#hiking

We did a little hike in South Whidbey State Park back on 1/10/26. We're on a quest to hike as many parks and preserves as we can on Whidbey. South Whidbey SP was an easy target and turned out as a nice walk in the woods. We actually camped here in 1996 when our two boys were toddlers. The campground is closed now, though. #hiking #outdoors #nature #photography #WhidbeyIsland

CLOTHING LAYER BASICS FOR BEING OUTDOORS https://thesurvivaluniversity.com/clothing-layer-basics-for-the-outdoors/

The clothes you wear aren't just about looking good or feeling cozy at the start. They're your first line of defense against the environment. Your body is constantly producing heat, like a little furnace inside you, but things like wind, rain, snow, sweat, or even just stopping to rest can steal that heat away fast. When that happens, you go from comfortable to miserable, or worse, at risk for serious issues like hypothermia.

That's why proper clothing is about control, not just comfort. It lets you manage your body's temperature no matter what the day throws at you, whether you're hiking up a steep trail in Colorado's mountains, standing still hunting, or dealing with an unexpected storm far from shelter. The same principles work for almost any outdoor activity; only the speed at which things go wrong changes if you make a mistake.

If you learn how layering works and why it exists, you can adapt on the fly and turn unpredictable weather into something manageable. Let's break it down step by step, starting from the basics, so even if you've never thought about this before, you'll understand exactly why each piece matters....

#survival #hiking #weather

If you live in the greater Seattle area and do much hiking then you likely have been here. This is a summertime look at the trail to Snow Lake in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Look close and you will see a person at the switchback for scale.
#FootpathFriday #PNW #Hiking

#FootPathFriday #PNW #hiking
The ridge trail above the Anderson Glacier in the Olympic National Park. A family backpacking trip in 2013.

This wild burro was hanging out at the top of the cliff, keeping a close eye on me as I hiked. It was snorting very loudly, presumably to warn all the other burros that there was a human in the wash. I loved how the snorts echoed off the walls of the canyon, very effective warning system.

The history of the wild burros in the western US is pretty interesting. They were pack animals for the early miners; when the mine played out the miner would sometimes just turn them loose in the desert. Burros evolved in northern Africa, to them it felt like home. There are now thousands of them scattered over 5 western states. They're an invasive species, but so cute that the public outcry is huge any time population control is proposed.

#asstodon #camping #hiking

Revisiting scenes from backpacking 2025. I forget which lake this is in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Does it matter what it's called? Just look at it! 😍

#pnw #hiking