Nate LuebbeExplorer

Towering peaks, glaciated valleys, and crystal clear water draw thousands of visitors a year to the shores of Lake Louise in Banff National Park. A short hike takes you beyond the crowds up to Lake Agnes, a beautiful valley surrounded by jagged peaks and golden Larch trees.  At the foot of Lake Agnes sits a beautiful historic log cabin that serves an amazing variety of global tea and handmade ...

As close to magic as you'll ever see on this Earth, the northern lights, or aurora borealis, are an absolute must-see for any nature enthusiast. The aurora borealis are visible in Fairbanks from August through April, meaning there's an astounding nine months of aurora viewing! Of course, the aurora are only visible when it's dark out, so the between September and March will offer the most oppor...

Spanning just 4 days, but featuring 7 summits over 15,000 feet (and topping out at nearly 17,000'), this trail is not for the faint of heart.  Since the trail is extremely remote, permission must be attained from the locals. This is most easily done through a local guide company (I went with Killa Expeditions), since the locals generally only speak Quechua and tend to not be overly welcoming to...

While the drive from Banff to Jasper on the Icefields Parkway is astoundingly beautiful, it's long enough to make even the most seasoned roadwarrior crave the chance to stretch their legs.  At almost the exact halfway point on the lengthy drive lies Parker Ridge, a short but fairly steep hike right at the base of Mount Andromeda. The summit awards expansive views of Mount Athabasca, Andromeda a...

Ninety-Five percent of US brown bears live in Alaska, and Lake Clark National Park famously hosts the highest-density population of anywhere in the world. As many as 219 brown bears have been counted within a 54-square mile section of the coast, and it's not uncommon to see as many as 30 bears in a single day. Thankfully, the bears in Lake Clark's coastal regions don't have a history of acquiri...

The absolute most important part of planning a trip to Gates Of The Arctic is accepting the fact that you’ll be improvising for the majority of the experience. The park is larger than several US states, so remote that not a single road or hiking trail exists within the park, and the vast majority of lakes, valleys and mountains are unnamed. You’ll be hiking on ground that more or less doesn’t e...

From Boulder, drive west on Baseline road.  Continue up for about 5.5 miles past the Flagstaff Summit (Realization Point) pull off.  After some more steep and very tight switchbacks there will be a dirt parking lot on the north side of the road.  From here you can head northwest towards the cliff overlook, or east towards a nicely wooded area with picnic tables and a great view over the plains ...

The Betasso Preserve features two loop trails that are accessible to both hikers and mountain bikers.  Drive up (west) Boulder Canyon about 15 minutes outside of Boulder and turn right (north)  on Sugarloaf Dr.  After another 5 or so minutes you'll see a sign on the right-hand (northeast) side of the road that takes you to the Betasso parking lot.  The Canyon Loop Trail is a moderate 3.3 mile t...