On the Loose Live

Sun Valley, ID: Pioneer Cabin Hike

November 22, 2016March 19, 2018livevigorously

Tremendous hike in Sun Valley. Rewarding views, great workout, super cool cabin.

Distance: 8.5 miles Rating: Difficult Elevation gain: ~2,550 ft

Took the steady climbing Pioneer Cabin trail #122 up and descended the loop via the Long Gulch trail #123. Minus the snow and ice on the top and down the backside that we encountered, this would be a fantastic trail run. The terrain on 122 is pine needle smooth as you traverse 23 switchbacks through an old growth forest with glimpses of the Pioneer, Smoky, and Sawtooth Mountains through the trees. As you continue up into high alpine meadow, you’ll be rewarded with sweeping views .

But you’re not quite there yet. Just one more push and a panorama of peaks opens up and a rustic cabin welcomes you.

Pioneer Cabin was built by Sun Valley Company in the 1930’s to encourage Alpine skiing. (If I’d known the cabin was open, I would have made it an overnighter.) Underneath the snow, emblazoned on the roof greeting all those who ascend to its heights is its signature quote “The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get.”

Unlike trail#122, 123 is a bit tortuous, very rocky the last 2 miles or so. Not to mention all the snow we encountered on that trail, but it was all so worth it! This hike makes most people’s list for the top ten in Sun Valley. It’s certainly tops with me.

Great little shop: espresso,bike & ski rentals, gear, and more

November 21, 2016December 3, 2016livevigorously

Warmed up a sunny, 19 degree morning in West Yellowstone with a coffee and chat with the locals at the Free Heel and Wheel. Cassie, the barista at the espresso bar, and Neil, a friendly officer, gave me the inside scoop on the area and nearby activities, including the Rendezvous xc ski trails. I learned that the best time to road bike in Yellowstone park is around the 1st of April after the first plow while the road is still closed to vehicles. Both the skiing and the road biking sound worthy of a return trip…A woman owned business, this little shop has everything to outfit the adventurer from the latest gear to fashionable outdoor wear.

Idaho Falls: Coffee, stroll & art you can sit on

November 19, 2016August 22, 2019livevigorously

Left Yellowstone at sunset, sacrificing any scenery to darkness along the 110 mile drive . The first thing you see as you get near city range, glowing a bit too bright in the distance, is the Mormon Temple. No dark sky preservation here. It was a bit of a shock to my system to be entering a more congested area (1.6 M pop) after the bliss of the natural parks, historic towns and small resort villages.

If you dream it, live it.

November 19, 2016February 1, 2017livevigorously

Senior year of high school, we got to design our own yearbook page. On mine, my motto was “If you dream it, live it.” An audacious declaration for an 18-year-old, eh?

And now, too many decades later, I’m finally walking my talk. Sure, I’ve had a more adventurous, traveled, ( and privileged) life than many, but have I lived as boldly and true to my nature as that youthful proclamation? No, not even close. It’s taken me this long to stare mortality in the eye and defiantly extend my middle finger, flipping off self-imposed barriers, which have always loomed far larger than those external, practical ones.

I have no idea who A. Kern is, but I like the way she thinks. Found the quote on the wall of an old ski touring hut while hiking the Pioneer Range near Sun Valley.

Why, is it that the best life for us to live is so often the hardest for us to actualize? What’s really keeping you from living the life of your dreams? Let’s give each other the inspiration and the courage to face our internal obstacles and live the dream.

Lake McDonald, West entrance Glacier National Park teaser

November 19, 2016December 3, 2016livevigorously

You know it’s off-season at Glacier National Park when there’s no one manning the front gate. Drive in just 10 miles and stop by the Lake McDonald Lodge and take in lake. Inhale the last vestiges of the damp, crisp, leave-scented air and enjoy the solitude. It’s clear, we’re on the cusp of winter. It would be great to cuddle up by the fire at the lodge with a hot toddy and your hottie, watching as the rain skips and scatters across the lake. But you can’t because it closes at the end of September. (Rats, or ravens for that mater – saw the one below the size of a duck.)

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I’ve seen lots of GNP pictures, but had no idea there was a lake of this size here, or that were so many lakes here – 765 to be exact. Lake McDonald pictured at the top of the page is the largest lake in the park, covering an area of ~10 miles.