Harding Ice Field Trail Seward Alaska
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Hiking to the end of the trail at the Harding Icefield in Seward, Alaska

Perhaps one of the most spectacular day hikes of all time is the hike up Exit Glacier to the Harding Ice Field located in Seward, Alaska on the breathtaking Kenai Peninsula. Stretching as far as the eye can see for over 700 square miles, the Harding Icefield is one of the four major ice caps in the United States and is the crown jewel of the Kenai Fjords National Park.

To be able to hike to its edge and see the massive sheet of sparkling ice dating back to the last major Ice Age emotionally and physically takes your breath away, and is an unforgettable experience. It is listed as a demanding, strenuous hike but in my opinion, is worth the sore knees and racing heartbeat to receive such an incredible gift at the end.

The 8.2-mile round trip Harding Icefield Trail is a spectacular day hike leaving from the Exit Glacier Area. Starting on the valley floor, the trail winds through cottonwood and alder forests, passes though heather-filled meadows and ultimately climbs well above tree line to a breath-taking view of the Icefield. The top of the trail is a window to past ice ages – a horizon of ice and snow that stretches as far as the eye can see, broken only by an occasional nunatak, or lonely peak.

-US National Parks

Harding Ice Field Trail Seward Alaska

My 16-year-old daughter looking out at the icefield in awe and wonder.

 

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Best Day Hikes in Kachemak Bay State Park: Grewingk Glacier

Hiking Glacier Lake Trail in the stunning Kachemak Bay State Park in Homer, Alaska is not for the faint at heart. While the hike itself is easy and the views are serendipitously surreal, remember that you are in the wild. Be prepared for seeing a lot of fresh bear poops. (We counted 12 !). The remoteness of the park. and getting there is half of the adventure, making this day hike one of the best in the area.

 

We rose a little past seven at our glorious Airbnb rental in Homer, Alaska with a disappointing layer of fog blanketing Kachemak Bay. Just the night before, we had clear skies and watched the late evening sun cast a magical spell of pinks, purples, and blues on the snowcapped peaks across the bay. We desperately hoped that the clouds would lift as the day went by yet knew that weather in this part of the world was always a gamble.

We gathered our rain gear and backpacks for the day and made sure to toss in a can of bear spray borrowed from our gracious Airbnb host who never leaves home without it. We had been in Alaska for three days and had yet to see a bear, however, had heard many stories already about recent bear sightings and encounters along the trails. The last thing I wanted to do was run into a mother bear with cubs and be empty-handed.

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Flattop Mountain, Anchorage, Alaska
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Flattop Mountain: Anchorage Alaska’s ultimate day hike

Located only 15 miles outside of Anchorage in the Chugach State Park lies Alaska’s most quintessential day hike, the three-mile roundtrip hike from Glen Lake Trailhead to Flattop Mountain. Known as the most climbed mountain in Alaska, Flattop Mountain offers a little something special for all: A close connection with nature, an unexpected wildlife sighting, fantastic views, and a great workout from this relatively steep and somewhat challenging hike. 

Welcome to Alaska!

This past August, we took a ten-day family trip to one of the United States’ most northwestern states, Alaska. Despite my love of mountainous terrain, I had never been to Alaska and was extremely excited to visit the wild, rugged, raw wilderness of this remote state. It did not disappoint. Alaska lives up to its reputation of harboring some of the US’ most pristine, untouched nature, and plenty of opportunities to explore it.

Flying to Anchorage from Minneapolis brought us over the vast plains of the northern United States, into Canada across the Canadian Rockies, Alberta, British Columbia, and finally into the upper reaches of Alaska, tucked away in the northwestern corner of North America. The thrilling views over the last hour of our five-hour flight inspired me to plan out our first hike of the trip. A short two-hour roundtrip hike to the top of Anchorage’s famed Flattop Mountain.

Anchorage: An urban city with one foot out the door into the wild

The best thing about Anchorage is how easy it is to quickly get out of the city and into the wilderness. With the breathtaking Chugach State Park less than a half hour away, there are countless opportunities to get outside in nature and see wildlife.

One of the most popular day hikes in Alaska to the summit of Flattop Mountain is only a 15-minute drive away. With its stunning 360 views of the Cook Inlet and Anchorage Bowl, this steep and challenging hike is a must-do for any visitors to Anchorage.

Flattop Mountain Anchorage, Alaska

The end of the hike to the summit is rather hairy with lots of loose rock but the views are worth the effort

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The most magnificent hike in Bhutan: The Tiger’s Nest

It was over a decade ago that I first saw the famous image of the striking Tiger’s Nest Monastery in Bhutan that captured my attention. I was paging through a National Geographic Traveler magazine and there it was, the iconic Taktshang Goemba, more commonly known as the ‘Tiger’s Nest Monastery’ astoundingly perched on a sheer cliff face 900 meters (2,950 feet) above the Paro Valley. The image took my breath away and I knew someday I’d have to hike up to see it for myself. Fast forward to December 2022 and there I was in Bhutan, at the foot of Tiger’s Nest finally able to realize my dream.

Per my guide Singay, Tiger’s Nest is astonishing. When I asked why, he replied, “Sometimes words are better left unsaid. You have to see it for yourself.” 

The Tiger’s Nest is undoubtedly Bhutan’s most famous sacred site and a must-see for anyone visiting Bhutan. Given its location (it is only 15 km northwest of Paro, home of Bhutan’s only international airport) the hike is generally done on the day before leaving the country. The monastery is only accessible on foot via a relatively strenuous one-and-a-half to two-hour hike up the mountainside, so it also was good to do after overcoming jet lag and doing some hiking to get my legs in shape.

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Breathtaking Bumthang: Bhutan’s Cultural Heartland

On my fifth day in Bhutan hiking the Trans Bhutan Trail, I woke up in Bumthang, the spiritual and cultural heartland of Central Bhutan. Given its beautiful landscape, rich local culture, and sacred historic pilgrimage sites, Bumthang is one of the most coveted tourist destinations in Bhutan. Home to some of the oldest Buddhist temples and monasteries, and awash with breathtaking fertile valleys of buckwheat and potato fields, Bumthang is astoundingly serene. Even more so on the cusp of winter.

That morning, I rose early to a glowing sunrise and was delighted to see the entire valley covered in frost. I stepped out on my balcony and marveled at how the harvested fields were sparkling, and the low-hanging clouds were blanketing the valley.  This is the coldest part of Bhutan and in another few months, it would be difficult to reach given the icy roads.

Morning mist over the valley of Bumthang, Bhutan

Morning mist over the valley of Bumthang, Bhutan

I was fortunate because this was the first and only time during my nine-day trip that I was spending the night in the same hotel. It would be the furthest east I would travel in Bhutan before heading back to Paro on the long, mountainous roads. Thankfully we were taking two days to travel back east due to the difficult nature of the roads. I don’t think my stomach could handle the long drive all in one day.

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Trongsa Dzong
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Day Four Hiking the Trans Bhutan Trail: Trongsa

After a magical day hiking the Trans Bhutan Trail from Pelela Pass to the village of Rukubji where we stopped to enjoy a traditional Bhutanese meal at a local farmhouse- it was time to move further east to  Trongsa. It was day four of my hike along the Trans Bhutan Trail (TBT) and it was hard to believe how much we had already covered.

Map of six day hike on Trans Bhutan Trail

Map of my route on the Trans Bhutan Trail. Map credit: Trans Bhutan Trail

Since we left Paro, we had driven 226 kilometers along snaking mountainous roads with three hikes along the way, stopping for the night in Thimphu and Lobesa. We were literally only scratching the surface of this mighty ancient 403km trail that passes through 27 gewogs (villages) and nine dzongkhags (districts) of Bhutan. To hike the entire TBT, it would take 28 days and a lot of camping. The further east we traveled, the further back in time it felt and the more isolated it became. I only saw a couple of tourists at my hotel but no one on the trail.

Trongsa is a small village strategically positioned between the beautiful fertile valley of Punakha and the cultural heartland region of Bumthang in Central Bhutan. Separated both east and west by high, deeply-forested mountains, Trongsa is most known for its breathtaking dzong (fortress) which is perched high above a gorge with a drop so sheer to the south, it almost looks like it is floating in the clouds on a misty day.

Trongsa Dzong, Bhutan

Sunset view of the Trongsa Dzong from my hotel room at the Vangkhill Resort

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Rububji, Bhutan
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A Stop in Rukubji: A Traditional Farmhouse meal along the Trans Bhutan Trail

Our hike along the Trans Bhutan Trail (TBT) from Pele La continued down through a vast open meadow, passing by a campsite of semi-nomadic yak herders and a few local farmers along the way. My guide Singay and I were headed to the village of Rukubji where we would stop and enjoy a traditional Bhutanese meal at a local farmhouse. As one of the first authorized trail guides of the TBT, Singay has been setting up a network of passport ambassadors along the way who offer food and lodging to intrepid travelers.

I was looking forward to having a traditional meal and learning more about the Bhutanese way of life for many of its people. Per the World Bank, roughly 60% of Bhutanese live in rural areas today as opposed to almost 96% in 1960, before the first highway was built. The past 60 years have seen more change and modernization in Bhutan than ever before.

As we entered the village, Singay told me that Rukubji is known for its special Lhakhang (temple), Kuenzang Choling. It is believed that the temple was built over 300 years ago by a Lama named Tshendhen Duelwa. Unlike most temples, it is not built on a ridge with a view out over a valley, but rather on an extended plateau and close to two rivers. Local legend says the temple was built on top of the head of a snake demoness which was subdued by Duelwa.

Rukubji is also famous for its unique local dialect. While Dzongkha (which translates into the “language of the fortress”) is the official and national language of Bhutan, there are over nineteen spoken dialects throughout the country. Given its mountainous topography, many communities have been isolated for centuries and developed their own unique dialects that can still be heard today.

Rukubiji, Bhutan

Entering Rukubji, we pass by the community farm set against the backdrop of the deep, dark forest. 

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Hiking through the meadows below Pelela Pass, Bhutan
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Hiking the Trans Bhutan Trail: Down from Pelela Pass

I woke up early to the glorious sunshine splashing through my hotel window in Bhutan’s Punakha Valley. It was my third day in Bhutan and my second day of hiking along the Trans Bhutan Trail and I could hardly wait. After yesterday’s hike, I had already fallen in love with the beauty, culture, and mystique of this extraordinary place. Today’s hike would bring us on yet another marvelous adventure. We would begin at the top of Pelela Pass down through a semi-nomadic yak herding community, and on to a traditional farmhouse in the village of Rukubji. It was going to be a day to remember.

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Following the footsteps of the Divine Madman along the Trans Bhutan Trail

It was my first official day of hiking along the 500-year-old  Trans Bhutan Trail (TBT). We had set off early in the morning from Dochula Pass, at 3100 m (10,171 feet) walking through thick Rhododendron forests and whistling to scare off Himalayan bears and tigers. While thankfully we didn’t run into a bear or worse, a tiger, we did see a pack of gray-faced Langurs, a species of monkeys that live in the forests of Bhutan. Today’s hike would bring us along a special part of the TBT that is known as the “Divine Madman’s Trail” and of course like all things in Bhutan, there was a famous legend behind it.  “Bhutan is a land of stories,” Singay told me while we descended through the forest to a beautiful verdant valley. “What I love most about the Trans Bhutan Trail is that is a walking museum of history, legend, and culture. And this hike is no exception. Now we are following in the footsteps of the Divine Madman, Tibetan lama Drukpa Kuenley, who arrived in this part of Bhutan in the 16th century to fulfill his legacy of suppressing evil energies through his dharma teachings”. 

Setting off down the Divine Madman's Trail through beautiful Punakha Valley

Setting off down the Divine Madman’s Trail through beautiful Punakha Valley

 Traditional farmers working the land as they have for centuries

As I looked down the lush valley at the legendary arrow house in Thinleygang, Bhutan, I thought about the tiny trinket that has laid next to me on my bedside table gathering dust for over a decade. Follow your arrow it says, reminding me of a long-held promise to be hiking in Bhutan before my next milestone birthday. I couldn’t believe that just like the Divine Madman who had shot an arrow traveling through the high plateaus of Tibet to Bhutan, I’d ended up halfway around the world as the last guest of the season on the Trans Bhutan Trail, just before my 51st birthday.

“I have driven near this valley many times as a child alongside my father to return to his maternal village each year,” said 28-year-old Singay Dradul, my guide.  “I had heard the legend of the Divine Madman and the infamous Chandana Lhakhang which means house where the arrow landed. But in all those years I had never actually visited the Arrow House until I became a trail guide.”

“And here we are” he smiled as we looked down the valley at a 16th-century traditional farmhouse. “Are you ready to meet the owner and her brother and learn the history of the arrow house?”

The legendary "Arrow House" (Chandana Lhakhang) Bhutan

First glance of the legendary “Arrow House” (Chandana Lhakhang) on the right

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Dochula Pass Chortens Bhutan
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Dochula Pass: If there is a will, there is a way

I arose early on my first full day in Bhutan to the sounds of stray dogs barking outside my window and the morning light shining on the mountains above the Trashi Chho Dzong  (fortress). Today was the first day of hiking on the 500-year-old newly reopened Trans Bhutan Trail and I could hardly wait. 

Room with a view. The view outside the balcony at my hotel in Thimphu. 

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The last hiker of the year on the Trans Bhutan Trail: Part 1 Arrival

As we made our descent into the emerald-green Paro Valley I couldn’t stop myself from thinking I was in a scene from the Avatar. It almost didn’t look real. Just twenty minutes before, we had passed Mount Everest on the lefthand side window of the plane and I was instantly spellbound. After over ten years of dreaming, I was finally almost there.

The landing at Paro airport, the only international airport in Bhutan, is one of the most difficult and dangerous in the world. In fact, only 15 pilots are authorized to land there because it requires a manual, visual landing. Trying to navigate a jet airplane through a country that is known as the most mountainous country in the world requires guts.  Especially since Bhutan’s average elevation is 10,760 feet and mountains cover 98.8% of its total area. The only other place I had felt so fearful of landing was over the Himalayas of Nepal. And Nepal is what brought me to Bhutan.

As we descended, I couldn’t help but feel a little giddy by the magical surroundings outside the window. The valley was lush, verdant, and blanketed in trees. Lovely calming music that felt like being more at a spa than on an airplane was gently playing through the Druk Air’s loudspeakers. If this was the world’s last Shangri-La,  I was certainly very excited to see it.

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Crater Lake National Park Garfield Peak
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Best Day Hikes in Crater Lake National Park

Want to explore Crater Lake on foot and discover the top two hikes that cannot be missed? Look no further, I’ve got it covered. Check out my recommendations on the best day hikes in Crater Lake National Park and a few other stops along the way. You won’t be disappointed!.

We rose to a dusting of snow sprinkled around our tiny wood cabin at the Union Creek Resort. I opened the curtains to discover a glorious fall morning before us. After a quick breakfast, we packed up the car and headed east for our forty-minute drive to Crater National Park. There are not many places to stay inside or near the park especially during the off-season when the campgrounds and some seasonal lodging are closed. It was mid-October, a perfect time of the year to spend a fantastic day hiking the trails at Crater Lake National Park.

As we drove east along Highway 62, the forest trees glistened with morning light, and the drying pavement created a magical mist floating up into the air. Beams of sunshine trickled through the thick old-growth forest, increasing my anticipation of arriving at the park. Crater Lake National Park had been on my bucket list for years and I finally would get to explore it my favorite way, on foot.

Crater Lake National Park from Watchman Tower

First sight of Crater Lake

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