Beginner’s Guides

You missed the point of this blog.

When people have talked to me lately about Outdoor Beginner, I’ve noticed more and more often they say some variation of “I love your blog, but I could never do that.” Or, “I’ll never be at your level” or, “what you do is so far beyond me.” And if you think that, you’ve missed the Read more
Beginner’s Trail Guide: Mystic Falls at Yellowstone National Park

There is no shortage of waterfalls in Yellowstone National Park, but if you’re looking for a shorter hike that’s beginner-friendly, Mystic Falls is your best bet in the southwest section of the park. The trailhead is located at Biscuit Basin, a 10-minute drive from the Old Faithful Inn. After 2.5 miles (round trip), you’ll have Read more
Beginner’s Campground Guide: Signal Mountain at Grand Teton National Park

Like Yellowstone, cheap hotel accommodation is not Grand Teton’s specialty. The Signal Mountain area of the park is home to both a campground and a lodge, both of which are awesome, and one of which I would consider affordable. It’s fun to splurge, but so is camping and saving some dollar bills. Signal Mountain Campground Read more
Beginner’s Gear Guide: Two easy, cheap upgrades to make riding your bike better

If you’re considering biking to work, start here. If you need to know what basics to get started with and how to avoid helmet hair, start here. If you want to affordably pimp your ride, keep scrolling! Finding a new seat Getting a new seat since arguably has the biggest impact on how comfortable it Read more
Gift guide for the injured runners in your life

It can be difficult to find a gift that strikes the balance between, “This will be helpful to you in your athletic endeavors” and, “Remember how you can’t run right now? Because I’ve just given you a gift for running? Which you can’t do right now. Because you’re injured.” But rest and recovery come with Read more
Beginner’s Trail Guide: Trout Lake in Yellowstone National Park

The hike to Trout Lake is a great way to top off a morning of wildlife watching in the Lamar Valley (extra bonus: have roadside breakfast at Soda Butte Creek on your way). This 1.2-mile round trip hike in the northeast section of Yellowstone is initially steep but totally doable for beginner hikers. Once you Read more