By Emma Hesselsweet | January 2022 In Steamboat Springs, we visited the Treads of Pioneers Museum to learn about the history of this remote Colorado town and how it became a skiing destination. Steamboat Springs got its name when French fur trappers, who were hunting on a river, thought they heard a steamboat, but laterContinue reading “Steamboat Springs Winter Carnival”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
AIARE Level I
By Graham Hesselsweet | January 2022 For years, I had gazed into mountain faces, searching out ski lines and wondering what adventure there was to be had when you dared to exit the boundaries of ski resorts, increase slope angles, and seek out powder stashes. But before it’s safe to venture into the backcountry inContinue reading “AIARE Level I”
An unconventional Thanksgiving week (with LOTS to be thankful for!)
November 21st – 28th, 2021 Tucson, AZ → Carlsbad Caverns NP → Marfa, TX → Big Bend NP Our trek from Gilbert Ray Campground in Tucson, AZ to Big Bend National Park (where we’d planned to spend Thanksgiving) was one of our few remaining long-haul tows (about 10 hrs) before we spend the month ofContinue reading “An unconventional Thanksgiving week (with LOTS to be thankful for!)”
Grand Canyon: Bright Angel Trail to Plateau Point
By Emma Hesselsweet | November 16, 2021 My eyes were groggy and I sat up, shivering. My teeth chattered, and I looked around. My gaze fell on my brother. His eyes were shut, and he was rhythmically breathing slow, tired breaths. I got out of my bed, and peeked through the curtain that separated myContinue reading “Grand Canyon: Bright Angel Trail to Plateau Point”
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
By Emma Hesselsweet | November 21, 2021 We wandered away from the ticket booth, at saguaro national park. My eyes did too, and they finally focused on the map of the museum my brother had grabbed. I glanced at it, thought, and then spoke. This is a pretty big museum, I pointed out, noticing theContinue reading “Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum”
Fry Bread
By Emma Hesselsweet | November 17, 2021 The Fry Bread House in Phenix, Arizona, is a one story restaurant that specializes in fry bread. Fry bread is a fairly new native american tradition. They started making it in 1864 when Navajos were forced off their land by the American government and forced to walk 300Continue reading “Fry Bread”
MTB at Dead Horse Point SP
By Emma Hesselsweet | November 5, 2021 Bike Types Rigid bikes are bikes with no suspension, so not as comfortable as other bikes, which does, however, make the bike slightly less expensive. I have a hardtail bike, which means it has shocks on the fork, but none on its rear–[which is why it’s called hardtail]–it’sContinue reading “MTB at Dead Horse Point SP”
Devil’s Garden Hike
First week of November, 2021 With steep swirling sandstone cliffs and fins and slickrock ledges, an often treacherous climate with wild daily temperature swings, spooky slot canyon systems with flash-flooding risks, tarantulas, scorpions, and rattlesnakes, hiking in the Southwest is no joke. Our lack of familiarity with the climate and terrain (we have done mostContinue reading “Devil’s Garden Hike”
Devil’s Garden Campground at Arches NP
October 31 – November 5, 2021 At Arches National Park, we were lucky to get a campsite at Devil’s Garden Campground at the far end of the park, maybe half an hour from the entrance, within walking distance of the popular Devil’s Garden trailhead — not only that, but we unknowingly booked one of theContinue reading “Devil’s Garden Campground at Arches NP”
Overview of our early itinerary: The long drive West
Our plans for September and October changed several times as we navigated supply chain delays related to semiconductor chip shortages. We knew we’d be lucky to get our hands on an Airstream in anything less than 6 months, and we were overjoyed to hear that ours had left Jackson Center, Ohio and arrived at ourContinue reading “Overview of our early itinerary: The long drive West”
The Peace of Wild Things 