Devil's Garden and Double-O Arch, Arches National Park, Moab

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Devil's Garden in Arches National Park leads to Landscape Arch (the longest arch in the world with a 306 feet span). After that, the path becomes a more challenging primitive trail along narrow slickrock fins, requiring some scrambling. This is where the fun begins!

When we arrived at Double-O arch (a hike I did 2 1/2 years ago alone with Aïsha), the kids started working on some bouldering problems (once you start rock climbing, you never look at a rock wall in the same way...) and Jennifer went walking on top of the arch. My legs were wobbly just looking at her. Karl and JF followed, while I happily helped the kids with their rock climbing...

But my friends know me and know I like to push my limits... but that I often need some support to do so. They helped me find my strength and confidence and JF and Karl came with me, while Jennifer snapped some pictures and cheered from down below. It was one of the most amazing view I had seen in my life... Fiery red rock fins fields all around with snow capped mountains in the background... I felt completely exhilarated. And very proud.

Then, the dads led their girls (one by one) over the arch. It was a very touching moment... Our mama's hearts were bursting with love as we looked at them conquer their fears and raise to the challenge.

I did it!!

JF with Mara and Karl with Ellie

Arches National Park is definitely one of my favorite National Park and Moab is just such a fun city with a cool, laid-back vibe. It reminds us of Whitehorse in a way. All those people in biking gear at the grocery store, super friendly staff that walk their talk in the outdoor stores... We could get used to such a place!

Delicate Arch at Sunset

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Watching the sunset at Delicate Arch in Arches National Park, Moab, is a popular attraction. We joined the crowd in that spectacular natural amphitheater for a moment of grace. Of course, many of the people wanted their photos taken under the arch, while the crowd standing on the other side was shooing them away in order not to have anybody in their pictures. There was a big round of applause when these "gooseneckers" finally got the message and moved out of everybody's sunset shot! We hiked down as night was falling and the bats were waking up. What a fantastic night!

In Slot Canyon Country: Wire Pass and Buckskin Gulch

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Entering a slot canyon is a totally unique journey, a journey inward, in the womb of the earth. It’s almost a spiritual journey, completely different from the exhilarating feeling of reaching the summit of a mountain. Walking in this cool dark space, letting your hand drags on the slick walls, you feel reverence and grace. You are invariably led inside yourself.

Wire Pass is a gorge of tilted Navajo sandstone. Log jams high overhead attest of the power and volume of flash floods. From Wire Pass, we arrive at its confluence with Buckskin Gulch. On the right wall after the arch, you can see original Navajo petroglyphs. 

*Buckskin Gulch is the longest continuous slot canyon in the USA. I love what this excellent guidebook says: Canyons are like people. Both are more interesting when scoured to their essence. And the most thoroughly scoured canyon on our planet is Buckskin Gulch.

 

Observation Point and other hikes in Zion National Park, Utah

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The wind was howling when the alarm rang at 6:30 on Saturday morning. We had decided to get an early start and beat the crowd on the hike to Observation Point, one of the most scenic hike in Zion National Park. It was an 8 mile hike with a 2100 feet elevation. We had packed lots of food, water and warm clothes the night before and were ready for another exciting adventure. When we got off the shuttle bus, we looked up at the many switchbacks that were cut in the very steep rock wall ahead of us and smiled! We love a challenge! 

We were pretty much alone on the trail as the sun rose in the canyon, illuminating the top of Angels Landing, a hike we had done a few days earlier and that some of us had done again the night before at sunset. We walked into a beautiful canyon and were greeted by the warm morning sun on the other side. We kept on pushing up, switchbacks after switchbacks, mesmerized by the ever changing colors of the rocks. At the top, the view was simply incredible.

As we started going down, we met more and more people. Huffing and puffing, some of them congratulated the kids for their accomplishment. The children kept on skipping to the bottom of the trail, smiling, proud and happy.

During the 5 days we stayed in the park, we hiked many other shorter trails: the River walk that leads to the entrance of the Narrows, a very popular hike in a canyon that require wearing waterproof pants/bibs, socks and shoes, and carrying a big stick to keep your balance in the areas of the canyon where there is more current. The water was at 45 degrees, so going without this equipment was not an option. In the summer, it is possible to do it in sandals and shorts (something we plan to do at some point). We also hiked up to Upper Emerald Pool and down to Lower Emerald Pool (the photo of the little waterfall and chain along the wall is from that hike), as well as to Weeping Rock. It is a fascinating phenomenon that in the limestone rock layer called travertine, a more porous formation, plants grow and water seep through.

Zion is simply a majestic place that one must see (and hike!) in its life to really appreciate it. If you plan to visit and are in shape enough for a moderate to challenging hike, I highly recommend you do Angels Landing and Observation Point for a total Zion experience.

Zion National Park: Hiking Angels' Landing trail

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Zion National Park is well known and the amount of people in the shuttles (you are not allowed to drive your own vehicle in the park) and on the trails only confirmed its popularity. But of course, there is a good reason for it: it is a spectacular place and the hiking trails are epic. We hiked Angels' Landing, a beautiful steep climb full of switchbacks that leads to a breathtaking viewpoint. But the magnificence of Zion can only truly be appreciated if you keep going after the overlook (not recommended for kids) and take the challenging path to the very top. Once there, you understand why they call it Angels' Landing. It is that grand!

As we started our hike, we met a French-speaking family that was from my hometown! We quickly found out that we had more than our birthplace in common and stuck together for the whole hike, chatting away as old friends. Their two girls quickly grew attached to Mathilde, who loved being in the big sister position. Thanks to the energy of the group, their 3 and 5 yo girls hiked all the way to the overview and back! 

Hiking in Snow Canyon State Park

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After 4 days of intense desert heat, Snow Canyon sounded like a great idea... until I found out that its name did not come from being in high altitude and receiving snow... That it was in fact named after Erastus Snow, one of the Mormon settler that discovered it...

Its geologic formations are simply stunning, a combination of black lava flow and burnt orange to creamy white sandstone cliffs. We hiked on petrified sand dunes under the glorious sun and went to explore the rock climbing routes for an upcoming rock climbing outing.

When we returned to the bus, our friends had decorated the bus and prepared a delicious vegetarian lasagna and salad, as well as a yummy chocolate cake that we ate outside as the sun set. It sure was a memorable birthday! 

Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada

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The Valley of Fire derives its name from red sandstone formations, formed by petrifaction of ancient sand dunes during the Jurassic era, 160 million years ago. The exposed rock responsible for the dramatic colors and formations is Aztec sandstone. Complex uplifting and faulting of the region, followed by extensive erosion, have created the present landscape.

Valley of Fire is Nevada’s oldest and largest state park, dedicated in 1935. Ancient trees and early man are represented throughout the park by areas of petrified wood and 3,000 year-old Indian petroglyphs.

We hiked the White Domes and Fire Wave trails; both were simply breathtaking. Valley of Fire is up there among my favorite State/National Parks, not very far behind Arches NP and Bryce NP.

I simply cannot imagine how hot this place must be in the summer. It is only mid-March and some of us were seriously overheating. On the Fire Wave hike, JF and our friend helped an elderly man down a slippery sandstone path. He was hiking in this rough terrain by himself with his cane and no water, and we left him a bit concerned. On our way back, we stopped at the Visitor Center and JF let the rangers know about him. They took notes and said they would be there in about 30 minutes. I am always amazed at how sensitive JF is to others… He also made the girls and I drink a full bottle of water before heading back on the road to make sure we would not be dehydrated.

As we drove back to Vegas (there is no cell connexion in the Valley of Fire campground, by the way…), I put my sandy feet up on the dash of the Westy, rolled down the window so the wind would cool me down, and let all that beauty sink into my soul. What an amazing day we had!

Red Rock Canyon, Nevada

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Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is located 17 miles west of the Las Vegas famous Strip. Unfortunately there is no cell signal at the campground, so we could not camp there during the week. We stayed at an RV park in the hood in Vegas. The hood is the bad part of town (not that there is a good part of Vegas...). There were couples fighting and screaming in building appartments right outside the RV park and 4 hookers walking in front of the gate at any time of the day. JF even got a few waves! And from 4 pm on, ambulances every 20 minutes... Oh, and planes every ten minutes, 24/7. If I extended my arm through the bedroom window, I could touch the neighbors' trailer's slide out... 

I don't remember if I talked about the fact that I was electrosensitive here or not. I found out the hard way after we had installed the solar system on the bus and I started feeling very unwell. I shortly found out that I was reacting to the dirty electricity from the EMF. Long story short, we fixed the problem and I am usually OK, as long as we turn off the electricity and the Wifi before going to bed. But when we are in big cities with lots of cellphone waves and wifi, even when I turn off everything in the bus, I toss and turn all night (like the princess on the pea), wake up with a headache, burning eyes and nausea. I feel irritable and my brain is foggy.

Needless to say, I was desperate to get out of there. Sitting on top of the red rocks after a very fun scramble up, I felt like myself again.

Since I found out about my (low-level) electrosensitivity, I understand better why the city drains me and nature helps me come back to center... If only we didn't need cell connexion for work...!
 

Hiking (and geocaching) up Brown Mountain, Tucson Mountain Park, AZ

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Scrouching to take a picture in the desert can be quite dangerous as I quickly found out... A friend had to remove the many needles poked in my butt (which took our friendship to a whole new level!). But I kept at it, pulling balls of jumping cacti from around my ankles, wincing... The light was so beautiful, it made the whole thing worth it... On the way back, I heard some coyote sing ... And then, there was the full moon...

Hiking to the Romero Pools

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I don’t travel because it’s easy, I travel because it’s challenging and humbling. I travel because it allows me to connect more deeply with myself and the world, because it brings me outside of my comfort zone, and everytime it does, I am reminded I am capable of more.

Catalina State Park, Tucson, AZ

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On Christmas Eve, we watched the sun rise over Mt Lemmon from our bedroom window, went for a hike among huge saguaro cacti with friends and ate popsicles in the sun. It amazes me how the shifting of our traditions comes as a relief. Like one less thing to carry with us. 

Hiking in Painted Canyon, Mecca, CA

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Canyons are one of our favorite places to hike (especially slot canyons) and we were thrilled when JF found out about this place, an hour from our campground. There is something exhilarating about scrambling over rocks, squeezing between rocks and even climbing up and down precarious ladders. The last time we were in a canyon was two  years ago, in Utah. Our friends had never experienced a hike in a slot canyon before and it was so fun to share that wonderful moment with them. Children and adults alike exclaimed at each turn. Some parts required quite a bit of teamwork to get through! 

Pinnacles National Park

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The first 2,500 acres of the rugged Pinnacles were made a national monument in 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt. Since 1908, the monument significantly increased in size to 26,000 acres and in 2013, President Barack Obama designated the expansive terrain as a national park.  The park's namesakes are the eroded leftovers of the western half of an extinct volcano that has moved 150 miles (240 km) from its original location on the San Andreas Fault. The rock formations are made of Rhyolite breccia that is composed of lava sand, ash, and angular chunks of rock that were explosively ejected from the Pinnacles Volcano and provide for spectacular pinnacles that attract rock climbers. The park features unusual talus caves that house at least thirteen species of bat.

It was so fun to walk through the dark caves on Bear Gulch Cave Trail and enjoy the beautiful view at the Reservoir while soaking up some sun. Touching the smooth bark of the Manzanita trees, talking with friends as we go, kids exclaiming how incredible this place is... Days like this remind us that this is why we do what we do!

A weekend of hiking in Mt. Hood National Forest, Oregon

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Mt. Hood National Forest is about an hour drive from Portland. We camped at Still Creek campground at 4000 feet, an awesome little campground with the most beautiful campsites where barely no light filters through the tall trees. A land of moss, ferns and lichens...


On Saturday, we went hiking to Mirror Lake (so-called because we often can see the reflexion of Mt. Hood in it) and kept going up to Mt. Tom, Dick and Harry, where we had an incredible view of Mt. Hood. It was a perfect 10 km hike that we all loved!

Taking in the amazing view!

Great lunch on the trail!

On Sunday, we went to the Timberline Lodge and hiked the Timberline Trail (which is part of the Pacific Crest Trail, an interesting synchronicity since I am finishing the great book Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed). The view was just stunning, especially on the ridge where we stopped for lunch. JF kept going and ran the Paradise Park loop up and down the canyon.

One of the most amazng campsites I have seen!

I could stop here and lead you to believe that we live the most idyllic and perfect life. And in a way, we truly do. But I wouldn't be honest if I didn't tell you that we have had rough patches. The bus is spending a week at the garage for a radiator problem and we have been sleeping in the garage courtyard in the Westy for a few nights, while JF tries to find places to work at 5 am... Portland is an awesome city, but it is not exactly camping-friendly. Boondocking is not allowed anywhere (not even in Walmart parking lots) and the only campgrounds less than 40 miles from town are two ugly and expensive RV parks. Finding a place to shower was a half-day feat! 

We are now at the hotel. We have electricity, a shower and a place to do our laundry. JF can focus on all the work he has to do while I try to fill our bellies with half-decent meals. The girls have been pretty awesome through all of this and we are spending amazing moments together everyday. It's just incredibly intense right now. 

Hiking the Tombstone

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As we cover the 7 hours that separate Whitehorse and the Tombstone Territorial Park, I try to make sense of my impatience of the last few days. That’s one thing the road does for me: it allows me to sit with my feelings. Sitting with discomfort is never fun. It’s so much easier to run away and get busy with something else. But here, between Carmacks and Pelly Crossing, there are only rows of spruce trees and the nagging rain. I feel frustrated. As I talk to JF, I realize he also feels the same. There is 100 reasons to feel frustrated. There always will be if we choose to be frustrated. It’s all about attitude. We can choose to focus on what we wish we had or we could try and turn this frustration into gratitude for what we actually have. And we do have a lot. By Steward Crossing, the frustration had dissolved and we both felt lighter and ready for a weekend of fun.

We arrived at the Tombstone campground a bit after 11 pm (yes, it was still light out. And no, there would be no Perseids watching for us this year!). In the Yukon, you don't make reservations, you just show up. For $12 (or $50 for the entire season in any Yukon government campground if you are a resident) you get a gorgeous campsite and free firewood! 

On Saturday monrning, the sun was shining. We made cinnamon-apple latkes while the girls made their most beautiful fairy garden ever (because there is all sorts of mosses and berries here, mama!) and we hit the new interpretation center for some more info on the hikes. There, we got to try some bannock bread and delicious tea made of yarrow, blueberries and labrador tea leaves, while the girls practice a puppet show with Joanna, a park interpreter that also spoke French. That interpretation center seriously rocks!

We decided to drive North a bit more (we were a mere 350 km from the Arctic Circle!) to do a hike called Surf Bird in the alpine tundra. It is quite fascinating, 20 km North of the campground, the boreal forest is no more, there is only alpine tundra.

When we arrived at the trailhead, there was no trail. Only 360 degrees of mountains and wet and mushy tundra. There were tons of ripe blueberries and moss berries and almost ripe cranberries. We feasted on them every ten steps. The dwarf birches and alder were already starting to turn red and yellow. We could see the moon the whole time we were there. Is it because we were so far north?

The next day, we decided to do a guided hike (with our beloved bilingual interpreter Joanna) to Grizzly Lake overlook. It's fun to notice things we wouldn't notice without an interpreter and it seems to motivate the girls to be in a group. Here, Aïsha gave highbush cranberries to an Irish man for him to try.

I stopped at the lookout with Mathilde who had a sore knee, while JF and Mara and Aïsha kept going up. Here, we can see Monolith mountain. Many people do an overnight hike to Grizzly Lake (11 km) down in that valley. We'd like to do it in 2 years with the girls.

The man, on top of the world!

Caribou Mountain

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There are not many places in the world where you can do a short (but steep!) hike and have such an amazing view... and with nobody else on the trail. After a mere 20 minutes, we had a stunning panoramic view of Bennett Lake and Montana Mountain. We kept climbing and climbing through the alpine vegetation. The descent was slippery, but fun! 

Half-way up, Mathilde found a rock with what looks like a petroglyph of a mountain goat (there are lots of mountain goats on Caribou Mountain). We'll bring it to the Tourism and Culture Department to have it assessed. She is so proud of her rock!

Moutain Hero

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We woke up at 10 am on Sunday morning to a grey sky. We had had a nice evening in town at our friends Elise and Ludo's and were planning a slow day when Elise and Ludo showed up on their way to Carcross, where they were going hiking. We quickly packed a lunch and decided to join them. On our way there, it started raining... It's been that kind of summer here... So we ate our lunch in the rain, putting on all the layers we had, then sat in the car to wait for the rain to stop. Ten minutes later, we were good to go! As we started ascending, the sun came back and we stripped down to shorts and t-shirts!

Mountain Hero is a gorgeous hike that quickly has very rewarding views. It once was a copper mine and there are still cables and artefacts from the mining period. It is all ascent, however, so half way through, JF, Ludo and Aïsha decided to keep going to the top, while Elise and I went back down with the other girls.

It felt great to be in the wild again and the forest smelled amazing after the rain. Elise had the girls do singalong songs to signal our presence to the bears. They were hilarious! It makes my own heart sings to see my girls connect with their Yukon friends so easily.

We then met up at the new café in Carcross after the hike and the girls had homemade lemon and passion fruit sorbetto. It was such a wonderful spontaneous day!