The Most Beautiful Stretch on the Pacific Crest Trail

Coming across the cowboy and his two horses, I knew I had to take their picture. Set against the upright backdrop of the Klickton Divide, on the boundary marker of the Yakima Indian Reservation, my hiking partners and I met the equestrian group as they were enjoying the view.

Horseback

The cowboy didn’t mind his picture being taken, neither did the horses I suppose, and their photo would eventually land me second place in the Equestrian Category of the 2017 PCTA Photo Contest. After four months of daily hiking on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), the route never failed to provide something new to appreciate. Little did we know at that moment though, standing next to our cowboy gate-greeter who had just come from the other way, this was just the beginning of the most beautiful stretch of trail on the entire PCT.

“Ya’ll have yourself a good time,” our cowboy companion tipped his Stetson our way.

Range
Continue reading

How I Survived the 2017 Solar Eclipse

I was set to see the 2017 Solar Eclipse in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and I was not looking forward to it. I had inadvertently planned a three-week reporting trip in South Dakota and Wyoming at the exact time totality would be crossing the nation. With an already logistically stacked schedule ahead of me, it seemed the stars were not lining up in my favor when it came to the solar eclipse.

Continue reading