2022 was an incredible year of new hunting experiences and also some challenges and missed opportunities. I want to share what went well, what didn’t and what I’ve learned from it in a way that will hopefully help you on your learning journey as well.
We just got back from an incredible camping trip to Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park. This post is about our time there as a family and to provide the information you need to have a fantastic trip and camping experience!
Hells Gate State Park near Lewiston, Idaho is an incredible place to camp. The surrounding area has limitless outdoor recreation possibilities.
Hiking, boating, fishing, and everything in between. We showed up in mid-May for a Mother’s Day camping trip with our RV and were quite pleased with the campsite and all the sites and experiences around Lewiston, ID.
Keep reading to learn all the details!
This is my first year hunting elk in Western Washington, but I’m learning a lot and putting in the time to climb the elk hunting learning curve quickly. I wanted to share this, not from the perspective of an expert, but from the perspective of someone seeing elk hunting fresh, which means if you to are trying to get into elk hunting, my learning journey could be valuable to you as well.
Mt Rainier National Park is a must-visit destination within the Pacific Northwest.
We had an incredible experience camping at Elkamp (recently renamed from Eastcreek Campground just south of Elbe. We spent some time in Mt Rainier National Park to do some sightseeing and hiking, but also just relaxed and explored around the campground. Elkamp was an excellent, well-maintained private campground that we will definitely be returning to in the future.
Okay, so maybe you can’t quite convince your family to join you on an epic quest for winter steelhead or blackmouth, but recreating outside together is an essential part of experiencing the PNW Best Life.
Last week, we were finally rewarded with a nice stretch of sun, and that pattern looks to repeat for most of this week as well. All bets are off after that! So why not dust off the ole bike and get the family out riding (or walking) on the awesome Foothills Trail near Orting, WA?
Hunting for elk in Utah during winter is an amazing experience whether you get to fill your elk tag or not.
On this Utah elk trip, we ended up with a whole lot of tag soup, but this was largely a factor of the deck not being stacked in our favor.
I’m not always as excited to write about trips that didn’t result in punching tags or fish. However, any hunting trip where you experience the kinds of backcountry views we had, where you learn a lot that can be applied to the next season, and where you stay safe and warm (mostly), is a great trip.
It’s fall and you might be looking to hit that popular summer hike that you are hoping has less foot traffic on it now. Lake 22 would not be such a hike, but the views and the trail are worth braving the crowds.
As we made our way down, we probably passed 30-40 people and saw another 20 staging near the trailhead with a completely full parking lot by 10 am on a Saturday in late October.
The North Cascades is seriously one of the most scenic and amazing places in the country (planet?). This entire area is a must-experience for anyone who loves the outdoors.
On this trip, we decided to hike a more obscure trail off of Mountain Loop Rd. We got everything we hoped for out of the Island Lake trail and quite a bit that we didn’t.
North Cascades National Park is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever experienced. A drive through the park along Highway 20 is a must, but camping for a few nights is necessary to really take it all in.
We camped near the western-themed town of Winthrop in the Methow Valley in May with some incredible early spring weather.