was wishing for a nap.

Sand Harbor - Lake Tahoe

One of the more popular places to stop and explore around Lake Tahoe is at Sand Harbor in Lake Tahoe-Nevada State Park. It is a popular beach area with other recreation opportunities as well. We took it as a quick stop on our tour of Northern California and on today's agenda Lake Tahoe. We paid our entrance fee for the park (cash only) and found parking in the main lot. We hopped out along the beach and took this over to the boardwalks. The evening we stopped in there was a Shakespeare event going on closing some of the boardwalk. We made our way around the north and west sides of Sand Harbor taking in beautiful views of Lake Tahoe. There were a number of beautiful large trees that dotted the path. With more time we might have worked to find the East Shore Trail that hikes up the east side of Lake Tahoe from this location up toward Incline Village.

Trip Info:
Trailhead Elevation: 6,234 ft.
Distance: 0.88 mi. 
Elevation Gain: 35 ft.
Start Time: 6:30pm
End Time: 7:02pm

Hocking Hills July 2024

Whispering Cave Hike

Hocking Hills Lodge to Whispering Cave

Trailhead Elevation: 986 ft.

Distance: 1.00 mi.  (1.71mi on Garmin)
Elevation Gain: 265 ft.
Start Time: 1:58pm
End Time: 3:09pm

This was a great family hike for us. We made it to the park to do lunch at the Lodge Cafe and then were looking to get outside to explore. It was more hot and muggy than we would have liked but we decided to give this a go. We followed what was a fairly obviously walkway downhill and east from the Lodge which was a connector to the Whispering Cave to Old Man's Cave trail. There was a nice trail staircase to take us down the hill. We had Ben, Noah and Anya as littles to aid along the hike. All of us adults took turns helping them along and holding hands. The first bit of the trail was a nice forest trail. It then headed down a rocky-like staircase area to a small overhang area with a nearly dried up waterfall. This led to a section where we were along the base of a cliff area. The trail rounded a corner in here and then a tenth of a mile later it ended at Whispering Cave which was an even larger overhanging cliff area with some waterfall going. The Hocking Hills area had been dry lately and so the waterfalls were not flowing very heavy. Anya was a great hiker the whole time and on the hike out was leading the way and full of energy. Ben also hiked most of it and by the end even dropped my hand and was moving over some difficult trail on his own. It was fun to see them take up the adventuring. The heat was real and I could see it affecting everyone which meant the hiking would be brief today. We all carried water for this hike to help out. As our first hike in Hocking Hills this was enjoyable and a nice introduction.

Mount Shavano 2024

It was 1998 when I last stood atop the summit of Mt. Shavano. Just long enough that I didn't have much memory of that first ascent as an 18-year old. In my adventures of repeating many of the 14ers and enjoying other peaks I had been wanting and waiting for a return here. As I was out in Leadville preparing for the Silver Rush 50 and wanting acclimation hikes this one eventually fit the bill. My brother, and two of my sons, Luke and Seth were eager to join.

Trip Info:
East Slopes route

Trailhead Elevation: 9,782 ft.

Summit Elevation: 14,230 ft.

Distance: 12.04 mi. 
  (inflated from the norm 9.5mi for Shav)
Elevation Gain: 4,755 ft.
Start Time: 7:59am
End Time: 5:18pm

Huron Peak 2024

This was my third trip to Huron Peak and it is one that I will always be happy to return to. It is a beautiful route and not overly difficult. The summit views are some of the best in the state. It is definitely a mountain worth repeating. Here in 2024 I was in Colorado preparing for the Silver Rush 50 race on Saturday July 6. We had Wednesday and Thursday free for acclimatizing hikes leading up to the race. The goal was to toe the line between getting some high altitude time and work without blowing up the body. I've done this a couple times in the past preparing for the Pikes Peak Marathon in 2016 and Run Rabbit Run in 2019. I also had my father, brother, and two of my sons along and we wanted to have a great fun hike and also a new one for my two boys..

Trip Info:
Northwest Slopes Route from 4WD TH
Trailhead Elevation: 10,588 ft.

Summit Elevation: 14,003 ft.
Distance: 8.91 mi. 
Elevation Gain: 3,835 ft.
Start Time: 7:47am
End Time: 3:26pm

Barr Lake State Park

Looking for a nice hike near Denver International Airport we happened to find Barr Lake State Park. It has an 8.8 mile loop around the lake as well as some short trail loops along the way. It was a 20 minute drive from our hotel on Tower Road.

Trip Info:
Out and back on the loop trail
Trailhead Elevation: 5,102 ft.
Distance: 5.97 mi. 
Elevation Gain: 52 ft.
Start Time: 9:54am
End Time: 12:17pm

Trip Report:
We parked at the Nature Center at Barr Lake and quickly found the loop trail nearby. There is a decent signage to point hikers and wanderers in the right direction. We decided to see if we could make out to the Rookery Gazebo. We were thinking about 5 miles. On the hike out we passed the "Niedrach Trail" loop and the Fox Meadow Trail loop and decided to walk each on the hike out. The trail was essentially a flat double track dirt road. There was very little sun cover out there so we covered best we could. It was in the 60s so we were staying comfortable for the most part. The views were beautiful looking over the lake and also seeing the Front Range mountains in the background.