The first four days of our hike across the South Island of New Zealand has been a dream. Some call it The Land the Time Forgot because of its prehistoric beauty. The Maōri, the indigenous Polynesians of New Zealand, call it Aotearoa: The Land of the Long White Cloud. We started the trip on ferries from Wellington on the North Island to Picton on the South Island where the Queen Charlotte track begins. Ferry dropoff at the trailhead The Queen Charlotte track follows the shore

My last trip into the Olympics for 2025 was full of fall color. This time of year is beautiful on the Olympic Peninsula if you’re willing to get rained on a little (or a lot). We were incredibly lucky to get a break in the weather before a massive rain system blew in over the Pacific Northwest. We started day 1 in Port Angeles gathering some last minute supplies to keep us warm: kindling and a bottle of Wild Turkey 101. The sun goes down early this time of year - before 5:00p