Greenwater, Washington

Only a couple hours from Seattle yet worlds away, Mount Rainier National Park gets you away from crazy city life. Heed the call and make your way up to the mountain. Within the Park, you’ll find over 275 miles of maintained trails leading through old-growth forest and right onto the flanks of the...

Mount Rainier's famously glaciated profile rises 14,411 feet above sea level in western Washington, dominating the skyline of Seattle and drawing in adventurers from all over the world.  While climbing the mountain itself can test your strength and endurance, there is also a verdant beauty to be ...

The Perfect Place for a Low-Key Snow Day! If you are looking for a low key snow day where you can play in some powder, Snoqualmie Pass is the PERFECT place to go!  Being from San Diego, my husband and I had never experienced powder like this before, and we finally figured out why everyone is obs...

For my first story in The Outbound, I'd like to share some pics from one of our most recent trips. It was our first time visiting Mt Rainier National Park even though we live so close to it. The main reason why we don't usually frequent national parks is because we have a dog and they are not all...

So I have been in Washington for about two weeks now. In the two weeks it has rained the majority of the time. Which was expected before I moved so I was ready for it. Well not really, I’m still working on getting a good rain jacket, which is super important here apparently. I have been to Moun...

Located inside Mount Rainier National Park, the Pinnacle Peak trail offers epic views of Mount Rainier while you ascend to the saddle between Pinnacle Peak and Plummer Peak. When you reach the saddle the trail continues unmaintained in which you can go right to Plummer, or left to Pinnacle and be...

During the day, Rattlesnake Ledge is one of the most popular hikes within the one hour of Seattle. This means that the parking lot, as well as the road leading to the trailhead, is full of cars. If you hate crowds like this, then this is the time for you to go. You don't need much for this advent...

What do you do when you have finals and a sunny day? Drive to a lake and hammock, duh. I just got out of class daydreaming of going out and just relaxing in the sun. I have a reputation in class for not showing up if the sun's out, so when someone asked me why I was in class, I asked myself the s...

To start, I would like to share my gratitude for The Outbound Collective for giving me the opportunity to be part of their Writers Residency program in 2021.  Despite having my writing published by the collective I still find myself struggling with the imposter syndrome that comes from being a r...

This was one of those times that if we knew what we were getting into we would have thought twice. I found a twelve and a half-mile loop in an area we'd been curious about between Kachess Lake and Lake Cle Elum. I made the loop by connecting Kachess Ridge Trail, Silver Creek Tie, Domerie Peak T...

“I’ve always wanted to go there!” are six words that used to trickle out of my mouth more often than veggies went in. Just as often were the two words “One day…” I once lived a life of hesitation and slept in a deep well of procrastination. I found every excuse in the book for why I couldn’t do s...

The Wonderland Trail is 93 miles long, includes 22,000' of elevation gain and loss, and circumnavigates the tallest point in Washington: Mt. Rainier. It is a world-class hike that has been on my mind for years. Finally being able to complete it was such a wonderful feeling, but it wasn't an easy ...

We went into this hike knowing it was 8 miles round trip and a portion of it being 1300 feet straight up in 1.3 miles. We expected the weather to be really snotty and rainy, but it was a lot better than we expected.  Typically, this would just be your normal hike, but for Em, HAHA NOOOOOOO. Eve...

Located down the road from the San Juan Islands and kitty corner from Olympic National Park, Seattle is a mecca for outdoor adventure enthusiasts. Seattle’s infamous rain shadow allows the flora and fauna to flourish and creates some of the most breathtaking scenery you’ll ever lay eyes on. We’ve...

If you've ever been to Seattle, you know the proximity to amazing outdoor adventures is pretty ideal. If you haven't, it's about time to plan a weekend trip. From Seattle, you don't have to drive too far to find some of the most dramatic mountain landscapes in the country and of course, the best ...

Winter can often be thought of as a time to stay indoors, drink hot chocolate, and hibernate. The opposite couldn't be more true. When you explore in the winter, not only do you get to see landscapes in an entirely different way, but you also get to enjoy a little more solitude that you typically...