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TrailGroove Blog

A Blog by the TrailGroove Team

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Entries in this blog

Trips

Guadalupe Mountains National Park Hiking & Backpacking

Along the edge of an ancient sea, a reef formed. The water was an inland sea, connected to the rest of the earth’s oceans by a narrow channel. The reef grew and grew until it stretched around the horseshoe-shaped shoreline of the sea for a length of over 400 miles, towering high above the ocean floor, similar to the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia. This 250-million year old reef is known as The Capitan Reef. It was a tropical ocean, teeming with life – sponges, algae, and other lim
Steve Ancik

Steve Ancik in Trips

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Trips

Lakes, Peaks, & Bugs: Hiking the Beaverhead Mountains

Although lacking wilderness status or the “brand name” recognition of Glacier National Park, the Beaverhead Mountains in western Montana are a remarkably scenic landscape with few crowds and plenty of lakes with trout in them. In other words, they contain all the prerequisites for a great backpacking trip. The Beaverhead Mountains, which are at the southern end of the Bitterroot Mountain Range, are also notorious for having millions of voracious mosquitoes which makes early season trips here a f
Mark Wetherington

Mark Wetherington in Trips

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Trips

Skiing to Hogan Cabin: Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest

In typical backpacker fashion, I did my solemn duty of taking off the Thursday before a federal holiday falling on a Friday to schedule a two-night trip followed by a day of rest. A stroke of good fortune allowed me to book Christmas Eve and Christmas night at a small, rustic Forest Service rental cabin in the mountains of the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest. Given the frigid forecast, it was well worth the nominal fee to know that after skiing around all day I’d have four walls,
Mark Wetherington

Mark Wetherington in Trips

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Trips

Biking the Burr Trail, Utah

The last two winters I’ve spent living in the American southwest, and before I left I planned to take a long bike ride. I wasn’t quite sure where I wanted to go, but I was leaning towards somewhere way out in the desert. I changed my mind many times in the months before the trip, but eventually decided to leave sunny California, and drive further inland, to Utah. I had driven this highway once before, a scenic route through the southern part of Utah. Highway 12, “The All American Road
michaelswanbeck

michaelswanbeck in Trips

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Trips

Wild and Alone: Backpacking the Ventana Wilderness

The Ventana is a designated wilderness just inland from the resort area of Big Sur on the central coast of California. The Ventana Wilderness covers a total area of 375 square miles. For comparison, it is about the size of New York City or one of the smaller Hawaiian Islands. The wild, rugged terrain is in stark contrast with the surroundings, which include nearby major highways and several medium sized cities. And the Ventana becomes wilder every year. I’m sure the Native Americans w
George Graybill

George Graybill in Trips

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Trips

The Devil's Eyebrow: Hard Hiking in Northwest Arkansas

“Build a railroad right through these mountains? You can’t do it, man; you can’t do it. You might as well try to build a railroad on the Devil’s eyebrow as to undertake to build one in such a place.” And so the words of a pioneer gave a rugged sandstone formation in northwest Arkansas its name. The year was 1880, and surveyors were doing preliminary work on the location of the Frisco Railroad. The railroad was built, the name stuck, and today “Devil’s Eyebrow” is one of 75 Natural Areas managed
Susan Dragoo

Susan Dragoo in Trips

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Trips

The Lookout: A Snowshoe Trip to an Abandoned Fire Tower

It is one thing to conceptually understand that you have the gear to bivy at 7,500 feet in the Northern Rockies with a forecast of six degrees below zero. It is another thing entirely to find yourself in circumstances where you end up having to do exactly that. And it was in such circumstances that I found myself on the last night of the year. Perhaps I shouldn’t have turned down that invitation to a New Year’s Eve party after all. At the trailhead The Trip Begins I left hom
Mark Wetherington

Mark Wetherington in Trips

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Trips

Hiking the Goat Rocks Wilderness of Washington State

The Goat Rocks wilderness is located in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest of Washington, between the Mount Adams wilderness and Mount Rainier National Park. The remnant of an old volcano which stood at over 12,000 feet is now an area of alpine scenery with many peaks over 8,000 feet. The wilderness contains 105,000 acres and I’ve hiked through this area a few times before, but recently I made a trip into the backcountry to camp and walk a bit of a wilderness trail loop. Walking the
David Cobb

David Cobb in Trips

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Trips

Backpacking the Kalmiopsis Wilderness: A 50 Mile Loop

I awoke in the comfort of the back of my vehicle as the Pacific Ocean’s peaceful waves gently moved across the nearby beach. I quickly drove away and soon found myself driving on a remote forest road. Fortunately I had checked road conditions and discovered that I needed to detour to avoid a landslide. The road was bumpy and had deep cracks. My vehicle has all-wheel drive, but not high clearance. With careful maneuvering I arrived at the Chetco Divide/Vulcan Peak Trailhead and the edge of Oregon
Eric

Eric in Trips

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Trips

Hiking the Wailau Trail: Lost in a Hawaiian Jungle

I was muddied, bloodied, and soaked, but I had reached my goal. I was standing on the rim of Wailau Valley. Just beyond my toes, the land dropped away steeply to the valley floor 3,000 feet below. Waterfalls streamed down the cliffs that surrounded this lost world as it swept away before me to the north shore of Moloka’i. It was hard to believe that 50 years ago I had descended this cliff and then hacked my way through five miles of jungle to the ocean. I must have been crazy. I was definitely l
George Graybill

George Graybill in Trips

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Trips

Backpacking Kungsleden: Jewel of the Swedish Arctic

If there is such a thing as a backpacker’s paradise then look no further than the Kungsleden, Sweden’s Royal Trail above the Arctic Circle near the border of Norway. If you can hike just one section of the 240-mile long trail, start with the world-class hike between Nikkaluokta and Abisko. Imagine wide Arctic valleys, stunning northern lights, reindeer, and, if you go in September, incredible fall colors covering the landscape. The 80-mile hike from Nikkaluokta to Abisko can work for all skill l
DustyD

DustyD in Trips

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Trips

The Great Divide Trail: Thru-Hiking the Canadian Rockies

The Great Divide Trail in the Canadian Rockies is the stuff dreams are made of. Remote grand mountainous wilderness, picturesque scenery, a level of solitude that’s rare to find these days, and that hint of anticipation and suspense that comes with hiking through grizzly country. There is definitely an intimidation factor that comes with hiking in the lesser traveled Canadian Rockies, but the secret is out, and the GDT is gradually becoming one of the most destined thru-hikes in the world.
Wired

Wired in Trips

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Trips

October Alpine: Fall Backpacking in Montana

Among its many inimitable charms, prime backpacking season in the Northern Rockies is also unfortunately defined by a cruel brevity. Try to hike too early in the season and you wind up postholing through leftover snow, anxiously evaluating raging creeks for the safest place to cross, and camping near lakes still thawing out from winter – adventuresome, but not exactly ideal. A few weeks later and things are more amenable to backpacking, but bugs (especially the biting kind) become so numerous th
Mark Wetherington

Mark Wetherington in Trips

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Trips

Backpacking Wyoming's Breathtaking Bighorn Mountains

As I drove to the trailhead the mountains were hidden in the clouds. The highway allowed me to drive 80 mph through vast open spaces with few signs of human activity. The rain fell heavily. Although a Michigander at heart, a few weeks earlier I had set out on temporary work that would allow the opportunity for adventures out West. While I had enjoyed many backpacking adventures in the West, this short overnighter would be my first near my new home. Into the Bighorn Mountains The Bighor
Eric

Eric in Trips

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Trips

Hiking in Yosemite: Waterfalls and Winter Solitude

It's an early December afternoon in Yosemite National Park, and I'm watching a bobcat padding down the trail in front of me. In his mouth is a lifeless gray squirrel, so large that he drops it several times. He turns and surveys me with the lazy arrogance of a house cat who's proud of his kill. I'm unsure if I should be following this wild creature down the trail. I think of how animals are protective of their food. Still, the large cat and I are headed the same way, so I continue at a distance.
Allison Johnson

Allison Johnson in Trips

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Trips

Hiking the Fiery Gizzard Trail of the Cumberland Plateau

Just the name Fiery Gizzard sounds like an adventure doesn’t it? The Cumberland Plateau is known for spectacular waterfalls, spring wildflowers, and panoramic views overlooking wild gorges extending for miles in the distance. The Fiery Gizzard Trail has a little bit of everything for the hiker or backpacker looking for a true wilderness experience any time of year. The official name of Fiery Gizzard is the Grundy Forest State Natural Area which is part of the South Cumberland State Park complex
DustyD

DustyD in Trips

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Trips

Hiking through Rubies: Backpacking the Ruby Mountains

Recently I set out to explore the Seven Devils Wilderness in Idaho and walk a 27-mile loop through those mountains, but a large fire in Hell’s Canyon diverted that plan at the last minute. The Ruby Mountain Wilderness of Nevada had long been on my “to do” list, and this seemed like a good time to change plans and head south. The Rubies were misnamed in the 1800s during the gold rush, when a group of army explorers thought they’d found a range filled with rubies; instead they discovered only
David Cobb

David Cobb in Trips

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Trips

The Alpine Lakes Wilderness: A Cascades Backpacking Trip

One can easily say that Washington State holds some of the most beautiful, untouched, and rugged terrain in all of North America. At breakfast one could wake up on a driftwood littered beach on the coastline of a temperate rainforest, and by dinner be jumping into a glacial lake of the high Cascade peaks. With some of the most amazing wildlife covered landscapes and best backpacking in Washington and even in the United States, one can spend the rest of their lives trying to explore and conquer a
J. Parascandola

J. Parascandola in Trips

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Trips

A Backpacker, a Wolf, & Wilderness: Fall in Boulder Canyon

There’s something puzzling but incredibly satisfying about arriving at an empty trailhead on a sunny Saturday morning during Labor Day weekend. While some national parks are setting records for visitation and crowded campgrounds and packed trails are the norm, I had an entire canyon in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness of Montana to myself for 24 hours. Ten miles of well-maintained trail passed through lovely coniferous forest and beside a delightful waterfall to reach four subalpine lakes. This
Mark Wetherington

Mark Wetherington in Trips

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Trips

Waterfall Hikes in the White Mountains of New Hampshire

The White Mountains in New Hampshire are renowned for having the best hiking east of the Mississippi River. Treeline in New Hampshire is around 4,000 feet, and there are forty-eight mountains in the state that rise above this level. Most people have heard of Mt. Washington, infamous for the “worst weather in the world” and mountain climbers of all levels train in the Whites for major expeditions. In addition to the beautiful peaks however, there are a ton of small and large waterfalls throu
eliburakian

eliburakian in Trips

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Trips

Hiking Oklahoma: Where East Meets West

Thanks to Rodgers and Hammerstein and the Weather Channel, most folks know Oklahoma as that place in the middle of the U.S. "where the wind comes sweeping down the plains." And the designation is certainly fitting, especially in the spring of the year when it’s time for Oklahomans to hunker down for tornado season. While the plains indeed comprise a large portion of Oklahoma's land mass and contribute significantly to its cultural history, the state is home to more than 10 distinct ec
Susan Dragoo

Susan Dragoo in Trips

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Trips

Backpacking in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest

“Crowded” at trailheads in national forests in Montana typically just means more cars than you can count one hand, thus providing a degree of solitude that backpackers in states like Oregon or Washington would envy. If a solo experience is what you’re after, it doesn’t take much effort to find great hikes where the chances of you being the only hiker on the trail are north of 90%. Needless to say, by and large hiking in Montana provides one with a high chance at finding solitude. With
Mark Wetherington

Mark Wetherington in Trips

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Trips

Hiking & Camping in Goblin Valley State Park Utah

Located a solid 102 miles from the tourist base at Moab, Goblin Valley gives quiet respite from all things civilized. First discovered by cowboys roaming the range in search of lost cattle, this geological playground was designated as a state park as recent as 1964. Originally the site was known as Mushroom Valley, the name inspired by the comically organic appearance that the rock formations take. Since then, the title of Goblin Valley was added, giving the park an otherworldly name
Jessica Smith

Jessica Smith in Trips

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Trips

Northern Rockies Gold: Hiking in Search of the Fall Larch

The Rocky Mountains provide hikers with countless opportunities to immerse themselves in backcountry areas filled with quintessential landforms. Majestic mountain peaks, sublime subalpine lakes, waterfalls, glaciers, and wildflower-filled meadows come immediately to mind. Rolling high-altitude plateaus, cascading mountain streams, and fragrant forests of dense conifers are also key contributors to this enchanting landscape. Somewhat surprisingly, there are even some natural arches scattered acro
Mark Wetherington

Mark Wetherington in Trips

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Trips

Backpacking the Pecos: A Wilderness of Enchantment

Imagine a wilderness area of tundra ridge walks, a place where 13,000-foot peaks tower into the sky, where wildflowers dot the landscape, and bighorn sheep scramble over the terrain. A wilderness area that would seem to be the stuff that backpacker dreams are made of. Now picture this area tucked away in northern New Mexico. An area ignored by many backpackers. No major long distance hiking trail comes through these mountains. No glossy travelogues feature this wilderness area. This wilderness a
PaulMags

PaulMags in Trips

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