The Clearwater Trekkers began in Orofino, Idaho, with our first hike on the Big Eddy Trail back in 2014. The North Fork of the Clearwater River feeds the Dworshak Reservoir, … Read More

While, “All of them,” would be an honest answer, it didn’t seem to be quite adequate to the task of sharing my thoughts on some of the trails I’d love … Read More

I love exploring new trails in the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests with The Clearwater Trekkers, but sometimes I feel like our forays only serve to whet my appetite. My list … Read More

Over the past two seasons that I have worked for Rites of Passage Wilderness Therapy, I have enjoyed 30 weeks backpacking around the Olympic National Park and Forest. I’ve been … Read More

Elevation Low: ~800 ft High: ~1,000 ft Distance: 12 – 16 mile loop Difficulty: Easy to moderate Best Seasons: Late Spring to Early Fall Maps Wynoochee Lake Shore Trail Points of … Read More

I will not die an unlived life I will not live in fear of falling or catching fire. I choose to inhabit my days, to allow my living to open … Read More

Why do we go into the wilderness to do therapy and create rites of passage? Because the wilderness has a way of taking us to the edge of our maps, … Read More

Three of us sat on the cliff edge overlooking a gray Pacific Ocean. The fog was thick enough to be a mist, shrouding the morning in quiet. I was sharing … Read More

My journey into wilderness therapy was a quest to understand rites of passage and the ways we incorporate them today. I explored that question with boots on the ground and … Read More

When I first started looking into employment as a wilderness therapy field guide, I called or emailed everyone I could from Utah to Washington. I wanted to know what was … Read More