Mt. Aire - Millcreek Canyon, Utah

Pumpkin Beer on the summit of Mt. Aire

My plane landed in Utah at 10:15 and truth be told, I was out on the trails by 12:00.  I was itching to be back in the Wasatch, hiking Utah's beautiful mountains at the edge of Salt Lake City.  When trying to pick out a hike, I knew I wanted something I hadn't done, something close to the city, a shorter distance (but still a workout), and with some great fall colors and a view.  I put out a "call to action" on Instagram and when someone suggested Mt. Aire, I was sold.  Pretty views, peak, 4 miles round trip, steep and steady, just next door in Utah's Millcreek Canyon.  

Hiking Mount Hunger - Waterbury, Vermont

Spending time with your favorite gal pals up in the Green Mountains on a sunny Saturday is the ultimate "reset" for the tired soul.  Friday at quitting time we packed up the car with 8 bags of snacks, roughly 200 spiked seltzers, and our best 90s playlist for the drive north to Stowe, Vermont.  We woke up early Saturday morning and grabbed some coffee, bagels, and bacon before heading to the neighboring town of Waterbury, Vermont for our hike.  We rolled the windows down as we drove to the trailhead, blasting our favorite 90s jams, singing all the words we thought we knew.  Every good adventure starts with the windows down and the music up.  

Winter Summit of Mount Moosilauke via Beaver Brook - New Hampshire (guest post)

I am almost done posting about Banff.  I have a few posts left including an ice walk through Johnston Canyon and my birthday dog sledding.  While I finish off those post, I have a special winter treat for all you lovely readers.  We are in the middle of March and the snow keeps coming.  So today's post is a guest post, inspiring you all to get out there to those snowy summits.  Today's guest post is someone who is out there tackling real winter hikes in New Hampshire's 4,000 footers.  Let's let Chris take it from here.  

My alarm went off at 3am. If this January morning were a Tuesday, and work was on the other end of getting out of bed and into the car, then the scenario would have been about 5-6 hits of the snooze button. But today was a Saturday, and an unchecked summit on my list of New Hampshire’s 4,000ft peaks was calling my name (eleven down). After a final gear check, reheat of the breakfast I pre-made the night before, and a pot of coffee brewed for the road, I was in the car by 3:45am and off. Four hours of driving later and I was at Beaver Brook Trailhead where I had chosen to start my hike up Mount Moosilauke. There was no overwhelming reason I landed on Moosilauke for that day other than it’s a single peak with no others around I would feel guilty not bagging, it’s not a technical peak to bag in winter, and on this day with wind predicted to be 55mph at elevation, it had less time exposed above treeline than others.

Hiking Mount Tom - Holyoke, Massachusetts

Hiking in New England can be a battle.  Sometimes (okay, often) you have to travel to find a hike with some elevation and scenic views.  Getting above the tree line and a view besides a forest of oaks can often be tricky.  Located about an hour and a half from home, this hike was a relatively easy drive and day trip for a great workout, beautiful views, and a chance to take Olive out on a hike. Dog-friendly, a ton of local breweries, and easy access and from what I hear one of the best day hikes in Massachusetts. Let's talk Mount Tom. 

Winter Hike to Camel's Hump, Vermont

For my 29th birthday, I rented a yurt in the woods of northern Vermont for the weekend. It was a great way to camp in the winter, spend some time in the woods and experience something new. The yurt was also close to some great hiking in Vermont's Green Mountains. Specifically, the yurt was only 7.5 miles to the trailhead to hike up to famous Camel's Hump. Camel's Hump is Vermont's 3rd highest mountain at 4,083' and is a registered 4,000' summit. The distinct topography of the mountain (resembling a camel's hump) makes it one of the State's most recognizable mountains.

Olive and I taking a break on the trail

Camel's Hump can also be hiked all year round, making it a very popular winter hike. Even in the middle of February, you can still find 20+ cars at the end of Camels Hump Road at the Burrows Trailhead. The Burrows Trail is the popular route in the winter and because of it's popularity, it is well packed down, easy to navigate and the only route I can safely suggest for you to tackle in a winter with heavy snowfall.

Hiking the Seven Sisters- Mount Holyoke Range, Massachusetts

I spent the month of November in a hiking rut and I needed to switch up my routine.  I needed some elevation, sunshine, and vistas in a new town to kick off the sunny November weekend.  

I wanted to stick to a 2-hour radius of home that way I could for-go hotels and keep it a day trip.  So on my quest for a new hike I did what any last-minute-lazy-hiker does: I hit google maps to do a little research and see what I could find.  Pretty soon, I stumbled upon the ridge walk among the Seven Sisters across the Holyoke Range in Western Massachusetts, a hike that appeared to be exactly what I was looking for.  Elevation, a good workout, vistas, summits, historical hotels and an overall great hike in a really fun town.  The hike itself was a treat and the college town of Amherst with its breweries and restaurants was an added bonus. Hike, a new town to explore and a few breweries? That is the Katie Wanders Way 


We jumped in the car and drove the two hours across the state of Connecticut and into Massachusetts to start our hike in Amherst. The plan was to follow the 6 mile hike along the ridge of the Mount Holyoke Range, following the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail (a section of the New England Trail) across 10 peaks, to the Summit House and end at another trailhead on Mountain Road. If we were feeling really adventurous we could retrace our steps back across the 10 summits (as the famous trail race does) or the more practical option: call an Uber which would take us the 6 miles back to our car at the opposite trailhead ($8, 10 minute ride).  And yes, we are practical (and sometimes lazy) hikers.  

Bear Mountain, Salisbury - Hiking Connecticut's Tallest Mountain Summit

Saturday's weather was about as good as it gets for a day out on the hiking trails.  70 degrees, partly sunny, light breeze, 0% chance of rain and not a single bug.  Thank you hiking gods for granting me beautiful weather after I drove 2:15  hours (one way) just for this hike.  

I am embarrassed to admit that since I moved back East I have been on zero hikes.  This is a really sad statistic considering I was hiking twice a week (on average) while living in Utah.  The summer was hot and I basically spent all my time at work, underwater, or on my horse.  Well, the first weekend that the temperatures dipped below 80 I grabbed my day pack and headed to the northwest corner of the state.  Most of Connecticut's hikes are a leisurely walk through the woods compared to hiking Utah's mountains.  While there are no peaks over 10,000', I was determined to find some elevation and enjoy Connecticut's hiking.  I did some research and decided a good first start for New England hiking was Connecticut's tallest peak, Bear Mountain in Salisbury Connecticut.

When you are driving to this corner of the state and looking at the map, you will notice that it is barely even in the State of Connecticut.  The peak lies within the Town of Salisbury in the Taconic Mountains.  Shortly after leaving the summit the trail crosses over into the Massachusetts border. Whats also interesting is that this peak is technically not the highest point in the state.  That designation goes to Mt Frissell which is the highest POINT in the state.   Instead, Bear Mountain is the Highest Mountain Summit.

Bear Mountain - Highest Summit:  2,323'

Mount Frissell - Highest Point:  2,379' 

Now that we are squared away on the differences, let's talk about the trail.