United States

The trip to Midnight Lake is a great way to spend a winter day and explore an otherwise overlooked lake in the central Oregon Cascades. Although the lake does see winter visitors, it is often empty and very few people bother to hike to the far end of the lake. The route to the lake is through beauti...

The trek starts just outside of Leadville near Turquoise Lake at 9800 ft. The first day you'll travel 6.5 miles and gain 1700 ft. to Uncle Bud's Hut, which sits around 11,400 ft. The second day you'll ski 7.1 miles to Skinner Hut and gain 2100 ft, mostly in the last 3 miles after having dropped back...

There are multiple places to pick up the Columbia Trail (High Bridge, Califon, Long Valley, Flanders) but this post is for biking or running from Califon to High Bridge and back. The best place to park is at the old town railroad station on, of course, Railroad Ave. You will be able to see the entra...

While Old Faithful is familiar to many, winter there is an entirely different experience. If you are interested in less crowds, a once in a lifetime experience and an area accessible only by snow coach, this area in winter is for you. There are ski and snowshoe trails all over the area and you can s...

Arrive at the upper ski resort parking lot (approx. 4300 feet elev.) and snowshoe, skin, or split board up. Make your way toward Artist Point and eventually Huntoon Point, gaining approximately 1500 feet of elevation over approximately 3 miles (one way). Past Huntoon Point, there are several great s...

The White Pine Trailhead is up Little Cottonwood Canyon on the south side of the road just before you get to Snowbird Ski Resort. The parking lot fills up very quickly so an early start is recommended. The skin track starts in the southwest corner of the parking lot near the bathrooms. You will foll...

Located at the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon, Solitude Mountain Resort is known for it's quaint atmosphere and great downhill skiing. But for those who want to get away from the crowds, try something different, and get a great workout in the process, it also offers 20 Kilometers of groomed cross-coun...

How you get to Morgan Peak and the other 13ers in the area depends on if you have a 4-wheel drive with good clearance or not. If so, drive the rough Santa Fe road from the small town of Montezuma (just outside Keystone). The road is also known as Forest Service 264 and is a left at the stop sign in ...

The area around Kendall Knob is great for snowshoeing or ski touring. It is particularly nice for ski touring because there are a variety of short tours at varying difficulty and on varying aspects. Skiers or those on snowshoe can begin their trip at the PCT trailhead near the Commonwealth Campgroun...

To get to the Grizzly Gulch trailhead, drive up Little Cottonwood until you reach Alta Ski Resort. Keep left along the road and park in the upper Alta parking lot. Head up the cat track with all the cats and snowmobiles parked to the side. About 100 yards up, you'll take a left and head up the steep...

Starting at the Rim Village parking area, this snowshoe/cross-country ski trip (whichever you choose) heads out on snow-covered West Rim Drive, bound for the saddle between Hillman Peak and The Watchman, overlooking Wizard Island. The path is not terribly steep (this is, after all, a drivable road i...

Snowshoeing to Emerald Lake was completely different from hiking the trail during summer. Instead of hiking around Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, and Emerald Lake, I was able to go straight across them (check the ice to make sure it's thick enough to support your weight). Rocky Mountain National Park's tra...

From the main entrance on the north side of the park, the Ironweed Trail connects the northern, more wooded section of the park with the wetlands to the south. This 2.8 mile one-way trail is paved, making cycling, running, and hiking an easy activity. The topography of the park also makes it easy, a...

The Enchantments is one of the most beautiful spots in Washington, but rarely visited outside the summer months, when access is merely difficult. But for those brave souls with the knowledge and determination to ski these hallowed slopes, the experience is surreal. The approach up Aasgard Pass is mo...

There are a couple routes to Section House on Boreas Pass, but the best adds trekking through the forest on Baker's Tank trail. Starting at 10,350' at the TH, look for a trail in the woods that starts climbing relatively quickly. Follow this for about 2.5 miles to the junction with the road and Bake...

This park has plenty to do—forest hiking, swimming at Herrington Manor, and camping—but the main attraction, unsurprisingly, is Swallow Falls. The Swallow Falls Canyon Trail (1.1 miles) follows Muddy Creek and features a number of other falls, including Muddy Creek Falls (53 ft).