Adventures & Hiking
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Be Bear Aware: My No-BS Guide to Bear Safety on the Trail
If you actually see a bear on a hike, consider yourself lucky. Here’s my honest, fact-checked guide to hiking in bear country: black bear versus grizzly, whether bear bells actually work, what I carry (and don’t), and what to actually do if a bear charges or makes contact.
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The Best Minnesota State Parks for Fall Colors (And When to Catch Peak at Each One)
Minnesota state parks fall colors don’t all peak on the same weekend — I broke down realistic timing for nine parks, from the North Shore to southern bluff country, so you can actually plan the hike instead of guessing.
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Wild River State Park Hiking Trails Are Minnesota’s Best-Kept Quiet Secret
Wild River State Park was the trees-instead-of-stages cure for a festival hangover — 18 miles of St. Croix shoreline, woods so thick I kept bracing for bugs that never showed, and a drinking fountain with main-character energy. A ranger named Sean answered every backpacking question we threw at him. Here’s my honest, boots-on-the-ground report on…
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Tettegouche State Park Hiking Trails Are the North Shore’s Best-Kept Not-So-Secret
Waterfalls, cliffs, and Lake Superior views without a brutal hike in. My honest, trail-by-trail guide to Tettegouche State Park’s best day hikes on the North Shore.
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The 6 Minnesota State Parks With the Best Hiking Trails (And Why I Keep Going Back)
Six Minnesota state parks, six trails worth lacing up your boots for. From waterfalls to bluff country views, these are the hikes I keep coming back to — and the ones I send every out-of-state friend who doubts Minnesota has real scenery.
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Hiking Hyalite Canyon: Grotto Falls, Palisade Falls, and the Whale Who Watches Over Bridger Bowl
Three trails, two waterfalls, one rare rubber boa, and a whale you absolutely cannot look at on the way to Bridger Bowl. Here’s everything you need to know about hiking Hyalite Canyon and the Middle Cottonwood Trail near Bozeman, Montana.
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All Women, All Paddles, No Lily-Dipping – My Montana Whitewater Rafting Review
It started with a college orientation. Four years ago, I brought my daughter Erica to Bozeman for her first look at Montana State University. Naturally, we celebrated by throwing ourselves into the Gallatin River with Montana Whitewater. Fast forward four years. Erica is now a full-blown Montanan with deep roots in the Bozeman community. She…
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When the Trail Tackles You
I’ve been tackled by the trail more times than I’d like to admit. Ankle pops, mud baths, and one legendary hair-do trail angel later, here’s what backpacking the SHT actually taught me.
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Afton State Park: Hidden Gem Near the Twin Cities
Afton State Park is the little gem along the St. Croix River that quietly changed my life — and Mother’s Day weekend marked my first trip back in nearly a decade. Here’s what I learned about hike-in-only camping, the campsite worth requesting, and why the “stairs from hell” are worth every step.