Destinations & Things To Do

Loop de Loop: Completing the Tahoe Rim Trail

Published

5 hours ago

August 5, 2025

Alone together

We may be walking the same path, but our journey is different. Backpacking is not a team sport; it’s an individual grind. Hiking partners may help each other plan the day, give a listening ear along the way, share a lunch spot and a camp area, but ultimately, you are on your own when it comes to the actual hiking. The last day of our 175 mile thru hike of the Tahoe Rim Trail (TRT), Bluebird and I are both exhausted and running on empty.

“I’m going on,” she said as she packed up and headed out after our lunch break. “But you may see me in a mile or so passed out along the trail, I’m so tired.”

“Ok,” I said. “I’ll make sure to stop and press your SOS button, but don’t expect much more. I’m finishing this trail.”

Haha. Just joking. Or, am I? Backpacking is a tough sport. It’s you. Twenty-five pounds on your back. A starting point and an end point. And the rocky, steep, muddy, twisting, confounding path that connects them. It’s up to you and the trail shoes on your feet to get you there. No tagging out. No substitutions. No line changes. You carry your own shelter, food and water. No support team. No coaches or cheerleaders or anyone to toss you a Gatorade bottle from the touch line. It’s just you. And maybe, if you’re lucky, someone else on the path playing their own version of the same game.

Beauty abounds

After this trip, I am pretty sure I am spoiled, and it may take a lot of convincing for me to hike any other trails. I’ve hiked in and appreciated all kinds of natural settings: green lush canopied forests, secluded lonely backcountry farm roads, sandy beaches with crashing surf. I’ve hiked the Appalachian Trail, the Pinhoti Trail, the Colorado Trail, much of Te Araroa, and now the TRT. The TRT is beautiful. Lake Tahoe is the idyllic backdrop when you’re on trail, grinding out miles. It’s the perfect incentive to look up. For much of the hike, the lake’s either right there or right around the next crest or corner. And when it’s not, there’s the numerous and wonderous smaller lakes in Desolation Wilderness. The granite, snow peaked Sierra Mountains. The towering and majestic pines. The way the light shines and reflects at dawn and dusk in the dry mountain air. It is all so stunning and unforgettably beautiful.

It took us eighteen days to complete our hike. We took a zero in Tahoe City and 2 nero’s. One in South Lake Tahoe and one in Stateline. The weather was mostly fantastic. Rained and hailed one afternoon after we had already set up our tents, then caught us the next day on trail, but it was short lived. The threat of severe weather and low temperatures on Freel Mountain caused us to change our game plan on Day fifteen. But like any well-trained players, we adapted. Instead of continuing counterclockwise to end where we started on Spooner Summit, we shuttled there and hiked clockwise back to Big Meadows, where we had to get off trail due to the bad weather. We closed the loop completed our thru hike.

Lean on me, metaphorically

Some days I was the strong hiker. Most days Bluebird was. One day we only hiked 5 miles. It took us about 2 and a half hours. The second to last day, we covered fourteen hard miles and over 3,300′ of elevation in 9 hours. Generally, we didn’t hike together, but we were never more than a quarter of a mile apart. Again, we weren’t a team, but it didn’t mean we weren’t soul teammates. We hiked the same path with the same goal. We helped each other when we could. We shared encouragement:

“You know what you are? A badass, the badass of badasses!”

“You got this!”

“Come on, only one more mile!”

We shared some cookies and candy. We shared a water filter. We shared motel and hostel rooms. We shared tears. We shared doubts and joys. We also shared frustrations and a few unkind words.

I know Bluebird was slightly miffed when I selfishly decided to put in earbuds, play some funky music and race down the windy and rocky Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride section. She hates the steep, bouldery downhills, designed for mountain biking fun, and definitely not hiker friendly. She probably could have used some gentle encouragement from me instead of worrying about matching my frantic pace. Uhh….oops.

Then there was the evening at the end of a very long water scarce day when I misinterpreted directions to meet a Trail Angel to fill up our water bottles. We’d hiked up the wrong side trail and I was standing there with spotty phone signal, trying to decipher where and how to get to the correct spot. Trail Angel on the speaker phone. Bluebird impatiently verbalizing frustration – why the #&*! did we hike up this steep side trail in the wrong direction only to now be totally lost? Uhh….oops.

But we survived, our hiking partnership intact and strengthened. Game. Set. Match. Who won? Who cares. Most don’t consider backpacking a sport because there are no winners and losers. I like it that way. It’s just you, the trail and those around you walking the same path. No winners, no losers, just hikers.

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Destinations & Things To Do

Top 10 places to see leopards in India

Published

4 hours ago

August 5, 2025

TOI Lifestyle Desk

Leopards steal the spotlight in most cases, although they don’t roar or strut.These are the most elusive jungle cats that aren’t out there to impress with theatrics like lions or flex their dominance like tigers. They prefer to ghost through the trees, crash city fringes, or casually nap on a branch, which you might get to spot in any of these national parks if you are lucky. So, If you’re dreaming to spot one of them in their stealth action, here are 10 wild places in India where leopards love to play hide and peek-a-boo.

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Destinations & Things To Do

Here is the Canadian destination people plan to visit next: poll

Published

5 hours ago

August 5, 2025

Karen Longwell

Canada’s short summer has passed the halfway mark, but there is still time to travel before kids return to school.

Many Canadians are choosing domestic destinations this year in response to tariff and annexation threats from U.S. President Donald Trump. Canadian-resident return trips by air from the United States dropped 22.1 per cent to 363,900, the Statistics Canada June report says.

An INsauga.com poll asked: “What Canadian destination do you plan to visit next?”

As of Aug. 1, a total of 2,856 people responded.

The Maritimes was the top choice with 1,051 people (36.8 per cent) selecting this part of the country.

Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador offer a range of tourist sites and activities.

Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland and Labrador features a stunning landscape with cliffs, waterfalls and glacial fjords.

Sites such as Peggy’s Cove and UNESCO World Heritage Site Lunenburg are top attractions in Nova Scotia. And Hopewell Rocks, Fundy National Park and the Reversing Falls are popular spots in New Brunswick.

Known for the spectacular Rocky Mountains, Western Canada was the second choice in the poll with 825 (28.89 per cent) choosing this area to travel.

Another 359 people selected Quebec and 622 people (21.78 per cent) said other.

Lead photo of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia: Enrique

Last 30 Days: 101,881 Votes

All Time: 789,067 Votes

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Destinations & Things To Do

Enjoy the Moment – The Trek

Published

5 hours ago

August 5, 2025

Craig U - ‘Early Bird’

The combination of me hitting the wall, the more challenging terrain in New Hampshire/Southern Maine, and my nagging injuries (including my severe ankle roll that forced me off Trail for 6 days, almost ending the journey) have made it difficult to enjoy the Trail the last month. But seeing old friends, making some new ones, experiencing the beauty of Maine, and realizing this is soon coming to an end has made me really enjoy the last week.

Sunset over Pierce Pond

Old Friends

Unexpectedly seeing familiar faces on Trail is always a great feeling. So, when I took cover from a midday rainstorm to eat lunch at a Maine shelter and bumped into Lord Chuckles and Bugs, I was shocked. I first met Chuckles in Franklin, NC. We hiked together a little through the Smokies and into Tennessee, and I last saw him when we Wayside hoped in the Shenandoah’s, which was over 1,000 miles ago.

Frye Notch Lean-to (Lord Chuckles; Bugs)

I hadn’t seen Bugs in more than 1,600 miles, I last saw her around Sam’s Gap in TN. Bugs will go down as the hiker that I went the most miles between seeing. It’s funny to think, they have been doing exactly what I have been doing for the last several months, following this white blaze through the woods, and it brought us all here, together, at the doorstep of Katahdin. Although brief, sitting with them was a stroll down memory lane and a great boost to my psyche.

Grafton Notch – (Mark Trails; Gray Jay)

For the past 200 miles I’ve been hiking/camping with and around Mark Trails, who I haven’t really seen since PA, and Chicken Legs (recently met) who is doing a Long Ass Section Hike (LASH) from Harpers Ferry. We have had some of the best town days in Monson, Rangeley, and Carrabassett Valley. While they hike much faster than me, I can definitely hold my own when we drink in town! Chicken Legs is one of the fastest hikers I have encountered on trail, including any of the kids I met in the south. He’s knowledgeable, light, fast and strong – and he gets on trail before me! We have had lots of laughs, and those are the moments I will remember.

Chicken Legs atop of South Horn (Bigelow Mtn)

I Can See For Miles

August 1st was a great day. Many of my friends were planning to summit Katahdin, and I was so excited for them that I kept refreshing my Instagram feed to see if they posted pictures. But for me, it was the last day of Southern Maine, my last climb of a 4,000 foot mountain until Katahdin. When I arrived at the Bigelow West Peak, I could see forever, including Katahdin, 180 miles away. These were the best views I have had on the entire Trail, including the Whites. The weather was perfect. I sat there for over an hour. I then sat at Avery Peak for 45 minutes, and spent another 45 minutes at Little Bigelow Mountain eating dinner. I knew all this time would mean getting to camp at dark, but I realized, in several weeks, I would be back to work and wishing I was here. Rolling into camp at 8pm, I bumped into more old friends who I haven’t seen since Pennsylvania. Chicken Louise, Alpha Gal, and Metro. It was so enjoyable to share conversations, including the views of the day.

Little Bigelow Lean-To (Chicken Louise; Alpha Gal; Metro)

Lebowski

In April 2021, I section hiked the Smokies and met and connected with several thru hikers. When they arrived in the NY area, I picked them up from Trail and offered them a reset and resupply at my home. When they came, I met Lebowski and we have stayed in touch ever since. Lebowski is a ‘21 NOBO Alum, and when he learned of my attempt this year, he was so supportive, including offering me trail magic at East Flagstaff Road in Maine. He had bacon, eggs, burgers, candy, chips, baked goods, and beer! All of the desires of thru hikers. Trail magic is so special, and I am so grateful every time I receive it. But when someone comes to do trail magic specifically for you, it’s even more special. I am forever grateful, and will always remember that.

Lebowski

Misc:

Thanks to Meat Suit (‘21 Alum) for the dogs, burgers and beers at Rte 17, the cooler at Rte 4, Jill and Ken at Camp 43 (Rangeley) and the crazy trail magic by Donna at Rte 4! Thanks to Hostel of Maine, leapin lenas for the cooler at Shirley Blanchard Road. Maniac for the kayak crossing of the kennebec, everyone at Shaws Hostel, and of course Lebowski!

Mystery Cooler – Rte 4

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