Greg Balkin

First things first - catch one of the buses to the trailhead at Landmannalaugar. We chose to leave from a small hostel in Hella and ended up riding for just over two hours to reach our destination. If anything is going to give you a taste of what's to come, it'll be driving through the volcanic landscape in a monstrous coach bus, fording rivers and virtually anything in it's path.Day 1 // Part ...

The Worm Flow Route, starting at Marble Mountain Sno Park, is the most direct winter route up to the summit. You'll start at around 2,700 feet and begin a steady walk along the trail for 2 miles. Although the trail is fairly well marked well above the snow, you'll want to pay attention to the arrows (especially if departing in early dawn).Once you've cleared the forest, the trail is a bit more ...

Start by picking up your wilderness permit at the Summit Ranger Station near Pinecrest - (209) 965-3434. There's no quota for this area, so no need for reservations in advance. To reach the trailhead, make your way south from the Ranger Station and turn left onto Crabtree Rd. Drive along this road for about 30 minutes, following signs that point towards Crabtree Trailhead (7,200 ft). There's a...

The trailhead to Spray Park begins at the Mowich Lake Campground (4,929 ft). You'll begin descending quickly for the first 0.1 miles until you reach the Wonderland Trail junction. Head left and make your way up a steady climb for the next 1.7 miles. The first stop you'll come across is Eagle Cliff - a fenced viewpoint high above Spray Creek with your first view of Rainier. Soon after you'll pas...

Also known as "Crowley Hot Springs", Wild Willey's is located a short drive from Mammoth Lakes. For more information on the hot springs and the public land restoration, check out the BLM's Website. From Mammoth Lakes, head south on the 395 for 3.5 miles until you make a left at Benton Crossing Rd. Continue on Benton Crossing for 0.4 miles, which becomes Minnow Creek for 0.1 miles and then conti...

Toroweap Overlook can be accessed via Country Road #109, 8 miles west of Fredonia, AZ. It's about a two hour drive along a dirt road, with the final stretch becoming much more technical over larger rocks (a truck with high clearance is recommended). Tuweep Campground is the only area you're allowed to stay out here and you'll need a backcountry permit from NPS ahead of time. Once you make it t...

Before you start this hike, you'll need to pick up a permit at the Wilderness Information Center in Port Angeles, WA - (360) 565-3100. The trail itself starts at Rialto Beach, which is at the end of Mora Road in La Push. There's a large parking lot for overnight campers so there shouldn't be any issues finding a spot. Once you start heading north along the beach, there's no trail. The first no...

To start off, you're going to want to navigate to the Etna Summit Trailhead (5956 ft). There's a small parking lot off to the side and we did not need any passes for our overnight trip. Since the summit isn't the main destination for many people in this area, you'll want to follow the Pacific Crest Trail southbound toward Upper Ruffey Lake (6885 feet). It's a relatively easy walk with a steady ...

The trail up to Lake of the Angels, known as the Putvin Trail, starts out pretty mellow with a gradual uphill climb. Your first marker will be an old roadbed at around 1.4 miles, but you'll need to cross two ravines before making it there. It's thick forest with gorgeous views in the clearings, so make sure to give your legs a break before the serious uphill starts. Throughout the next 1.7 mil...