Mont Blanc Circumnavigation

After ditching our wedding plans and downscoping to a backyard pandemic ceremony, my husband and I wanted to do whatever we could to retain our original honeymoon plan: circumnavigate Mont Blanc in the Swiss Alps, then eat our weight in wine and cheese before flying out of Paris.

September 2021 was a lucky pocket in the pandemic that allowed us to safely travel to Europe to complete our mission. Hiking and running 15-20 miles a day, we completed the Tour du Mont Blanc, an incredible journey that took us through France, Italy, and Switzerland in 7 days over 86 miles and 34,000 feet of climbing. (We had a little help from a bus and a gondola for the more pedestrian sections, plus a rest day for massages and pasta in Courmayeur).

The scenery, the food, and the camaraderie of the international hiking community made for the trip of a lifetime.

Enchantments in a Day

The Enchantments are a mystical, magical chain of lakes in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Since backpacking through them in 2018, I knew I would find an excuse to return. Throughhiking them in a day was the perfect challenge. After sorting through a lot of car, campsite, and dog sitter logistics, all that was left to do was run.

  • Total mileage: 20.5

  • Total elevation gain: 5,000 ft

  • Total elevation loss: 6,500 ft

  • Total time: 13 hours

… and my knees will never be the same!

Every Single Squaking Trail

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Toward the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, “lockdown” felt novel and I was determined to make use of my newfound time close to home. Inspired by Stuke Sowle’s “Every Single Summit” and Rickey Gates’ “Every Single Street” projects, I challenged myself to cover every single step of Squak Mountain trails from my own front door. I planned routes to avoid repeating trails as much as possible, and to efficiently cover even the tiny connector trails. Final stats:

  • 29 days from start to finish

  • 12 trail runs

  • 89 miles total

  • 21,474 vertical feet

  • 1 trailhead margarita at the finish!

My favorite Squak trails:

  • Coal Mine Trail

  • May Valley Trail

  • Margaret’s Way

  • East Ridge Trail

  • East Side Trail

  • Chybinski Loop (new)

  • Central Peak Trail

  • Debbie’s View

This project gave me a deep appreciation for and connection to my home mountain. I feel lucky to live where I do!

Grand Canyon Trek

18 brute-i-ful miles through the Grand Canyon, down South Kaibab trailhead to Phantom Ranch and back up the Bright Angel trail. Temperatures ranged from 60s up top to high 90s within the canyon. At the time, this was my longest hike in one go, and my first time truly experiencing the Pain Cave.

For anyone visiting the Grand Canyon who is able: I highly recommend taking the time to hike in and experience its beauty from below. The color of the canyon walls and the heat of the desert will stay with me more from this trek than from any pictures I took at the rim.

100,000 Vertical Feet

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In early 2018, I realized I was falling in love with the mountains and that I had already put in quite a few vertical climbs. I set a goal to reach at least 100,000 feet of vertical elevation gain by the end of the year. All climbing was on my two feet, with the exception of a few ski tours and snowshoes. Highlights:

  • Ski touring up to Camp Muir with some very patient friends

  • Making a habit of “Tiger Tuesday” summits (and sunsets) after work

  • My first Mailbox Peak summit

  • A 2-day backpacking trip through the Enchantments

  • Exploring 1st and 2nd Burroughs Mountains and Glacier Basin Trail at Rainier