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TrailGroove Blog

A Blog by the TrailGroove Team

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  • Aaron Zagrodnick 238
  • Mark Wetherington 76
  • PaulMags 27
  • Susan Dragoo 25
  • Steve Ancik 16
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  • Wired 4
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  • eliburakian 3
  • Kevin DeVries 3
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  • sarahtied 2
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  • Claire Murdough 1
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  • Tucker Ballister 1
  • Curry Caputo 1
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Entries in this blog

Trips

Backpacking in Bears Ears: Canyon Contemplation

In 1943 and after years of fruitless political wrangling, President Franklin D. Roosevelt finally used his unilateral authority under the Antiquities Act to establish Jackson Hole National Monument. The state challenged the monument declaration in court. Ranchers drove cattle across the Monument in direct defiance of Federal authority. On one side, there were accusations about rich outsiders interfering in local matters. On the other side, conservationists launched a campaign to convince the pub
Kevin DeVries

Kevin DeVries in Trips

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Trips

A Bailey Range Traverse: Hiking in Olympic National Park

We were five days into a trek across Olympic National Park – at low elevation in mid-summer. Even though I was tired and about as cold as I think I've ever been, I was relishing the experience. I knew it was always the hard days that we remember most, and most of the days on this trip were hard. Really hard. And after this experience down at Cream Lake I knew I’d be able to tell a good story. We also remember the beautiful days. Our ten-day journey – our own take on a traverse of the Bailey
eliburakian

eliburakian in Trips

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Trips

Dayhikes in Harriman and Bear Mountain State Park

Living in New Jersey, I’ve hiked all over my state: from the northwest region of the Water Gap, to the New Jersey Highlands (and their frequent view of New York City), to the majesty of the Pine Barrens in the south. I have made infrequent forays into the bordering states of Pennsylvania and New York, hiking a trail or two in both Harriman and Bear Mountain State parks. This past Fall, looking for something a little higher, different scenery, and a little bigger, I decided to explore both Harrim
Greg Jansky

Greg Jansky in Trips

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Trips

Biking Going to the Sun in Glacier National Park

The early-season opportunity to bike portions of Going to the Sun in Glacier National Park without any automobile traffic seems too good to be true. Miles of paved road passing alongside streams rushing with snowmelt, climbing into the high country, weaving through lush forests – all behind a gate and open only to bicycles and foot traffic. I’ve done enough recreational road biking and bike commuting to develop a sincere appreciation of a smooth surface, hard tires, and minimal traffic through b
Mark Wetherington

Mark Wetherington 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

Hiking in Winter: A Yearly Gift & Reflection on a Season

Unique among the seasons, winter wields the power to make many hiking destinations inaccessible. Roads are gated due to snow, mountain passes become snowbound and hazardous, and specific four-season gear is required in many regions for those venturing out in the winter months. Human-powered recreation is mostly left to snowshoers, skiers, snowboarders, and winter is also a good time to focus on cleaning gear, summer trip planning, fitness routines, racking up vacation time, and other hobbies. Ge
Mark Wetherington

Mark Wetherington 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 & Exploring The Great Plains: Overlooked Wildness

The Great American Desert. The flyover territory. Flat. Boring. Uninspiring. All names or descriptions given to an area of North America that is five-hundred miles wide and two-thousand miles long. This area is The Great Plains. The Great Plains are arguably the most American of all landscapes. What people over the world often conjure up when the American West is thought about. The wide open spaces, the vast landscape and the sky above. Seemingly limitless. Extending forever. The Grea
PaulMags

PaulMags in Trips

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Trips

The Lost Girls Ride Again: Hiking the Ouachita Trail

The rock looms large in my headlamp as I stand, trying to gather both my wits and my hiking poles. The sun is long gone, and we are hiking in the dark along the ridge of Fourche Mountain, searching for a flat place to pitch six tents. The guidebook says there is good camping somewhere up ahead, but we’re desperate to stop and in this blackness can see very little beyond the trail’s edge. We are section-hiking the Ouachita Trail, a 223-mile national recreation trail running west to eas
Susan Dragoo

Susan Dragoo 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

Backpacking in the Porcupine Mountains: A Quick Guide

If you're in the Midwest, the Porcupine Mountains might be your #1 go to backpacking destination. Scenic views abound and old growth forests dominate the interior. Head to the north side of the park and you'll find yourself greeted with the pristine and beautiful waters of the world’s largest freshwater lake. For an excellent day hike, park at the Lake of the Clouds overlook and explore the Escarpment Trail (amazing views). If a great view of the lake and a shoreline jaunt better suit
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick 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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Trips

A Manistee River Trail Hike: Manistee National Forest

After a weekend hike on the Manistee River Trail loop, we were left with an interesting impression. While not a true wilderness experience, the trail has a unique feel that only the Michigan backwoods seem to offer. Quiet and remote, hiking the trail feels a bit like travelling back in time. The map shows that several roads will be crossed, but none are paved or graveled. Most are nothing more than wide, almost forgotten paths through the forest that see little use. It feels as though you’re wal
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Trips

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Trips

Section Hiking and Backpacking Along the Ouachita Trail

I hear the wind approaching as it moves up the ridge. No other sound breaks the night's long silence, not even the rustle of a possum in the undergrowth. It is early autumn in a year of drought; perhaps the lack of water at this elevation keeps the critters away, which suits me fine. We took care to hang the bear bag high off the ground, regardless. Why tempt fate? I drift off, awakening later to an unmistakable sound a few feet away. Zzip! Opens the tent. Zzip! Closes the tent. It is Mary,
Susan Dragoo

Susan Dragoo in Trips

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Trips

Backpacking Craters of the Moon: A Quick Report & Guide

Though it had been spring for 2 months, with 4 feet of snow still blanketing the high trails close to home I looked for a break. Utah often occupies my hiking plans in spring, but while the canyons have their undeniable appeal, I was looking to set my own course somewhere with a view. The map revealed a destination I hadn’t previously considered farther north. Backpacking Craters of the Moon National Monument made for quite the unique experience. Craters of the Moon National Monu
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Trips

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Trips

The Pacific Crest Trail: A Thru-hiking Journey

“Give me a hug man!” I said to my friend Tommy, “Walkie Talkie,” as we reached Monument 78, the northern terminus and finish line for a northbound Pacific Crest Trail thru-hiker. Walkie was only about 20 yards in front of us. My friend Kayla, “8 Track,” was directly in front of me. We checked the maps at the last water source and knew we only had five miles to go. It started pouring with rain, slowing our progress. The three of us were dead quiet. You could hear every drop of rain. An hour and a
jansenjournals

jansenjournals in Trips

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Trips

Luna Peak: Hiking the Heart of the Wild North Cascades

The Cascades have a reputation for long and brushy approaches, and the Pickets, a subrange in far northern Washington, have a particularly bad reputation in both respects. Even after escaping the dense vegetation, reaching many of the summits would feature more technical climbing than hiking. Together, these two factors have deterred most hikers from even contemplating a trip to this rugged and scenic area. The Pickets' reputation is not entirely deserved: Whatcom Peak at the far nort
seano

seano in Trips

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Trips

Hiking, Backpacking, & Exploring Enchanted New Mexico

In the “must see” places of the outdoors, certain areas seem to garner the most publicity. All names that are found in glossy photos for post cards, magazines or coffee table books. Destinations any backpacker would love to, and should, see at some point. Places to be added to their memories and experiences of where they have spent time in the outdoors. But among these places cataloged, discussed and portrayed in glossy photos is a place of deep canyons, ancient Puebloan sites, high a
PaulMags

PaulMags in Trips

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Trips

Backpacking the Elusive Eagle Rock Loop of Arkansas

I wince with every step as I cross the river. Bare feet had seemed like a good idea. But now, after too many crossings to count, my soles feel the pain. I grip my trekking poles for stability against the current and tread cautiously on the slick stones, picking my way to the other side. The river glitters in the late afternoon sun. Jessica and Shay are already on the opposite bank, searching for yellow blazes. Before attempting this crossing, we had bushwhacked away from the last vestiges o
Susan Dragoo

Susan Dragoo in Trips

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Trips

Hiking Maine's 100-Mile Wilderness | Appalachian Trail

I’m no stranger to a new challenge. Two years ago, after two decades as a carpenter and building contractor, I took a chance and changed my life. Though sawdust runs in my veins and I’ve always imagined myself as a builder to the end, the only other profession I thought I might like is teaching. In October 2019 that notion became reality when I became an instructor in the Building Construction Technology Program at a local Community College. That’s when the challenge began. The idea of teac
Curry Caputo

Curry Caputo 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 in Kluane National Park: A Remote Yukon Hike

Canada. The Yukon: it’s almost synonymous with adventure. And exploring the glaciated terrain of Kluane National Park on foot is an exercise in adventure any way you go about it. Just a few miles into our trip, the trail we’d been following quickly dispersed into a vast valley that I am certain some countries could fit into. The trail of your choosing was the only real path through the snaking mud pits of the low and glaciated brown river. The river which, I assumed in spring, covered our walkwa
jansenjournals

jansenjournals in Trips

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Trips

Backpacking Across Zion National Park: A Desert Traverse

I smiled as the white sprinter van disappeared down the road, leaving me with only one way home, the trail in front of me. Months of planning and waiting had finally come to an end as I started down the dirt path with my friend Jon. Jon had flown out to Colorado 18 hours earlier, and had driven through the night with me to southwest Utah. This trip had been 3 years in the making; ever since I had seen the Kolob Canyons of West Zion in May, 2009 and decided I must come back. Ahead of m
tmountainnut

tmountainnut in Trips

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Trips

The Torres del Paine O Circuit: An 8 Day Hike in Chile

If you’re an avid backpacker, and you have ever thought about doing a trip in South America, you’ve doubtlessly heard of Torres del Paine National Park in Chile. And even if you haven’t, you would recognize some of the sights from magazines, books, and television. Within the park, there are many backpacking options but most travelers do either the “W” circuit which visits a number of the main sights on the southern portion of the main geologic feature of the park, the Cordillera Paine, while the
eliburakian

eliburakian in Trips

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Trips

Hiking Algonquin Peak in the Adirondacks of New York

Algonquin Peak, the second highest peak in New York, lies within the confines of the Adirondacks. She’s the crown jewel of the MacIntyre Range standing at 5,114 feet, dwarfing all but one peak around her. My husband Nick and I had the privilege of hiking Mount Marcy (the highest peak in NY) and Algonquin a few years ago. Mount Marcy left me with tendinitis in my knees while Algonquin was more forgiving. We have be pining to get back ever since. On a recent weekend, Nick and I found ourselves wit
sarahtied

sarahtied in Trips

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