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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View from the terrace at Los Tamarindos, Los Cabos, Mexico
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Enrique Silva: Pioneer of the farm-to-table movement in Los Cabos dreams big

Enrique Silva’s passion and devotion to authentic, Mexican farm-to-table cuisine and sustainable agriculture in the heart of Los Cabos, Mexico is keeping traditions and community alive  

Tucked away behind the historic, artsy town of San José del Cabo lies the farmland community of Animas Bajas. There along a dry riverbed is some of the most fertile land in all of Los Cabos, Mexico, and is home to a small handful of organic farms and farm-to-table restaurants including Los Tamarindos. Los Tamarindos remains one of the only ventures that is Mexican-owned and operated.

For the past 28 years, Enrique Silva, chef and owner of Los Tamarindos has worn many hats. Arriving in Los Cabos with a degree in agricultural engineering and a knack for selling Sonoran beef to high-end restaurants, Silva never would have imagined he would become one of the leading chefs, entrepreneurs, and visionaries in Los Cabos, Mexico.

“I came to Los Cabos in 1990,” Silva told me during a conversation we shared together at his organic farm this past March. “I had started out selling beef to the restaurants around the Corridor and Los Cabos, never imagining that I’d be in charge of so many projects today. I ended up becoming a chef almost by accident” Silva continued with a charismatic grin. “And soon, I will be launching a new community center of workshops open to the public.  Perhaps this will be Silva’s greatest feat yet.

As Los Cabos is faced with the challenges of over-tourism, over-development, and climate change, Silva remains the only farm-to-table restaurant and property that is fully Mexican-owned and positioned to keep culture alive and protect the environment. To combat climate change, Silva is changing the future of farming in the community as he moves from sustainable to regenerative agriculture over the coming years. The fall opening of Silva’s new community center (6 specialized workshops hosting classes and shops) will continue to cement Silva’s focus on community and keeping long-held traditions, culture, and knowledge alive.

Chef Enrique Silva of Los Tamarindos, Los Cabos, Mexico

Chef Enrique Silva of Los Tamarindos at his farm-to-table restaurant in Los Cabos, Mexico

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Dharma Expeditions Los Cabos, Mexico
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How a Cactus Cooking Class is helping preserve Los Cabos’ last rancheros

Danny Perez, the founder of Dharma Expeditions, is on a mission to bring sustainable tourism to threatened indigenous Ranchero Californio communities off the tourist map in Los Cabos by providing cactus cooking classes for travelers

Local tour guide Danny Perez was out rock climbing one day along the outskirts of the vast UNESCO-protected Sierra de la Laguna Biosphere Reserve when he stumbled upon something special. There in the middle of the desert in one of Baja’s most beautiful but least explored places outside of Los Cabos, he found El Barranco, a traditional rancho (ranch) where the Ranchero Californio people continue to live and farm their land in one of the harshest environments in Mexico as their indigenous ancestors have for centuries.

Stunned, Danny stopped to chat with the owners and learned that today there are only 102 ranchos left in all of Los Cabos. As an experienced adventure tour guide in Los Cabos for 15 years, Perez hatched the idea to launch Dharma Expeditions, his grassroots tourism program.

“The beginnings were very humble” Danny confessed. “I basically had to build everything from scratch. The kitchen, the wood-burning stove (which is made from a recycled oil drum), and the bathroom for guests. It has all been a labor of love in the hope that my tours help keep this amazing community and culture alive” Danny concluded.

Four years later, his program works with five ranchos in the area bringing tourists for a one-of-a-kind indigenous nopales cactus taco cooking class. Not only does Danny connect travelers with a rare glimpse into indigenous life and culture, but the tours also provide income for the rancho families in the hope of keeping their community, culture, and heritage alive. Dharma is one of the only outfitters who work with the rarely visited Ranchero California communities in Los Cabos.

The rancheros’ traditional way of life and culture is being threatened by climate change, mass tourism, over-development, and commercialization of Los Cabos. In the past year alone, tourism and housing prices have exploded making Los Cabos the most expensive destination in all of Mexico and pushing the local community out. A new resort is also being built right outside of El Barranco’s property line threatening to push them out. “This is part of the reason why I launched our cactus cooking tours,” said Danny. “I am worried that the ranchero community will soon be gone”.

Dharma Expeditions Los Cabos, Mexico

Rita Garcia and her daughter at the family ranch

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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.

Adventure Travel Asia Bhutan TRAVEL TRAVEL BY REGION Trekking/Hiking
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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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Tashi Delek. Welcome to Bhutan!

After collecting my luggage, I took a deep breath and walked out of the airport to find my guide. To visit Bhutan, it is mandatory that you have a guide and a driver for the entire stay. Thus, these two people are who I’d be spending the next nine days with during my solo trip to Bhutan. While I get along easily with most people, I desperately hoped we would connect.

Dressed in a gray-colored gho, a pair of black knee-high socks and freshly polished black leather loafers, my guide smiled warmly holding a sign with my name. Nicole Melancon, Trans Bhutan Trail. 

“Tashi Delek. I’m Singay. And this is Dorgi, our driver,” Singay said pointing to another young man dressed in a red and green plaid gho, Bhutan’s traditional dress. “Welcome to Bhutan”. 

Little did I know, Singay, Dorgi, and I would be great friends by the end of the trip. We made the perfect team, and their jokes, laughter, knowledge, and passion for Bhutan made the trip all the more memorable.

My two new friends. Dorgi (on left) and Singay (on right).

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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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