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TrailGroove Blog

A Blog by the TrailGroove Team

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  • Aaron Zagrodnick 238
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Entries in this blog

Trips

Back in the Day Backpacking at the Grand Canyon, 1980

In May of 1980, my dad decided to hike across the Grand Canyon. And I of course wanted to go with him – for each of us, the chance to hike across the largest canyon in the country was too good to pass up. My dad was going to turn 60 later that summer, and I was almost 27 at the time. Even though my wife and I had an 11-month-old son, we chose May of 1980 to make the trip. We acquired the required permits, which were easy to get at the time. As it turned out, we couldn’t hike all the way across t
Steve Ancik

Steve Ancik in Trips

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Trips

Bryce Canyon National Park: A Quick Hiking Guide

Bryce Canyon National Park in southern Utah is a popular park and for good reason – its stunning rock spire formations (hoodoos) and the Bryce Amphitheater that can be seen from the canyon rim provide amazing views for those that visit. When it comes to hiking in Bryce Canyon, various trails provide a means for visitors to experience the canyon close up, while getting some good exercise and can offer a bit more solitude than the rim as well, if the timing is right. Bryce Canyon hoodoo
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Trips

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Trips

Hiking Mount Monroe: White Mountains, New Hampshire

For a long time, just thinking about climbing Mount Washington gave me chills and made me nauseous. A few years ago, Nick and I were in the White Mountains of New Hampshire for the first time. Reaching the top of Mount Washington (whether by car, foot, or railway) is a must do. It is the highest peak in New Hampshire and the highest in the Northeast. It is known as the “Home of the World’s Worst Weather” due to the convergence of three different weather systems at its peak. Clear summits are few
sarahtied

sarahtied in Trips

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Trips

To the Basin: Backpacking the Trinity Alps Wilderness

I sat with my face squished against the passenger-side window, trying to get a better view of the toothy white summits jutting above the western horizon. Driving south on Interstate 5, Mount Shasta hardly seemed worth a glance compared to this jagged range I hadn’t even realized existed. Pulling up Google Maps, it didn’t take long to identify the range. A quick search brought stories of rugged traverses of knife-edge ridges and lakeside campsites ringed by granite cliffs. Looking back at the sno
mgraw

mgraw in Trips

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Trips

A Hike on the Florida Trail: Juniper Prairie Wilderness

Our boots sunk deep in the sugar white sand, making each step more laborious than we were used to. My calves had begun to burn right along with my pale skin. There was no shade to hide under, no trees to from which to seek relief. Florida is a state with more than 30,000 lakes, but around us was as hot and dry as a desert. I had grown up in North Central Florida, and knew just how unforgiving the heat could be, but the Southern winters had become much too warm for me. My years away in cold mount
Jessica Smith

Jessica Smith in Trips

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Trips

The Million Steps: Backpacking the Colorado Trail

A long hike is more than a short hike extended. At nearly 500 miles long, it takes a million steps to get from Denver to Durango on the Colorado Trail. A million is, by just about anyone's reckoning, a large number. And that means that long hikes are subject to the Law of Large Numbers: anything that is not impossible is inevitable. Hike long enough and you will see beauty on a grand scale as well as many tiny ones, experience freakish weather, fall down, get lost on an easily-followed route, se
HappyHour

HappyHour in Trips

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Trips

Backpacking the Henrys Lake Mountains of Idaho & Montana

A few drops of rain and an empty parking lot greeted us at the trailhead where we paused for a few moments of contemplation. I’m not sure if I was more nervous about the responsibility of backpacking with a dog for the first time or if my girlfriend was more nervous about Lolo and I spending the weekend in grizzly country without her there to supervise. Lolo just seemed excited and happy, which were contagious emotions and aside from occasional hunger and tiredness proved to be the definitive fe
Mark Wetherington

Mark Wetherington in Trips

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Trips

Hiking the Greenbrier Area of the Great Smoky Mountains

Hiking along the Ramsey Cascades trail in the Greenbrier region of the Smokies, my good friend and hiking partner Mark, froze in his tracks. “Bear!” he said in the loudest whisper he could manage. There was indeed a large, dark mass about 40 yards up the trail and was difficult to see what it was doing in the low, dappled light at the end of the day. Not sure it was a bear, we walked forward a few steps and soon discovered the large black bear wasn’t moving, but turned out to be a shadow of a ne
DustyD

DustyD in Trips

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Trips

Hiking the Escalante of Southern Utah: Colors & Canyons

It’s a land of seemingly infinite slickrock and canyons, anchored by the Escalante River and its tributaries. The landscape’s intense colors are dominated by red and ivory sandstone and accented by brilliant green cottonwoods and willows along the waterways. In the deep slot canyons, the reds take on shades unimagined…maroon, purple, and indigo. Easy it’s not. Exceptional, it is, and worth every ounce of effort for the experience. Within the massive Grand Staircase-Escalante National
Susan Dragoo

Susan Dragoo in Trips

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Trips

Backpacking and Hiking Jargon: Permits and Passes

When the caveat “but you’ll need a permit” follows a glowing recommendation for a backpacking trip, or is noted in a guidebook description or online trip report, what it actually means can vary significantly. In this article we'll detail the types of permits and passes that are typically required in National Parks, National Forests, and in other management areas where your next hiking trip may take you. Hiking & Backpacking Permits & Passes Explained For some trips, like backpa
Mark Wetherington

Mark Wetherington in Trips

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Trips

Backpacking and Hiking Jargon: Shoulder Season

In backpacking circles, shoulder season refers to the time of season between the full peak (summer) and off season (winter) hiking periods. Shoulder season timing varies by region. In the fall, warm care-free summer days are gone and likely replaced by crisp, but often pleasant shorter days with nighttime temperatures calling for that warmer sleeping bag you may have stashed away for the summer. Sudden cold snaps aren’t uncommon, and in many parts of the country, you can encounter significant sn
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Trips

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Trips

Hiking and Backpacking During Wildflower Season

Nature has a rhythm. The snows covers the landscape in winter. There is beauty to be found, but the beauty is a cold, ethereal one. A landscape with a palette of a few colors. Green trees, white snow, brown grass, gray rocks, and blue skies. But then the snow starts to melt. The mountain streams grow from a bare trickle to a steady flow and then become a raging torrent. The birds are making their morning calls more frequently. Old man of the mountain wildflowers gracing the high count
PaulMags

PaulMags in Trips

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Trips

Hiking & Backpacking in Algonquin Provincial Park

When it comes to outdoor recreation, Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada is known mostly for its interconnecting canoe routes and park maintained portages. While not its most popular pastime, those on foot will find a hidden gem of a trail system and a true Canadian wilderness experience. Over 2000 lakes dot the landscape, many offering good fishing opportunities, and with almost 2 million acres of this lake-filled forest, one could spend a lifetime exploring the various nuances of the
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Trips

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