Most Recent Adventures:
Sarah highlights some of her favorite things to do in St. Lucia, including mud baths and horseback riding!
This is my trip report from a 3-day winter ascent up Mount Katahdin via the new Abol Trail. We hauled our gear in by towing sleds with cross-country skis, and we camped in a lean-to at Abol Campground.
This is a list of gear I used for my winter ascent up Mount Katahdin via the Abol Trail, including what worked and what didn’t.
Sarah details her favorite activities in Virgin Gorda, all of which are free or on-the-cheap.
Blackburn Challenge #2 finished. Journey with me through one of the most challenging paddle endeavours on the planet. Watch as I battle a raccoon for some shiitake mushrooms. View some gear I recommend for ocean paddling. Please feel free to email or comment.
Winter can be a very dangerous time on Mount Washington (as can ANY time of the year). Here are some of Sarah's favorite things to keep her safe and warm on the mountain.
Read Sarah and Dale's trip report of their winter ascent up Mount Washington using the Lion Head Trail.
Read Sarah's recommendations on what to bring (and what NOT to bring) on a climb up Mount Elbrus, the highest mountain in Europe.
A story about a friendly rivalry that resulted in an epic canoe-racing battle against some of the best paddlers in the state.
Sarah talks about her last day on Mount Elbrus, the vodka and bowling celebration after, and her trip home.
The weather was not in our favor on summit day, but thankfully the skies cleared up after a grueling morning, and we got amazing views from the top!
The weather was not very good for our first day we reserved for summit day. We used this time off to practice self-arresting with our ice axes.
Today we had some great views as we did an acclimatization hike to prepare for our summit attempt up Mount Elbrus.
It's finally starting to feel real! Today we settled into base camp and did an acclimatization hike. As excited as I am to summit Mount Elbrus, I'm starting to question if I'm even doing this for the right reasons.
Today we hiked on the slopes of Mount Cheget and spent some time walking around town in preparation for our trip up to the barrel huts tomorrow.
Showers are different in Russia than in the U.S. Read this amusing story of my first experience in a Russian shower.
Today begins my solo journey to Russia to climb Mount Elbrus. Enjoy my stories and photos as you travel along with me.
We spent the day getting a tour of Dar Es Salaam, but unfortunately we had a bit too much down time and ended up getting to the airport early and having to wait for several hours for our flight. We made it home safely, but not before our car engine blew out on us 30 miles from home.
Today we visited the big tortoises on Prison Island. We had a lot of fun, and we got some snorkeling in afterwards as well. After this it was time to take the ferry back to mainland Tanzania which meant our trip was soon coming to an end.
Today we did the infamous Spice Tour in Stone Town which I would recommend to anyone traveling to Zanzibar. We learned about a bunch of spices and got to see them in their natural habitat and then had to chance to eat some spices and fruit. We also walked around Stone Town today and got some food at the local markets.
Today we took a dhow to the outskirts of Mnemba Island to go snorkeling. We had a great time, although we wished it lasted longer. Both of us got a little sea sick, but it was still a great time!
Today we went to Kiwengwa to go horseback riding! We spent some time relaxing on the beach and guarding our stuff from local toddlers who were trying to steal our stuff, and then I went horseback riding on the beach and swimming bareback in the ocean. After that we walked down the beach, made friends with a herd of cows, backtracked to search for a missing shoe, and then ended the day back in Nungwi to watch a boat full of crazy drunk Russians come and party at the restaurant we were eating dinner at.
Today we flew from Kilimanjaro International Airport to Zanzibar. Our hotel wasn't expecting us, so we had to sit around and wait while they got a room ready for us which ended up being beautiful. We stayed at Langi Langi Beach Bungalows in Nungwi. Today we walked around the local villages, explored the dhows on the beach, and ate lots of good food.
Today we spent the day at Ngorongoro Crater and saw a bunch of lions! This was by far my favorite place to visit on our safari. We learned more about the disappearing black rhino population and were even lucky enough to see a few rhino from far away.
We spent another day in the Serengeti today and saw a lion, cheetah, and leopard! We also made a pit stop at Olduvai Gorge which is a famous archaeological site. We finished the day with a broken car after some wild rides.
Today we drove over to the Serengeti. On our way, we had to get our car repaired by a guy with a sketchy setup that involved plugging his homemade contraption into live electrical wires. We visited a Massai Village, and Charlie got to do the "jumping dance" with the tribe members. After that we saw some more wildlife including the cutest baby baboon
Today was day 1 of our camping safari with Ahsante Tours. We met our safari guide, Elvis, and drove over to Tarangire National Park to view some wildlife. The roads would have been difficult to navigate if we didn't have a guide. We saw many animals today, including elephant, zebra, giraffe, water buck, buffalo, baboon, wart hog, impala, ostrich, and even two cheetah at the end. Our day ended at Karatu Forest Tented Camp, which was much more luxurious than we were expecting!
This is my trip report from a 3-day winter ascent up Mount Katahdin via the new Abol Trail. We hauled our gear in by towing sleds with cross-country skis, and we camped in a lean-to at Abol Campground.
This is a list of gear I used for my winter ascent up Mount Katahdin via the Abol Trail, including what worked and what didn’t.
Winter can be a very dangerous time on Mount Washington (as can ANY time of the year). Here are some of Sarah's favorite things to keep her safe and warm on the mountain.
Read Sarah and Dale's trip report of their winter ascent up Mount Washington using the Lion Head Trail.
James talks about one of Dale's nighttime adventures in the Bangor City Forest. Prepare to be amused!
Blackburn Challenge #2 finished. Journey with me through one of the most challenging paddle endeavours on the planet. Watch as I battle a raccoon for some shiitake mushrooms. View some gear I recommend for ocean paddling. Please feel free to email or comment.
Read about what gear worked and what didn't on our most recent winter adventure race, the Frigid Infliction.
Dale's take on Sunday River's North American Wife Carrying Championship. Instead of pressuring women to be little, we should encourage them to be strong so they can carry their partners too!
A story about a friendly rivalry that resulted in an epic canoe-racing battle against some of the best paddlers in the state.
Dale talks about some of his paddling mentors who are kicking butt against people half their age. If you want some inspiration, this is it.
Boiling Lake is a wonderful hike in Dominica that can be challenging to some, but is surely worth the effort. Although a guide is recommended, we did it successfully without one, and hopefully this trip report can help those who are looking to do the same.
Sarah highlights some of her favorite things to do in St. Lucia, including mud baths and horseback riding!
Sarah details her favorite activities in Virgin Gorda, all of which are free or on-the-cheap.
When I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, I wasn't sure what gear to bring. I had a packing list from my tour guide, but I didn't know what things I could do without since I had never climbed such a big mountain before. In this article I go through what worked well for me and what didn't, and also items that were nice to have on the remainder of my trip. I focus on women’s gear, but I also include the male equivalent for most products.
We spent the day getting a tour of Dar Es Salaam, but unfortunately we had a bit too much down time and ended up getting to the airport early and having to wait for several hours for our flight. We made it home safely, but not before our car engine blew out on us 30 miles from home.
Today we visited the big tortoises on Prison Island. We had a lot of fun, and we got some snorkeling in afterwards as well. After this it was time to take the ferry back to mainland Tanzania which meant our trip was soon coming to an end.
Today we did the infamous Spice Tour in Stone Town which I would recommend to anyone traveling to Zanzibar. We learned about a bunch of spices and got to see them in their natural habitat and then had to chance to eat some spices and fruit. We also walked around Stone Town today and got some food at the local markets.
Today we took a dhow to the outskirts of Mnemba Island to go snorkeling. We had a great time, although we wished it lasted longer. Both of us got a little sea sick, but it was still a great time!
Today we went to Kiwengwa to go horseback riding! We spent some time relaxing on the beach and guarding our stuff from local toddlers who were trying to steal our stuff, and then I went horseback riding on the beach and swimming bareback in the ocean. After that we walked down the beach, made friends with a herd of cows, backtracked to search for a missing shoe, and then ended the day back in Nungwi to watch a boat full of crazy drunk Russians come and party at the restaurant we were eating dinner at.
Today we flew from Kilimanjaro International Airport to Zanzibar. Our hotel wasn't expecting us, so we had to sit around and wait while they got a room ready for us which ended up being beautiful. We stayed at Langi Langi Beach Bungalows in Nungwi. Today we walked around the local villages, explored the dhows on the beach, and ate lots of good food.
Today we spent the day at Ngorongoro Crater and saw a bunch of lions! This was by far my favorite place to visit on our safari. We learned more about the disappearing black rhino population and were even lucky enough to see a few rhino from far away.
We spent another day in the Serengeti today and saw a lion, cheetah, and leopard! We also made a pit stop at Olduvai Gorge which is a famous archaeological site. We finished the day with a broken car after some wild rides.
Today we drove over to the Serengeti. On our way, we had to get our car repaired by a guy with a sketchy setup that involved plugging his homemade contraption into live electrical wires. We visited a Massai Village, and Charlie got to do the "jumping dance" with the tribe members. After that we saw some more wildlife including the cutest baby baboon
Today was day 1 of our camping safari with Ahsante Tours. We met our safari guide, Elvis, and drove over to Tarangire National Park to view some wildlife. The roads would have been difficult to navigate if we didn't have a guide. We saw many animals today, including elephant, zebra, giraffe, water buck, buffalo, baboon, wart hog, impala, ostrich, and even two cheetah at the end. Our day ended at Karatu Forest Tented Camp, which was much more luxurious than we were expecting!
Today was our last day on the Lemosho Route. We had an amazing time climbing Kilimanjaro, and today was a day of celebration. We had a tipping ceremony on the mountain, and this proved to be awkward when our guide read all the tip numbers out loud for the whole crew to hear.
Charlie and I barely slept at Crater Camp, and our camp manager was vomiting all night from altitude sickness. We had a small breakfast in the morning and made our way back up to the summit, which was nice and clear! After that, we made the long trip down to Millenium Camp in the rain.
Today we summitted Kilimanjaro and then made our way down to Crater Camp. We are really feeling the effects of altitude, and Charlie had to rest in the tent while I explored the crater and glaciers with Raymond and Arden. It was a cold night, and we both had headaches and couldn't sleep, but it was an experience that was totally worth it!
Today was another short day, making our way from Karanga Valley Camp to Barafu Camp. We were above the clouds for a bit, and we are now anticipating summit day tomorrow!
Today we climbed up the Barranco Wall. It was a short day, and we arrived at Karanga Valley Camp before lunchtime!
Today we hiked up to Lava Tower for acclimation, and then made our way down to the beautiful Barranco Camp.
Today we broke out of the jungle and got a beautiful view of Kilimanjaro. My asthma acted up on me a little bit, but we are still doing great.
Our first day on the Lemosho Route was an easy day. We walked through the jungle and spent the night at Big Tree Camp. Charlie and I both have traveler's diarrhea, but we're doing okay so far.
We traveled from Arusha to Moshi by bus today and had the joy of trying to drag our luggage on the streets after our bus driver drove past our stop. We met with our guides, had them check our gear, and relaxed the rest of the day since our climb starts tomorrow!
Today we explored a tribal village at the base of Mount Meru and hiked in the jungle to see a beautiful waterfall. My favorite part was getting followed by the local kids who were screaming "Give me my money!"
We got our first taste of Africa today by exploring the markets of Arusha. Being white really made us stand out, and we got bombarded by locals trying to sell us stuff from their stands.
The first two days of our trip to Tanzania were all traveling. Our plan is to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, go on a camping safari, and enjoy the island of Zanzibar over the course of 23 days. The adventure starts here!
Read Sarah's recommendations on what to bring (and what NOT to bring) on a climb up Mount Elbrus, the highest mountain in Europe.
Sarah talks about her last day on Mount Elbrus, the vodka and bowling celebration after, and her trip home.
The weather was not in our favor on summit day, but thankfully the skies cleared up after a grueling morning, and we got amazing views from the top!
The weather was not very good for our first day we reserved for summit day. We used this time off to practice self-arresting with our ice axes.
Today we had some great views as we did an acclimatization hike to prepare for our summit attempt up Mount Elbrus.
It's finally starting to feel real! Today we settled into base camp and did an acclimatization hike. As excited as I am to summit Mount Elbrus, I'm starting to question if I'm even doing this for the right reasons.
Today we hiked on the slopes of Mount Cheget and spent some time walking around town in preparation for our trip up to the barrel huts tomorrow.
Showers are different in Russia than in the U.S. Read this amusing story of my first experience in a Russian shower.
Today begins my solo journey to Russia to climb Mount Elbrus. Enjoy my stories and photos as you travel along with me.
Hi, we're Sarah and Dale! Join us on our journey of healthy living, crazy adventures, and good food. Our lifestyle has been shaped by Sarah's ulcerative colitis, Dale's experiences as a professional athlete, and our desire for an exciting and happy life. Read more about us here.
Boiling Lake is a wonderful hike in Dominica that can be challenging to some, but is surely worth the effort. Although a guide is recommended, we did it successfully without one, and hopefully this trip report can help those who are looking to do the same.