If there’s anything I’ve learned from my wilderness-chasing roadtrips, it’s that cramming too much driving into one day is no bueno. Cramming too much of anything into ANY trip is not good. Slow travel for the win!
Second to that, I’ve learned that springtime trekking is risky. I ran into snowstorms at both Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon in April, and sealed-off tracks at Crater Lake and Mt. Rainier National Park in May. While it may be t-shirt weather, if mountains or high latitudes are involved, count on residual snow limiting your trekking options.
Despite that, Lauren and I still had fun frolicking through Olympic National Park in Washington. We were only able to go about as far as the one open lodge and the start of a nearby trail, which soon turned into a downhill ice path that we were ill-prepared to tackle in our regular ol’ hiking boots. But it was beautiful, and only left me dying to come back someday.
