Explore the journey — one trail, museum, meal, and memory at a time.
Crater Lake to Painted Hills
What started as a simple morning at Crater Lake turned into a long, uncertain drive to the Painted Hills—and five hours I didn’t expect to spend there. Along the way, the landscape shifted from dense forest to high desert, the light kept changing, and the hills revealed more the longer I stayed. The day ended in a quiet pullout, surrounded by cattle and just enough silence to notice.
Horseshoe Bend
Leaving Hurricane, Utah, I headed south into Arizona, driving through the charred remains of the 2020 Mangum Fire in Kaibab National Forest before stopping at the historic Cliff Dwellers Stone House. The day ended at Horseshoe Bend, where the Colorado River curves 1,000 feet below the rim near Page, Arizona.
Dolly Sods
A light snow covered Dolly Sods as I woke to a dead Starlink switch and no internet deep in the Monongahela National Forest. What began as a plan for a winter hike became a lesson in adaptation—navigating forest roads, a Walmart run, and a warm latte before settling in for a quiet night on the road.
Blackwater Falls & Dolly Sods
I woke at the overlook above Elkins with fog filling the valleys and drove the rough mountain road down toward town. After restocking supplies, I followed the storm north to Blackwater Falls, where rain poured and the campground was closed. By afternoon, I was on the rocky road to Dolly Sods, climbing into wind, fog, and the high country of West Virginia.