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Our Big Summer 2025 Road Trip: Montana and Wyoming

Welcome to the final chapter of our big 2025 summer road trip! The route back home took us through Montana and Wyoming, with the highlights being our time spent in/around Big Sky and Jackson. We’ve visited Jackson multiple times and will likely continue to at least every summer. It’s such a fun town, and the Tetons are something else. This was our first time in the Big Sky area during the summer, and we enjoyed a beautiful hike and some time spent in the village. It was bittersweet to return to Denver, but the time had come.

Trip Diary Begins

July 16, 2025

We started our Missoula morning with an 8 am yoga class. This was my first yoga in a couple of weeks, and it was much needed. It felt so good to finally be back at it, after the dratted wound held me back for a little.

Later in the day, we went to Break Espresso. There, I ordered a Mountain Huckleberry decaf iced tea. I would describe this tea as Christmas in July, which is fitting since it was July when I was sipping on it. It had a cinnamon note, which created a comforting spice evocative of the holidays, paired with a fruity punch. It was simultaneously cozy and bright.

We dined at the Notorious P.I.G. for dinner, another awesome BBQ spot. The baked beans were some of the best I’ve had, with an almost spicy kick and a depth of flavor that truly stood out. The potato salad and brisket also slapped.

July 17, 2025

On our way to Big Sky, we stopped in Helena. Because Jon was super busy with work, we ended up booking a last-minute hotel there. We ended our day at Ten Mile Creek Brewery, munching on pesto cheese bread and pizza. There was even live music in the courtyard area, which added a nice sunny ambiance.

July 18, 2025

At the recommendation of a friend who had been to Big Sky about a week prior, we planned to hike to Lava Lake in the evening. It was a great hike! We love an alpine lake!

We went out in Big Sky for a little bit. Though we’ve skied at Big Sky multiple times, we hadn’t spent much time hanging out there, since we usually book our lodging in Bozeman. I thought it was nice enough, but Jon said it gave him Denver Tech Center vibes (derogatory). I can see where he was coming from, as it felt pretty manufactured and a little… soulless…style-wise.

We went to a Mexican spot for dinner, and then grabbed some beers at Tips Up to check out the scene a bit more. Initially, we planned to hit a brewery, but they were closed, despite their hours saying otherwise. We relaxed outside with our beers, sitting in chairs made of skis with binding cup holders. So classic for a ski area! Indoors, a band was playing live music, which we did take some time to enjoy as well.

Then, it was onward to Jackson, and we stopped along the way to find a place to camp. We were exhausted, so rather than set up the tent, we just slept in our seats in the car. I slept horribly.

July 19, 2025

We drove the rest of the way to Jackson in the morning. When we arrived, we went to Cafe Jackson Hole. I enjoyed a delightful matcha lemonade and a basic breakfast. Jon eventually got himself a basic breakfast, making it his second breakfast of the day. (He ate earlier, while I slept.) The boy loves breakfast!

Jon went for a ride, and I walked over to Cowboy Coffee. I ordered a smoothie that featured pineapple, banana, spinach, Greek yogurt, coconut milk, and ginger. It was delicious and felt healthy. After they closed at 6, I roamed around the awesome (and crowded) town before Jon returned.

Upon his return, we went to Snake River Brewing for dinner and local brews before going out on the town! Naturally, we hit Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, a Jackson staple. We eventually decided to check out The Saddle Rock Saloon & Speakeasy for a nightcap. When we finally found it, we ordered our last cocktails of the night. We enjoyed refreshing drinks that included whisky (obviously), watermelon, lemon, cucumber, and fresh mint. They were so good and perfect for summer. But let’s be honest, I’d drink that anytime of year.

When we had had our fill, we went to a place to camp. In the middle of the night, Jon unzipped the door when nature called, and the crisp piney air filled the tent. Even when he returned and closed it back up, it was like he trapped that gorgeous smelling air in the tent with us.

July 20, 2025

That morning, we had breakfast at the Bunnery, where we each got a classic breakfast and some cocktails. Jon said his mimosa was really good, and my spicy Bloody was perfection! We also ordered a coffee cake, which was a little strange and didn’t quite feel like a proper coffee cake.

We returned to Cowboy Coffee after breakfast. I ordered the huckleberry lemonade matcha, which ended up being wayyy sweeter than I thought. I was honestly pretty bummed out, but you can’t win ’em all!

Our workout for the day was rock climbing and lifting at the rec center. Once we were all pumped up, we had dinner at Merry Piglets, another one of our go-tos in Jackson. We just have to get those spicy huckleberry margaritas. Sloshies, who? I want the huckleberry marg! They did not disappoint (unlike the matcha …I still shiver). I ordered a carne quesadilla, and Jon got a carne burrito. The meal was great!

We walked around for a hot second and then went to Cutty’s Bar & Grill. Cutty’s is a Philly spot in Jackson, and Jon’s a big fan of their authentic cheesesteaks. We didn’t get any of those on this particular night, but we wanted to check out their Guinness pours. The pour was ultimately not amazing, but you can’t be good at everything. We drank our beers and headed off to our campsite in Grand Teton National Park.

We stopped at the general store in the national park to stock up on more food and supplies before finding our camp spot. Jon even selected some huckleberry ice cream sandwiches, which he very much enjoyed. I was having a bit of a stomach ache, so I just had one tasty bite.

Soon, we got ready and snuggled up in bed, as we had a hike planned for early the next morning. Unfortunately, I had a hard time falling asleep. I was tossing and turning big time. Sometimes, when you most need a good night’s rest, you simply cannot fall asleep.

July 21, 2025

We woke up at 4:10 am and headed out to hike to Delta Lake. There’s something special about starting hikes before sunrise. Though I enjoy getting ample sleep, I also love an early morning hike. It’s wonderful to start the day by moving your body in a peaceful way, surrounded by nature.

The hike started pretty mellow, eventually gaining some elevation on switchbacks. It wasn’t crazy steep, which was nice, but it was a good workout. We were chugging along, with me leading the way for the most part on the maintained portion.

We soon reached the end of the maintained trail and arrived at the boulder fields, which required some scrambling. I was thrilled when we saw some pikas in these scrambly sections. I hadn’t yet seen any this year, so I was elated. We heard a little squeak that sounded like a dog toy before catching sight of the first little guy.

Multiple scramble sections later, we arrived at the lake. It. Was. Gorgeous. Delta Lake shone a glassy soft turquoise, and the spectacular Tetons served as its backdrop. It’s one of those scenes that is so bright, crisp, and dreamy that it almost looks fake. We reveled in the views before making our way back down.

As usual, we saw many people going up as we descended. A family we passed on the way down said they had seen a bear (potentially a grizzly, but unclear), but we never came across it. We briskly made our way back down to the car, finishing by around 8:30.

We went to Snake River Coffee for breakfast, and WOW, the breakfast sandwich was so good. I may or may not have had it before, I truly don’t recall, but I was blown away. I devoured the bison sausage sandwich, which includes Bison sausage, egg, muenster cheese, caramelized onions, and a green chili aioli, and is served on ciabatta bread. It was a big sandwich, but rather than being an annoying task to eat, as breakfast sandwiches often are for me (I don’t love a lot of breakfast foods, especially if they’re super eggy), it was a wonderful experience. Jon and I also split an apple fritter before leaving the cafe.

Unsurprisingly for a town like Jackson, the library is very nice. We spent time there and then moved on to Cowboy Coffee yet again. I spent most of my time writing personal pieces, which I may or may not publish on my Substack. Either way, it felt good to write.

Despite Cowboy Coffee having a perfectly fine, albeit single, bathroom, I decided to walk over to the welcome center to use theirs. It felt good to get out of the dark room, move my legs, and drink in some sun, although at this hour it was a bit too hot. As I reflected on how nice it was to move around and get some air, I realized it was funny because I spent my morning moving and being outside. It wasn’t like I’d been cooped up all day!

We visited Snake River Brewing once more, where we split a soft pretzel and drank some hop waters.

Jon found us a solid camp spot for the night. He cooked steak to use in burrito-wrap-type things, and we vibed in the camping chairs while he worked a bit longer. We also cracked into our Nightcap mocktail bottle (finally) that we got in Bellingham.

We settled in the tent before sunset and watched some programming. In the middle of the night, it was raining pretty hard, which was a bit annoying and disruptive. It almost sounded like hail.

July 22, 2025

I love unzipping the tent to mountain views. It’s one of the most special experiences ever. The world outside our mobile bedroom was wet and fresh after the night’s showers.

We rose around 8 am and headed back into town for our last (or so we thought) visit to Cowboy Coffee. We got nutrients and caffeine and spent about an hour there.

Next up on our itinerary was Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s bike park. There, we ended up at Cowboy Coffee’s resort location, because, of course, they have one there too. Jon went with me initially before hitting the lifts. Over the next few hours, he went back and forth.

We ended our time in Jackson with another trip to Cutty’s so Jon could get his cheesesteak. He also ordered a pizza. I wasn’t super up for a cheesesteak, so I had a small Caesar salad. I also had a piece or two of pizza and a couple of small bites of the cheesesteak. Jon was super impressed with the pizza, saying it was classic East Coast style. I also thought it was quite good.

The time had finally come to hit the road back to Denver! We’d debated stopping along the way versus sending it all the way home, and Jon decided he wanted to try and make it back. After over seven hours in the car, we arrived home around 11:30 pm and did the bare minimum unpacking. We watched a few episodes of TV before falling asleep in our bed for the first time in over a month.

Trip Reflection

This trip was over double the length of our last long road trip, and it flew by! I’m so happy we got to spend all of this time together, exploring new places like Olympic National Park and Vancouver, along with classic favorites such as Jackson, just to name a few.

We camped significantly less this time, as certain circumstances (bike injuries, busy work schedules…) made hotels/Airbnbs more appealing. It was nice to have places to settle more and have a shower during those moments. We’ll be getting some more tent time in before camping season dies down as well, which I’m very happy about.

Next summer (and even next month, next week, tomorrow, an hour from now ) is sure to bring even more adventures! Glacier National Park and Banff are at the top of my bucket list, so we’re already considering planning that for next year, as well as a potential Tahoe trip. Wherever the 4Runner takes us, be it next summer or next week, it’s going to be special.

Our Big Summer 2025 Road Trip: Washington State Part 2

The second half of our time in Washington State was primarily spent in Olympic National Park. We enjoyed a trail run, beautiful hikes, PNW beaches, and hanging out in Port Angeles. When we left Olympic, we explored Leavenworth on the way to Montana.

Trip Diary Begins:

July 11, 2025

We headed to Coupeville in the morning, a town located on Whidbey Island. Upon our arrival, we started at a coffee shop called Sunshine Drip. We later migrated to Beaver Tales Coffee & Tea, a coffee shop and cultural gift shop that’s right on the wharf. It’s a woman- and native-owned business, and you can read more about it here. We sat on the porch by the water until it was time to catch our ferry. It was so lovely.

Fun Fact: Coupeville is the setting of the movie “Practical Magic”, starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman.

From there, we caught the ferry, which took us to Port Townsend. After driving onto the boat, we got out of the car and walked around, checking out the deck and taking in the #views before settling down inside the ferry. The whole ride took about 35 minutes. We then drove from Port Townsend to Port Angeles, where we kicked off our visit in Olympic National Park.

We embarked on a trail run near Devil’s Punchbowl. I hadn’t been super active in a while, and I definitely hadn’t jogged in a while, so it felt extra good. It was even more special to be doing a jogging at such a gorgeous destination.

5.75 miles later, we fueled up at Fish & Crab Shack. We ate fish and chips and washed it down with some beer. It hit the spot! I don’t know if it competes with Luna Sea Fish House, but it’s up there, alright. While digging into our meal, we ended up sharing a table with another couple, both of whom were originally from Pennsylvania.

We wrapped up our Port Angeles evening at Mighty Pine Brewing, where we each went with a flight, followed by hop water. We hung out there for a little while, and then set off to find somewhere to camp.

July 12, 2025

The trail we selected for the day was Mount Storm King, one of the more challenging hikes in the park. We began at 6 am, starting out in a lush forest. This was a pleasant surprise, as I didn’t know we’d have the forest experience on this particular adventure.

Eventually, we rose above the treeline and the hike became more open. Some time after that, there’s a section with ropes to aid in climbing the steeper terrain. We ascended a little bit further past the ropes, and made it to the picture-perfect view, the star of the hike.

From this main viewpoint, you’re treated to breathtaking scenery featuring tree-covered mountains and the expansive blue waters of Lake Crescent. It’s so surreal. The vibrant deep blue and rich green colors are a true representation of how beautiful this world is.

We realized this was not actually the top of Mount Storm King. We completed the main route from AllTrails, and hit the iconic viewpoint, but it’s not the top of Storm King. There’s another rope section and another 1,000ish feet of gain to reach that peak. We decided against it, since it wasn’t part of our original plan.

After our descent, we added Marymere Falls onto the journey. We’d already been on that trail as part of our route anyway, and just had to veer off a little to see the falls. During this section, we witnessed some tourons in the wild. A group of people snuck around a barrier that was clearly there for a reason, venturing to an area that was not meant for visitors. Jon ended up calling them out for it, and they actually came back! Not all hope is lost.

We secured our camping spot for the night at a campground in the park and drove into Port Angeles for breakfast. Then, we hit the farmers’ market! Yay for markets! At one booth, we sampled some drinks from a vendor who made beer and ginger sparkling water. As we were sampling, we were seated next to a friendly local couple.

I did some shopping, something I especially enjoy while traveling. Despite not usually buying anything, I get serotonin just from poking around. One boutique had an adorable hoodie that was one of the softest things I’ve ever felt. I debated purchasing it, but left empty handed.

We hopped over to Harbinger Wine Bar next, which had a fantastic ambience. We started by sharing a flight that had one red, one white, and one rosé, and posted up on the deck that overlooked the water. I was in heaven, sipping on wine and taking in the serene environment. Port Angeles was providing! This small port town is just so cute and has some real gems.

I kept thinking about the hoodie, and how I really wanted something to take home from this charming location. So, Jon took me back to the boutique and I made the purchase.

In the evening, we found ourselves back at Mighty Pine, where they had a food vendor serving up pizza. We opted for the pickle pizza, which was delicious.

July 13, 2025

In the morning we departed from Lake Crescent and made our way toward Forks. This part of the trip was designated for exploring the beachy areas and the Hoh Rainforest. We’d reserved camping at South Beach.

Fun Fact: “Twilight” fans will probably recognize the towns of Forks and Port Angeles. Although the story largely took place in Forks, the series was primarily filmed in Oregon and Canada.

We waited in a crazy line of cars to enter the Hoh Rainforest for about an hour and a half. When we finally got in, we began with the Hall of Mosses. This is a fairly short stroll and one of the highlights of the Hoh Rainforest. This meant it was crowded as heck! I have complicated feelings on this, which I’ve mentioned before. It’s awesome that so many people are fond of our National Parks, but the crowds can definitely be annoying and take you out of the experience a bit. It felt like Disney World. We also tacked on a portion of the Hoh River Trail, which was way less crowded. It seems like many people wait in that crazy line of cars simply to do the Hall of Mosses. Couldn’t be us!

Back in Forks, we stocked up on some supplies. Just before sunset, we stopped at Ruby Beach. Much like the beaches in Oregon and California, Ruby Beach is home to many sea stacks. I love these! We moseyed along the pebbly shore, and the rocks made a satisfying click-clack noise beneath our feet. The air smelled ever-so-delightful! We soaked in the refreshing atmosphere and cool breeze. It was a bit too cold to stay for long, but it was so pleasant. When the fog rolled in, the mystical magical vibes were enhanced. Yes, it felt like Twilight. Something about it also reminded me of Jak and Daxter.

The PNW beaches are so special, offering a cool and unique aesthetic. They’re different from beaches somewhere like Florida, and they don’t scream “beach vacation”. You wouldn’t necessarily go there to sunbathe, play volleyball, and cool off in the water. These coasts are colder and moodier, but they’re enticing in their own way. We also learned that surfing is quite popular on the beaches in Olympic.

July 14

The time had come for us to begin journeying back East toward Denver. Our first stop on the way was Leavenworth, WA, a mountain town with a Bavarian charm. En route, we stopped at Jitter House in Hoquiam. I slept for a couple hours in the car, before Jon woke me up and I joined him inside for some breakfast.

We left the coffee shop, and I was called upon to drive. This was the first time my driving was requested the whole trip, so I’m lucky for that. My shift went well, even though I don’t particularly love driving the 4Runner.

In Leavenworth, Jon cooked us up some tacos at a park. We fueled up and went to the Leavenworth Ski Hill, where Jon set out on a ride and I had myself a short hike. We returned to the main strip and ordered some local brews and a bowl of cornichons at Icicle Brewing Company.

For dinner, we grabbed pizza from Blewett Brewing Company and took it over to Bushell & Bee Taproom, a lounge-y bar, where we got kombucha.

That night, we camped at a pullout near a river. It’s always nice to hear river noises while camping. We skipped TV for the night and instead partook in some good conversation as we fell asleep.

July 15

Upon waking up, we visited the ski hill once more. I slept for another hour-ish while Jon rode. We ended up at Bavarian Bagel Co. for breakfast, which was super solid! Post-bagels, we roamed around a bit while Jon took a call, and I browsed some fun stores. We returned to Blewett Brewing for some hop teas.

It was time to hit the road toward Missoula. When we got there, we checked into the Airbnb and headed out for dinner. We went to a taproom called The Dram Shop and got kombucha on tap. They don’t serve food, so we grabbed burgers from Wally and Buck, which we ate at The Dram Shop.

We went “home” for the night, showered, watched our program, and got to bed. We talked about how much my road rash had improved, rejoicing I was no longer wearing the gauze. It was wonderful to no longer go through the torture of taking it off and ripping my skin constantly. Jon made a silly joke, saying “the gauze days are over,” to the tune of “Dog Days Are Over.”

Our Big Summer 2025 Road Trip: The Idaho Leg Pt. 2

During the second stretch of our Idaho leg, we stayed in and around Boise. We split our time back and forth between camping and Airbnb/hotel stays and were in the area for basically 5 full days. One odd thing I noticed in Boise, and this could be me being nitpicky, is that the drinking water wasn’t super cold. I encountered this at multiple establishments we visited. On a more positive note, the food in Boise is top-notch. Read on for more. 🙂

Trip Diary Begins

Thursday, June 26, 2025

We dipped from Stanley in the morning, and I got to sleep a little in the car. For breakfast, we stopped at Wild Bills Coffee and Bistro in Garden Valley, which was super solid. I ordered a Huckleberry Toast, which features avocado, fresh huckleberries, feta, slivered almonds, and hot honey. It was tasty and very unique. I also added two eggs. Jon opted for the Déjà Vu, which is essentially a classic breakfast plate, a go-to for Jon.

We filled up and continued our drive to Boise. Upon our arrival, we went to a coffee shop called Roast & Vine. Jon later went to pick up sandwiches for lunch from The Roosevelt Market. I enjoyed the Space Chicken, a sammy with sliced chicken, mozzarella, mama ‘lil pesto, and baby spinach. Now, I don’t know what the heck “mama ‘lil pesto” is, but it wasn’t ordinary pesto. It was more of a tomato-y or roasted peppery-type spread. Whatever the heck it was, it was delicious!

After checking into our Airbnb, I took a little walk to the bookstore. When I returned to the place, we got ready for a yoga class, and dropped off laundry on the way. This yoga was 100 DEGREES! The yoga classes we typically attend are hot, but not that hot. It was hitting me pretty hard, especially because I was almost certainly dehydrated. My bad!

Post-yog, we showered back at the Airbnb and got ready for dinner. We ended up at a pizza spot called The Wylder, where we tried a few different types of pizza and wrapped up the meal with cookies and ice cream.

It’s always nice to walk around for a bit after a meal to digest, so we explored the Boise River Greenbelt a bit before turning in for the night.

Friday, June 27, 2025

Boise had a mountain bike festival going on, which we had gotten tickets to. Friday marked day 1 of the festival, which took place at Eagle Bike Park.

We both got demo bikes (yes, even I), and did some easy trails. Despite the easy level of the trails, I was still super nervous, tense, and awkward. I only lasted 45 minutes, but hey, I gave it a whirl!

When Jon was finished riding, only about 15 minutes later, we departed the bike park and hit the town. We started at Lost Grove Brewing in Hyde Park. They had some great happy hour beer deals, which we took advantage of. While there, we ordered an app as well. We landed on the wings with the miso buffalo sauce, which were perfect! They had a perfect crispy coating, and the sauce was super yummy.

Before dinner, we walked back to the Airbnb to reset. We landed on St. Lawrence Gridiron for our final meal that day, and OMG, it was absolutely amazing. I specifically can’t get over how good the Dirty Bird was. It’s truly one of the best fried chicken sandwiches I’ve ever had. This sammy features Louisiana spices, chili oil, white BBQ sauce, house slaw, and house pickles. It was all really working for me. Jon and I split the sandwich, along with the Brisket Platter and potato salad. Everything was fantastic.

We then went to a whiskey bar for a little bit before walking back to the Airbnb and ending the night with the Gemstone family.

Saturday, June 28, 2025

We slowly started to get together and pack up in the morning, and made our way to Bogus Basin for day two of the mountain bike fest.

I spent most of my time relaxing, reading, and listening to my audiobook. In the evening, I ended up going on a 1.5 hr hike on Deer Point Trail. I was initially planning to hike for a shorter amount of time, but my legs just kept moving. It was a lovely hike, which included foresty vibes, views of the ski runs, sunshine, and wildflowers.

We found an awesome spot to camp for the night, not far from where we’d spent the day. Before bed, we watched the SEASON FINALE of Righteous Gemstones, which was crazy!

Sunday, June 29, 2025

We headed back to Boise from our camp spot, which took about 45 minutes. When we got back to town, we grabbed THE BEST BREAKFAST EVER at Goldy’s Breakfast Bistro. I love a good Chicken Fried Steak, and this one was really, really, really good. Jon got a classic breakfast-type dish, which he said was delicious. We both agreed it was the best breakfast we’d had on the trip so far.

After our meal, we walked around the block a couple of times to digest a bit. Then, it was bike time! I rented a bike so we could ride around town and explore, as I left my own road bike at home. It was so fun! We rode for around 1.5 hours, covering 17 miles. I had a great time until I washed out at the very end and got a bad case of road rash. Rats! I was so scared on the mountain bike, and yet when I did get hurt, it was from road biking. Figures! Lots of people saw it happen, too. 🙃 But they were so friendly about it.

We checked into a hotel yet again. Then we went to Mother Earth Brew Co. and got some cheese bread, pizza, and beer. The main reason we chose to visit this spot is because when we were at the bike shop returning my rental, which was across the street from Mother Earth, a kind stranger brought over a cup of water and some napkins to help Jon and me manage my fresh wound. As Jon dumped the water on my leg, I noticed it felt cool and refreshing. I requested that we visit the brewery that evening so we could get our hands on that cold water. (It didn’t feel quite as cold in the mouth as it did on the leg, but it was still an upgrade!)

Monday, June 30, 2025

I was quite sleepy and skipped the hotel breakfast. My injury was also very aggravating. Eventually, I ate a banana, and we went to a coffee shop for a short amount of time. I also went to Rite Aid and grabbed some gauze and other supplies to dress my wound. Thrilling!

Back at the hotel, Jon worked out in the gym and worked for a bit downstairs, while I relaxed and listened to my audiobook. I had gotten myself in a bit of a funk. Jon later went to yoga again at the super hot studio (I didn’t wanna risk all the sweat and stuff with my fresh road rash), which gave me some more time to blog and relax.

He returned and showered, and then we went out to grab a bite at Boise Brewery. Once again, we had some super solid food. We started with the hummus, which included kalamata olives mixed in, and was topped with a garlic confit. It also came with chili crisp, which we mixed in. For our main dishes, we ordered the Patty Melt and the Bulgogi Bahn Mi, both of which we split.

Then, it was back to Mother Earth to work and vibe. They were even streaming Love Island. At 9, we went back to the hotel.

Rooftop Tent Trip #1: A Taste of Yellowstone (Day 14)

We’re approaching the end of Our First Rooftop Tent Adventure! On Day 14, we bounced between Montana and Wyoming, explored a piece of Yellowstone National Park, and ate more delicious food.

Trip Diary Begins:

Tuesday, May 30

Feeling sleepy and not prepared to start our day, we snoozed the alarm multiple times. It was a sweet morning of prolonged cuddles and coziness. Eventually, it was time to get on the road once again. I stayed awake for a bit during the drive, but since I’m lucky enough to be a passenger princess most of the time, I got to sleep even more in the car.

We stopped at a coffee shop, where I had matcha and a burrito, and Jon ordered a bagel sandwich and a coffee. We listened to more of the Therapy Gecko podcast as we made our way to the Wyoming side of Yellowstone.

Fun Fact: Yellowstone is primarily in Wyoming, but a small percentage of the park is in Montana and Idaho.

As we drove through the park, we saw a ton of bison on the side of the road, which was super cool. I love seeing wild animals (and eating them — bison are delicious. Sorry!). We even saw some cute little baby bison. 👶🦬

We then enjoyed a lovely hike on Dunraven Pass. There was still a good amount of snow this time of year, and it was a bit later in the day, so we only hiked about half of it. Regardless, it was a beautiful hike, and the weather was quite pleasant.

Unsurprisingly, we found ourselves in some crazy traffic on the way out of the park. We also saw more bison (yum).

Back in Montana, we went to a restaurant called Slippery Otter Pub. We kicked things off with jalapeño wontons with huckleberry dipping sauce (they were 🔥), followed by elk and bison burgers (like I said, bison is delish).

It was time to find a camping spot for the night. The evening was rainy—moody, cozy, and atmospheric. We watched the series finale of Succession in the tent before going to sleep. It was the perfect cozy end to our day.

Sky Pond, The Loch, and Timberline Falls via Glacier Gorge Loop @ RMNP

DISTANCE FROM DENVER: ABOUT 1.5 HOURS

SAT, August 4, 2024

I’ve been living in Denver for a little over 3 years, and this was only my second time hiking at Rocky Mountain National Park for some reason. Part of this could be because it’s a whole process to go there and reserve parking and everything. It could also be that when thinking about our weekend plans, we’re often going camping somewhere. But we made it a point to plan an RMNP day this summer and it was so worth it.

One thing that will probably only get worse at Rocky Mountain is the crowds (yet another deterrent from visiting). It’s a super popular national park, so it makes sense that it gets crazy crowded with tourists, especially at the Bear Lake lot. These huge clusters of people can take you out of the experience and make it hard to take it all in, but these are the things we have to accept. It’s annoying, but DUH, it’s a tourist attraction! And we all deserve to enjoy a place like this.

To be fair, we didn’t go as early as we could have. We usually try to start things early to beat crowds and traffic. For example, we leave for ski resorts at 5 am. And if you’ve read our previous posts, you know we start 14ers around 4 am. But sometimes we want to sleep in a little! This was one of those times. Aiming for earlier time slots or weekdays at RMNP may help you avoid crowds, but I did also see reviews on AllTrails mentioning going early didn’t help them, so who’s to say?

The route we decided on was Sky Pond, The Loch, and Timberline Falls via Glacier Gorge Loop. AllTrails lists it as a 9.9-mile loop with an elevation gain of 2,168. (Keep in mind, the AllTrails stats aren’t always 100% correct). Jon had previously hiked to Lake Haiyaha and told me how beautiful it was and that he had to take me. We found a hike that included this viewpoint plus a lot more, that way it was something new for both of us.

I loved this loop so much. It hit tons of amazing sites! It was pretty lake-heavy, hitting Lake Haiyaha, Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, and Lake of Glass. It also covered Timberline Falls, Sky Pond, Glacier Knobs, and Alberta Falls. This is the perfect hike to see various highlights at the park, especially if you’re looking for a longer hike. (It took us around 6 hours). Of course, RMNP is a huge national park, so it’s barely even a dent! But how cool is that? It’s close to home and offers so much to explore.

Lake Haiyaha was one of the first main stops on the hike and was a particularly crowded spot. The water is a beautiful crystal blue color. We hung out for a little and snapped some pics, but it was hectic and we had quite the hike ahead, so we didn’t stay for too long.

After departing from Haiyaha, the crowds thinned out significantly. We hiked a while longer in peace. We stopped at a lovely view when it was time to relax again. We sat on some rocks, took in the view, and bit into delicious juicy peaches.

We started moving again and eventually reached Timberline Falls. There was some climbing we had to do here. There were also a bit more crowds in this spot, but it didn’t feel as bad as earlier. Timberline Falls was beautiful, and to get to the final sights, we had to climb up the rocks. This was fun! The rocks were a little wet (obviously, it’s a waterfall), but I really didn’t feel that scared and confidently made my way up. There were lots of people climbing, some who probably rarely hike at all. It involved some fun challenges, but it wasn’t super crazy. I thought it would be a good prep for our next 14er on the list, Mount Sneffels, although that would be a different beast. It felt like a good way to at least get those wheels turning and my confidence up.

After looping back, the crowds started to pick up again. Once we made it back to the start, we got on the shuttle to get back to our parking. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that because the Bear Lake lot had filled up, we unfortunately had to take a shuttle from where we parked to the trailhead. Ugh, shuttles are so annoying. On the shuttle, I saw the calorie count on my watch was 1,111, which is the opposite of annoying. What a satisfying number!

After arriving back at our car and deboarding the crowded shuttle, it was time to figure out where we were eating and having some beers. We had trouble finding a brewery in Estes Park with the right vibe and food, but we landed on Avant Garde Aleworks, which had a food truck called WesTex BBQ. We had investigated one of the other spots initially, but it simply wasn’t the vibe. But Avant Garde was the place for us! We had ordered beers and then split a frosé. The drinks were great, the food was great, and our time was great.

This was a perfect Sunday. I loved the hike. We saw so many beautiful sites and got a good long workout in. The day was made even better with some beers, frosé, and BBQ before making our way back home.

I would highly recommend this RMNP loop to anyone looking to see some highlights of the national park and get some great exercise! Keep in mind it’s a fairly long hike and there is some climbing involved, but you can always skip that part!

A scenic view og rocks, pine trees, and mountains at RMNP

Chunky rocky terrain at the bottom of Timerbline Falls at RMNP

Mount Sneffels

DISTANCE FROM DENVER: AROUND 6 HOURS

moN, August 26, 2024

We’d been planning to hike Mount Sneffels for a minute, but weather and other issues (a giant blister on my heel from hiking 20 miles in the Grand Teton National Park) had us continually pushing this hike. We were holding out hope that this would finally be the right weekend and had both taken Monday off in the event that it was the best weather that day (it was). Mount Sneffels is in the Ouray area among the breathtaking San Juan Mountains. This part of the state had been getting a lot of rain lately and we did not want to get caught in anything. We’d spent the weekend bopping around Durango, Silverton, and Ouray. On Sunday night, we made our way as close as we could get to the trailhead. We passed what appeared to be a house (how wild to have a home here), as well as a road called McNutty Ln.

After getting everything ready to go to bed and hike in the morning, we crawled into the tent and went to sleep. In the middle of the night, I heard rain. I was struggling to get back to sleep and had no idea what time it was. (Jon later mentioned it had been around 1:30 am). For all I knew, it could already be close to 4 am. Would we move the hike yet again? I got a little more sleep and the alarm went off at 3:30. It was time to get going. Luckily, it was no longer raining.

We quickly got ourselves together and ate our pre-hike nanners. Yuck-ily, the bananas were not quite ripe and pretty husky. But they did the job! The hike began on a road, which we spent a lot of time on. It was weird to be hiking an incredible mountain and spend so much time on an ordinary 4WD that cars could go up. We were excited to eventually ditch this dratted road and for the vibes to become more hike-like.

At one point, we saw glowing eyes. Could it be coyotes? (Reminder to bring your bear spray)! They were very still, but they started to move eventually. We exhaled when we discovered they were just deer. Ah, a suburb animal! Deer are still wild animals, and you shouldn’t approach them since they can be unpredictable, but I feel like their main thing is getting hit by cars. Phew, this was a relief.

As we climbed, we noticed a fresh dusting of snow on the ground, and I snapped a picture. I’ve hiked in snow before—sometimes remnants of winter snow or being dusted on as we go—but it’s always a cool experience, even if it makes things more challenging.

A dusting of snow on scree at Mount Sneffels

At a certain point, Jon spotted a fox. Foxes are one of my new favorite animals. They’re just so cute and small and cool. I was awestruck by the fox and the way it so effortlessly moved around the scree and overall choppy and technical terrain. While this was a planned adventure for us, it was every day for that little guy. I wished I was a fox.

The fox and the deer weren’t the only animals we encountered. We also saw some sweet little pikas! A pika is a small furry mammal with a plump body and short limbs that often lives in high alpine environments. Pikas are so freakin adorable but they’re also so resilient. Again, it’s so impressive how these animals just exist in a habitat like this. The world blows my mind. You will often see pikas collecting grass and flowers, and spotting one is the cutest sight.

The amount of snow increased quite a bit as we continued our ascent. It was also getting very steep. Jon thought we might make it to the top before sunrise at the pace we were keeping. I wasn’t sure when we would summit, but I knew the steeper terrain was the first thing that happened before things got a little… McNuttier. Can’t get too excited! Of course, we had researched the hike beforehand, and Jon had downloaded all the details from 14ers.com. So, we knew we weren’t just facing a steep trail.

A snowy mountain in the dim light before the sun rose.

Lai hiking in the snow with a headlamp on in the dim lighting. Rugged peaks are seen in the background

After working our way through a scree-covered slope, we got to a steep and rocky gully. I started to get nervous. I was taking it slow on my hands and knees, but it was going well. I was getting myself up with no issues with my ability, but I just couldn’t shake the thought of getting back down, despite trying to keep my focus on the task at hand. It was also freezing and windy.

Jon took this video as we were making our way up the gully. If you look closely when he moves the camera down, you can spot me taking a little break.

When we finally reached the top of the gully, we arrived at what’s known as ‘the notch’. The view was absolutely insane, but I was too scared to take a picture or to fully appreciate it. I looked up at the notch and felt like I couldn’t make it. I watched Jon climb through and climb back again, testing it out. He comforted me, told me nothing bad would happen, and reassured me that if I didn’t feel comfortable summitting, that was perfectly fine. After talking for a bit, he went through again. I felt better and approached the notch to take another look at it. It didn’t seem so bad. I worked my way through, with his help, and it wasn’t so bad! But that wasn’t the end of the hike. We still had a bit of scrambling to do before reaching the summit.

We pushed on a bit longer and finally reached the summit. We were also the first ones to do so that day! The top had a smaller place to stand versus the other 14ers I’ve done where it almost feels like a big party at the top. Jon said this one actually felt like the top of a mountain peak, unlike many others that often feel more like plateaus. We were both shivering because it was so cold and our hands were wet from all the snow. (We had brought gloves, but not quite the right type). I looked around and saw the box I’d known was up there from Instagram. With shaking hands, I opened it. It had a sign with “Mt. Sneffels 14,155 ft” on it, as well as a logbook. I quickly signed, “Jon + Lai So Cold So Scary”.

Jon at the summit of Mount Sneffels holding the sign

Lai at the top of Mount Sneffels with a cardboard sign with details of the peak. Greenery and a lake are in the bacground.

We weren’t there long before heading down. I got through the notch pretty smoothly, with Jon’s help again, and we started going down the gully. Once I started descending, I realized it wasn’t actually that hard, just tedious. I pretty much sat down and used my arms to help me. I took it slow and cautiously, and I was A-Okay, (just a little over it). Then, we made it to the scree field, which was also totally fine but required caution. I didn’t feel like I was in danger, but I was tired of all the scree. We found ourselves wishing for that now not-so-dratted-sounding road.

We love a scree field! *sarcasm*

We finally made it past the scree field and back toward the road. We saw gorgeous views that we hadn’t gotten to see on the way up. It’s always fun to come back down a 14er and see what scenery you missed in the headlamp light. It’s also more relaxing knowing you’ve made it past the hard part, allowing you to savor the sense of accomplishment and take in your surroundings with greater ease.

Jon standing and looking at the peaks and valley during the descent from Mount Sneffels

A waterfall trickling down green mountains with a gray mountain and a blue sky

As always, remember to do your research. It’s important to know what you’re getting into before doing something like this. While the route we took was considered an “easy class 3”, and some people even do it as their first 14er, it’s not for everyone. It was something within my ability (with the help of my partner), but we are all different. On the flip side, it may not be that intimidating for you, especially if you’re used to harder climbs. We also wore helmets to protect ourselves from loose rockfall, which is typically recommended for more challenging hikes. Neither of us was attacked by rocks and we saw many hikers without helmets, but I’m glad we had them.

If you find yourself in a situation where you’re uncomfortable completing a hike or other challenging adventure, try not to feel bad about it. If you have to stop, you have to stop. I almost did on this hike. It would have been disappointing and difficult to accept, but if it felt like the right decision for me, then that’s just how it is. I recently saw a girl online (I wish I remembered the account) who talked about multiple times she’s had to turn back, and it was really comforting to see. It can be hard to treat ourselves kindly if we don’t accomplish something we set out to do, but we should all practice self-love and compassion. Sometimes, this may mean bailing on something.

Takeaways:

Not everything is actually as scary as it looks.
If you do have to bail, try not to feel bad about it.
This hike had me in absolute awe of nature (especially foxes and pikas).

To view more images from our Sneffels journey, check out the gallery below.

The log box sitting at the snow-capped peak of Mount Sneffels

Jon toward the top of Mount Sneffels among rugged snow capped peaks, with green mountains and a lake in the background

Huron Peak

Distance from Denver: About 3 hours

Sat, July 20, 2024

At 3:30, as we were cozied up near the trailhead in the rooftop tent, the alarm went off. The hardest part of a 14er is the early wake-up time. And unlike a long drive, I can’t just go back to sleep in the car (passenger princess life). We had decided to sleep in our hiking clothes, which helped reduce the amount of steps pre-hike. (Changing would’ve been so annoying at that hour). We got up, got everything we needed, ate bananas, and started to hike Huron Peak just before 4 am. A 14er hike is unique because if you do it the way we do (the right way), you’ll start in the dark (headlamp required) and watch the sunrise as you rise up the mountain yourself (unless you make it to the top even before the sunrise).

Watching the sunrise while hiking a 14er is a beautiful experience.

It took us about 2 hours to reach the summit, which is around 14,006-14,012 ft. (Different sources say different things). The mountain recently became the smallest 14er in the state, now smaller than Sunshine Peak, which was previously considered the shortest one. But, apparently, despite what I’d heard, these mountains are not shrinking as the elderly do. The updated rankings are thanks to a new and improved measuring system. Luckily, no 14ers lost their status because of this.

Upon reaching the peak, we saw two other groups there, one solo guy, and a group of two dudes. The group of two had started about an hour before we did. So, while we weren’t the first people to summit that day, it was pretty quiet until the way back down (when the real swarms started coming). As much as people think it’s crazy to start a hike before 5 am, I think it’s crazier to start a 14er any later than that, but to each their own I suppose. And I say this as someone who has never been much of a morning person. Living in Colorado will change your habits!

After hanging out at the summit for about ten minutes, taking it all in, snapping our pics, eating RX bars, and chatting briefly with our fellow hikers, we began our descent. Depending on who you are, this part could be easier or harder than the climb. I get a little nervous going down over the loose rocks, so I was definitely slow-moving for that part of it, which is mostly just toward the summit. I slipped and lost my balance a couple of times, but nothing detrimental.

More and more people were hitting the trail as we went down. We even saw some trail runners. There’s always someone doing the most out here! We took a brief excursion to check out a waterfall before heading back to the main trail and continuing our way to the car. We jogged the last little bit, which is something we’ve been doing lately.

At the car, we changed out of our hiking boots and began situating all of our stuff to clear out. When I went up to unzip the tent, a swarm of moths flew out from underneath the zipper flap. EW! I went in, got all the bedding, and passed it down to Jon. We have a system! As he was compressing the tent afterward, even more moths revealed themselves. It was like when a magician pulls endless streamers from a hat.

A picture I snapped on the way down.

Next, it was time to head to brunch. We thought we were headed to a place called The Buena Vista, assuming it was in the nearby town of Buena Vista. Unfortunately, as Jon pulled up the maps and could not find the place, he eventually realized it was in San Francisco. So, our plan hit some bumps. We did some more searching and called another place to confirm their breakfast hours. I was trying to pull up Timberline Craft Kitchen in Silverthorne, but had actually brought up a place in Utah called Timberline Restaurant, AIAIAI! (Their brunch did look good). While the correct Timberline also had an enticing brunch menu, and I’d like to go at some point, we ultimately decided it wasn’t quite what we wanted and cost slightly more than we wanted to spend.

We ended up going with Bread + Salt in Frisco. (They also have a Lakewood location). We started off with a bottle of prosecco with orange juice and grapefruit juice on the side to make mimosas. We also ordered the Challah French toast to split for a little sweet bite before our main meals. Jon went for the Two Eggs Meal (but he made it 3 eggs), which came with eggs your way (over medium for him), hashbrowns, bread, and added sausage. I ordered the Chipotle Pork Benedict, which had two poached eggs on an English muffin, roasted pork, and house-made chipotle hollandaise. It was a delicious version of a benedict, and it almost reminded me of a pot roast. The brunch was very satisfying, as it always is after a 14ers. And with that, we made our way back to Denver (where we ended up meeting up with some of our friends on a bar crawl).

Huron Peak is considered one of the “easier” 14ers, as far as 14ers go. As a class 2, there’s a bit of scree (A collection of loose stones or fragments of rock), and route finding is required. Shout out to Jon with the fancy Garmin and map reading skills! There were some sections where I was a bit more cautious, but overall, it wasn’t too crazy. Aside from not being crazy technical, I would also say it wasn’t crazy strenuous. This could also be because I’m in better shape than I was for the previous 14ers. Not that I was in bad shape, but I’ve been amping up my cardio and generally improving my fitness lately. There were some parts where I was working my legs harder and breathing a bit heavier, but it wasn’t as hard work as I remember from the past 14ers I’ve done (Decalibron Loop, Mount Elbert, and Handies Peak). I was prepared to hate my life for a good chunk of it, but I actually felt super strong and comfortable. A win!

I would definitely recommend Huron Peak, especially if you haven’t done any 14ers. I think it would be a great first one, but it’s also fun for those who’ve already bagged some peaks. It was very pretty and not overly challenging.

Keep in mind, the difficulty will naturally vary from person to person. It may be a struggle for some and a breeze for others. Either way, conquering a 14er is an awesome accomplishment. Of course, it’s important for anyone doing these hikes to do their research and prepare appropriately.

Takeaways

Triple-check that your brunch spot is in the state and ensure you have backup options.
Huron Peak is a great 14er, whether it’s your first one, or you’ve done many!

To view more images from our Huron adventure, check out the gallery below.

Mountains before sunrise at the beginning of our hike