Ultramarathon and beginner are two things that you may not think go together. While beginner runners certainly can’t stick with someone for 50 miles (the maximum length you can be a pacer runner at Leadville), there is absolutely a place for us at one of the most iconic trail races in the world. Even if…
Beginner’s Travel Guide: Three-Day Weekend in Moab, Utah
Moab is a popular destination for Denverites, Coloradans, and plenty of other of my neighbors out west. If you haven’t made a road trip to this desert destination, put it on your list! The only challenge is deciding what sights to see (and resigning yourself to the fact that the town is way less cool…
Beginner’s Trail Guide: Needles Area of Canyonlands National Park
If you’re making a return to trip to Moab, I highly recommend blocking off a day to go to the Needles Area of Canyonlands National Park. Needles is a totally different landscape than what you see at Islands in the Sky (the main section of Canyonlands) or at Arches National Park, two of the more…
Beginner’s Trail Guide: Sunset Hike at Dead Horse Point State Park
Arches National Park may get all the love for sunsets in Moab, but I’d much rather watch the sun go down over the jaw-dropping canyons of Dead Horse Point State Park. It’s a slightly longer drive, but significantly less crowded. It’s cheery name has just about as cheerful of a story behind it, but don’t…
Beginner’s guide to hiking on a glacier in Alaska
Glacier-related activities are one of the main reasons to go to Alaska, and the absolute highlight of our trip was actually hiking on one. We signed up for MICA Guides‘ Advanced Trek on Matanuska Glacier north east of Anchorage, and despite the name, the only experience you need is a healthy sense of adventure. Time…
Beginner’s Trail Guide: Grewingk Glacier Lake in Kachemak Bay State Park
At just over six miles, our trek around Kachemak Bay State Park was our most ambitious hike of the trip. However, thanks to it being almost completely flat except for the last mile, it wasn’t nearly as strenuous as I thought it would be. You can also do a slightly shorter hike by only hiking…
Beginner’s Trail Guide: Exit Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park
The three-mile roundtrip hike to Exit Glacier was the most beginner-friendly trek I did during our road trip to Alaska. And don’t worry, beginner-friendly doesn’t mean you lose out on panoramic mountain views and an up-close look at a big ol’ glacier. The entire hike took me just over an hour, with plenty of photo…
Beginner’s guide to Kenai Fjords National Park kayaking trips
You don’t get many opportunities in life to kayak to a glacier, and it’s hard to know if those Insta-worthy photos you see are something that’s actually doable for beginners. Don’t worry – as long as you can follow basic directions and enjoy being on the water, you can do a kayaking day trip in…
Beginner’s Trail Guide: Tonsina Trail in Seward, Alaska
Seward was one of our favorite towns during our Alaska road trip, and I could’ve stayed a week there for the hiking alone. There were a ton of great options, and the Tonsina Trail in Caines Head Recreation Area was a fantastic way to kick off the trip. While steep in places, this 4.5-mile round…
