Author: Gretchen

Roadtrip: Zion National Park to the Grand Canyon

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I knew it was going to be an adventure the moment we left the all-night party. Our three backpacks were stuffed into the back of my Ford Escape, with blankets and pillows and other cozy necessities crammed into every possible space.

It seemed crazy to set off on a trip like this with practically zero sleep, and perhaps it was. But the southwest was singing and we heard its’ siren call.

Driving into the rising sun, the desert was beautiful in a palette nothing like the coastal hues we had left behind in California. Sienna, sage, ochre and rust dotted the sandscape in pastel swathes and splotches of color…

Playlist: Camp / Vibes

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Starry nights spent gathered around a campfire with friends deserve only the best vibes. Enjoy this collection of feel-good instrumental and folksy tunes inspired by life lived to the fullest in the great outdoors…

North

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The compass points north.

Lured by memories of craggy coastline, the contrast of waves heaving out of a dark sea, a serpentine road scraping the cliffs, I set out in search of the smoky thrill of solo wandering and the intoxicating scent of the wild unknown.

I set out for adventure.

Wild women: Finding sisterhood and adventure on an all-female backpacking trip

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It was 3 AM at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, and I was crawling over a rickety footbridge on my hands and knees, wearing a 30 pound backpack. The river below looked dark and uninviting, and Kate was barely visible ahead in the darkness, her headlamp a dim beacon. I could feel the thin boards flexing as I made my slow progress towards the safety of the riverbank on the other side…