An Ode to Boulder Creek

Taking a year to backpack abroad after college is an idea that just about every young person toys with at one point or another. After all, riding trains to places with unpronounceable names, tasting exotic foods, and meeting fascinating people in faraway places sure has more of a romantic appeal than growing your LinkedIn network and emailing out (unanswered) resumes and applications. While I’d spent most of my young life vaguely planning a post-college backpacking trip, I spent senior year intensively laying out my grand escape. After graduation, I’d pack my bag and spend about six months country-hopping around Europe. I knew that I wanted to move around and see as many places as possible, but that I’d need to balance that with enough structure to keep my parents relatively worry-free. Piecing together a trip of such magnitude was a rightfully daunting task, and it ended up taking the entire eight months to fully plan this grand European dirtbag getaway. As a student, I knew that my budget would be impressively microscopic. This realization led me to seek out alternative means of travel, such as labor exchanges and stints of backcountry trekking. (The 130-mile Kerry Way Trail through the Irish countryside, and the 105-mile Tour de Mont Blanc circumnavigating Western Europe's highest mountain were both notable standouts for achieving the latter method.) Backpacking through quaint villages in Iceland. Matt Guenther While there were times when I felt like a homeless drifter—usually while eating a sandwich on the sidewalk or sleeping in a train station—most of the time being a budget backpack traveler had nothing but perks. Trains and planes were easier to navigate with only a pack, cities became infinitely more accessible, and even hitchhiking became easier without lugging a huge suitcase. For six months, my 50-liter pack held everything I needed—while also holding up to endlessly fickle conditions and being versatile enough to take into the backcountry for 100-mile sections at a time. Better yet, it usually weighed less than 25 pounds at any given moment. In all, the trip was an enormous success. And I attribute much of this success to the minimalist approach taken and to the flexibility thus afforded. Here, as someone who learned a few things the hard way, I'll share some tips gleaned from my own rights and wrongs to help you find your way into the ultimate minimalist adventure. 1. Make A Plan, But Don’t Be Afraid To Deviate Backpacking the Tour de Mont Blanc. Matt Guenther This may seem like a no-brainer, but careful planning is key to helping your backpacking trip go as smoothly as possible. Getting off a plane in a country that’s not your own can quickly spur a moment of panic if you don’t know your next move. Do your research in advance to know the best and most affordable way to get to your destination and to curb disorientation. Learn the currencies and exchange rates if you’re traveling abroad so as not to be taken by surprise when you accidentally purchase a seven dollar cup of coffee. Your plan doesn’t have to be bullet-proof or set in stone, but having one at all will help you stay on track budget-wise and can help ensure that you get to see the major things you want to see. 2. Get The Gear You Need; Avoid The Gear You Don’t There are some unquestionable essentials: a sturdy pair of shoes, a comfortable backpack, a waterproof tent if you’ll be camping, and some anti-bacterial undies for good measure. These items are must-haves. However, don’t fall into the trap of thinking that everything you bring needs to be super nice and new. You’ll more than likely ruin most of the stuff you bring anyway (especially your clothes) and are apt to lose and replace things along the way. 3. Pack Smart Taking to the streets of a French village along the Tour de Mont Blanc. Matt Guenther Simplify your packing process by making a detailed list, revising it, and consulting it often as you begin to fill your bag. For your clothing, think layers. You’ll be best-served by packable, lightweight pieces that can be combined for warmth. At times, you’ll probably find yourself wearing every item of clothing you brought and still shivering a little, but at least your pack will be lighter in moments like this. Be realistic about what you bring along. Do you really need that extra flannel that's marginally more stylish than the one you've already packed? Probably not. Spend some quality time pouring over the contents of your pack; you’re going to get to know these items pretty well over the course of your trip. Consider bringing something a little luxurious in case you start feeling a little, well, homeless. Maybe it’s an old favorite t-shirt, a bottle of nail polish, or a book that’s unrealistically large to carry in your backpack. A small comfort can go a long way at times. 4. Stay Organized Try to fill your bag in the same order each time you pack it, and use strict compartmentalization within your bag. Pack similar items together using gallon Ziploc bags or stuff sacks: one for shirts, one for socks and undies, and so on. Consider a backpack with a secondary entry point for ease of access to those bottom-of-the-pack items. These little tricks will help you know where everything is at all times and lessen the likelihood of a train station meltdown when you have to dig into the 48th liter of your 50-liter pack to locate your toothbrush. After a month or two of loading up your pack, it will become second nature, and you’ll be thankful (and a little proud) when you can easily locate even the smallest item in your backpack in record time. 5. Learn About Travel Regulations You Will Encounter Taking in the Alpine views along the Tour de Mont Blanc. Matt Guenther This is an area of trip planning that requires heavy research beforehand, especially if you’re traveling abroad. Make sure you have a full understanding of Schengen Zone requirements and any visas you might need. Leaving room for spontaneity in your travels is great, but it’s definitely not a good idea to wing it when it comes to visas. Overstaying your welcome in certain countries or zones can result in serious consequences such as fines and bans, so make sure to count your days (literally) and make tracks when your time is up. If you’re planning to do any camping along the way, learn about, and try to obtain, permits ahead of time. If you can’t, at least be aware of the area’s campgrounds and camping regulations. 6. Learn To Navigate Airports Like A Pro Most airlines won’t let you take your fully-loaded backpack as a carry on, so plan to check your bag and then factor that additional cost into your budget. Checking your bag for a flight also means it will likely be majorly man-handled, so make sure to tuck in all your straps and zippers, or consider traveling with a cheap lightweight duffle bag to put your backpack inside of when you fly. If you’re flying with a camp stove or some other cooking apparatus, always take it apart and clean it before putting it on the plane, and empty and rinse your fuel canister each time you fly. 7. Consider Non-Traditional Accommodations WOOF lodging in rural Croatia. Matt Guenther If you’re looking to get away from hostels and off the beaten path, consider doing some sort of labor exchange during your travels. You can learn a new skill such as farming or cooking while saving money that you’d otherwise be spending on lodging. Organizations like WWOOF and WorkAway are great ways to become immersed in a culture, connect with other travelers, and experience people and places on a micro level that is hard to come by as a tourist. 8. Be Nimble; Things Won’t Always Go According To Plan Hitchhiking along the Ring Road in Iceland. Matt Guenther The most careful and detail-oriented planning in the world can’t ensure that your trip will unfold exactly as expected. Go ahead and make peace with the fact that things might be less than ideal at times. This way, when you inevitably get on the wrong train or you're wandering through a strange city at midnight looking for somewhere to stay, you can be confident that a misstep was bound to happen sooner or later. By planning for things to not necessarily go as planned, you’ll be a much happier camper when they don’t. Written by Madison Eubanks for RootsRated.

Your calendar isn't lying: Spring really is just around the corner. The time has already changed, bringing with it another hour of sunshine—and plenty of opportunities and excuses to get outside. Wildflowers, waterfalls, and wildlife all await on the myriad trails that beckon this time of year. Some of the area's higher-elevation hikes may still be buried under residual snow, but plenty of trails in low-lying areas remain open and accessible. So whether you're looking for a thigh-burning climb, an urban trek, or an up-close glimpse at the green spaces around Portland, here's where to go—and what to know—for the best spring hikes in Portland. Where to Find Wildflowers and Gorge-ous Views Dog Mountain is among the most popular hikes in the Columbia River Gorge, due in large part to its stunning wildflower displays. Bill Automata Dog Mountain is home to some of the most impressive wildflower displays in the Columbia River Gorge every April, May, and June. At their peak, the blooms absolutely explode off the mountainside, bathing Dog Mountain in fields of yellow balsamroot and purple lupine. (The wildflowers typically hit their peak on Dog Mountain in May and June, but given Portland's warm winter, flashes of color might appear sooner.) Despite two options for reaching the top—one of which is semi-helpfully marked "less difficult"—there's no easy way to bypass the difficulty of climbing 3,000 feet in roughly three miles. The work is worth it, though; in addition to fields of beautiful wildflowers, hikers will enjoy incredible views of the surrounding Columbia River Gorge. Insider tip: For all its intensity, Dog Mountain is among the most popular hikes in the region. Head out early (or on a sunny weekday) to avoid parking headaches and the biggest crowds. Walking Behind Waterfalls There are many wonderful waterfalls along the "Trail of Ten Falls". Amit Patel Spend a few minutes on the Trail of Ten Falls in Silver Falls State Park, and you might wonder if you've stumbled into J.R.R. Tolkein's Middle Earth. Thick, lush forests surround hikers throughout the 8.7-mile loop. Spectacular canyon views await behind seemingly every turn. Bucolic creeks bubble throughout. You'll be surprised when Frodo and Sam don't wander by at some point. And that's to say nothing of the waterfalls. (And, yes, there are really 10 of them along the way.) Hikers are treated to close-up views of these impressive waterfalls—more than five of which are at least 100 feet tall—and can walk behind four. Head's up: Silver Falls State Park is the most popular state park in Oregon. Make the trip on a weekday or show up early on a weekend to avoid parking headaches the biggest crowds. Warming Up With a Waterfall Dry Creek Falls rewards hikers with an unusual waterfall in the Columbia River Gorge. Bill Automata It's almost unfair to mention any waterfall hike immediately after shouting out the Trail of Ten Falls, but the short jaunt to Dry Creek Falls is well worth any hiker's time. If the thought of climbing 3,000 feet at Dog Mountain or making the 80-minute drive to Silver Falls State Park aren't doable, get your legs into gear with the quick, 4.4-mile out-and-back to an impressive, if oft-overlooked, waterfall in the Columbia River Gorge. A fair grade makes the 2.2-mile hike to the falls feel a lot shorter than it really is, and the thick forest lining the trail adds to the enchantment. At the end of the hike, the single-stream cascade at the heart of Dry Creek Falls flows down 75 feet in front of an unusual display of moss-covered columnar basalt. There are plenty of better-known waterfall hikes elsewhere in Oregon, but most demand more from hikers, and few offer the same, beautiful payoff. Wetlands and Wildlife in the City The Oaks Bottom WIldlife Refuge is a popular hiking and trail running destination not far from Ross Island. wittco.gmbh Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge isn't the most well-known or back-breaking hike on this list, but the 2.3-mile trail introduces hikers and trail runners to a piece of Portland they might not otherwise enjoy. Today, the lush wetland is a popular destination for an early-morning or after-work adventure, but it was very nearly razed to make way for an industrial park before the City of Portland acquired the refuge in 1969. Restoration and protection efforts paid off. Today, roughly 40 years after that decision to preserve the wetlands, Oaks Bottom is awash in wildlife. Beavers, nutria, salamanders, frogs, mallards, blue herons, and other migrating birds either stop at the refuge or call it home. And, as if to underscore the urban-rural tightrope the refuge walks, hikers will catch glimpses of the downtown skyline—just a 15-minute drive away—at various points along the hike. An Urban Experience Approaching the station. Chris Phan The 4T Trail unveils the best of Portland over nine fascinating miles, and it doesn't demand much of hikers just getting their legs back after spending the winter indoors. Along the way, the trail showcases the innovative mass transit for which Portland is known, takes hikers through lush forests just minutes from downtown, and delivers one impressive view after another. The 4T Trail, accessible year-round, gets its name from the four "T's" at the heart of the unusual excursion: Hikers start on a trail that spans Washington Park, Council Crest, and Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). Washington Park hosts innumerable Portland attractions, not the least of which is a dense forest that makes it easy to forget you're in the midst of a busy urban core. Council Crest, meanwhile, is the highest point in Portland and delivers knockout views of both Mount Hood and Mount St. Helens on a clear day. From there, hikers take the tram—specifically, the Portland Aerial Tram—from OHSU, down to the rapidly-growing South Waterfront Neighborhood. The tram's platform promises views of the downtown skyline, the Willamette River snaking through Portland, and Mount Hood rising behind South Waterfront condos. Hikers then hop aboard the trolley—rather, the Portland Streetcar—at the base of the tram. The streetcar heads into downtown Portland. The loop is complete once hikers depart for the train and take the blue or red MAX light rail line back to Washington Park. Fun fact: The Washington Park MAX stop is the deepest transit station in North America. Written by Matt Wastradowski for RootsRated.

There’s no need to wait until warm weather to snooze under the stars. Winter camping in Colorado is a magical experience. The summer crowds are gone, a gentle quiet washes over the woods, and you don’t need to venture far to feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere. If you’re keen to give winter camping a try, follow these tips to make the most of a snowy night out. 1. Start easy. A cozy camp set up not far from the Hessie Trailhead. James Dziezynski If you’re new to winter camping, ease yourself into the experience by picking a spot that’s not too far from your car. U.S. Forest Service land west of Boulder has some pretty choice spots. For the inside scoop, check out our recommendations for five places to try winter camping near Boulder . You might also get giddy checking out the range of options at Colorado's state parks. Thirty of them offer winter camping, ranging from cushy campsites to blissful backcountry spots. A developed campground (with a convenient bathroom) can make your first winter overnight less daunting. State Forest, Golden Gate Canyon, and Ridgway state parks even offer cabins and yurts for newbies who want some sort of roof over their heads. 2. Plan for safety. Proper preparation is key when heading into the winter wilds. Agree on a plan with your partner, check the weather forecast, and tell someone where you’re going and when you expect to return. To ensure you get home safely, dot your i’s and cross your t’s. Study your route carefully, bring a map and compass, and note landmarks along the way. Don’t count on following your footsteps; a surprise storm could erase them without a trace. Also carry some way to communicate with the outside world. A DeLorme InReach satellite communicator is a great choice and can help you navigate. Last but not least, if your route crosses avalanche terrain, take a course in snow safety and carry avalanche gear. 3. Gear up. Winter shrinks the margin of error, so go ahead and geek out on gear. Suck up the extra weight and pack a four-season tent to protect against whatever old man winter throws your way. For cooking, liquid fuel stoves trump canister stoves in the cold. Carry extra fuel. And keep in mind that cold saps power from batteries, so bring extras and store them in a warm spot, like in your sleeping bag. Lithium batteries cope with the cold better than alkaline ones. If carrying extra cold-weather gear weighs down your pack, considering hauling all of your stuff in a sled instead. 4. Dress the part. Layering is key to being able to control your temperature and avoid catching a chill. Start with a wool or synthetic base layer that wicks moisture away from your skin. On top of that, you’ll need a mid-weight layer, a down sweater, and a waterproof layer at the very least. Bring more clothing than you think you might need. A warm hat and gloves are essential, of course. Always pack extra socks and gloves in case your first pair gets wet. Overheating is also a concern since sweat robs your body of warmth. While you’re walking (or skiing or snowshoeing) to your site, whittle down your layers so you don’t overheat. Unzip or strip down the minute you start feeling hot. As soon as you get to your campsite, put on warm clothes to trap all the body heat you generated en route. 5. Protect your feet. Wet boots can freeze. Dry, toasty feet are happy feet. For best results, wear two layers of socks in warm, waterproof boots. Make sure those extra socks don’t make your boots too tight. For extra credit, use vapor barrier socks next to your skin. (Plastic bags can achieve the same effect in a pinch.) Strap on gaiters to keep out snow. Bonus tip: Pull out your boot liners and snooze with them in your sleeping bag overnight. Or, if you have a roomy sleeping bag, put your boots in the stuff sack for your sleeping bag or tent and keep them at the foot of your bag. 6. Prepare your tent space. A good level surface will ensure a good night's sleep. hikingqueen Pick a campsite that’s sheltered from the wind. If you’re camping on snow, pack it down into a flat platform (erring on the large side) before pitching your tent. Stake down your shelter securely to prevent having to go out in the cold to fix it if wind whips up in the middle of the night. Winter snow stakes are a great option, especially when buried in a deadman (horizontal) position in the snow. 7. Stay toasty in your sleep. Staying warm is critical to getting a good night’s rest. Use a sleeping bag that’s rated for temperatures lower than forecast. Add a sleeping bag liner for extra warmth. Underneath your bag, use two sleeping pads, including at least one foam pad. (Go with one that has a high R rating for maximum insulation.) To pre-warm your nest, fill a water bottle with hot water and stuff it into your bag. Just be sure the lid is screwed on tight. Wearing a hat and a soft, non-restrictive neck gaiter keep a lot of heat from escaping from your head. 8. Fuel up. Pack a shovel when winter camping to dig snow pits and style your campsite. Eric Larsen Your body burns extra calories in the cold, so bring plenty of food. Cook in a protected area away from the wind, like a snow trench or your tent’s vestibule. Fill a thermos with hot soup or tea to sip while you cook. When it comes to water, don’t let the saying “pure as driven snow” mislead you. Boil or treat melted snow before you drink it. Hydrate frequently since colder temperatures keep thirst at bay even when you’re body needs fluids. Store water bottles upside down to keep the threads from freezing. If you’re feeling festive, craft an ice bar out of the snow, with slotted holes to store spirits. 9. Pee in a bottle. Yep, that’s right. To save yourself from a chilly bathroom run in the middle of the night, pee in a bottle in your tent. Ladies, you can do this, too, with a little practice. A nifty device called a Shewee lets you relieve yourself without even getting undressed. Boys and girls, whatever you do, mark your pee bottle clearly so you don’t swig from it by accident (some people buy yellow bottles for this purpose). That could put a damper on your winter camping enthusiasm. 10. Keep a warm, fuzzy attitude. A positive mindset will help you go with the flow and keep cold thoughts from creeping into your head. Take it from Eric Larsen, a polar explorer who has skied to the North Pole three times and knows a thing or two about staying warm: “When you think you’re going to be cold, you’re going to be cold. Understanding that you can be warm no matter what the conditions are is a huge thing.” If you get cold, put on more clothes and do something to stoke your inner furnace, like jumping jacks, chopping wood, or taking a brisk walk through the woods. Most importantly, embrace the spirit of adventure and have fun. Written by Avery Stonich for RootsRated.