Happy Friday! Jaimie and I are headed camping on the western side of Rocky Mountain National Park this weekend. It'll be our first time in the Grand Lake/Grandby region. Unfortunately, the main hiking trails off Trail Ridge Road are still inaccessible because the road is closed, but we'll make the best of it.

Jaime's worked 12 straight days in the hospital, so it'll be a nice chance to unwind and enjoy fresh mountain air. Plus, we haven't car camped in 18 months, so it's much needed!

Hopefully, you have a fun weekend planned as well!

What's inside:

Tell someone where you are hiking
The 2026 REI Anniversary Sale is here. Check out the deals.
Yosemite National Park Spotlight
Gear Corner - Camping Focus
YT Video of the week

Hiking on the Jimmy Simpson Jr trail in the Canadian Rockies

Tell someone where you are hiking or backpacking

Within the last week, there was a tragic death of a 24-year-old in Washington state. It's not fully known what happened, but it appears he fell some 800-1000 feet down a couloir. As terrible as that was, what caught my eye was the unfolding search-and-rescue effort.

As I loosely followed it on social media, they didn't initially know where he was. At first, it was thought to be Mount Poe. Then later on, Mount Pugh. These are in two different counties with two different law enforcement agencies.

As many know, hours can be crucial in the backcountry, especially when hurt. Now, we have no idea what resulted after the fall. At that height, it likely didn't matter what the response time was.

But in plenty of other circumstances, the faster people reach you, the better likelihood you have of surviving.

So, that brings me to today's main point. Tell someone - a friend, spouse, or parent - where you are going to hike, backpack, climb, or bike. I also recommend carrying a satellite communications device, such as a Garmin InReach. (The inReach Mini 2 is on sale for $250 now.)

Simply having a zone to key in on, rather than a needle-in-a-haystack approach, will get you help in the worst-case scenario.

Here's what I do when solo hiking on a standard trail: I shoot my wife a quick message with the trailhead name. Super easy. She knows where I am, and if it's a sunset hike, I'll let her know when I'm back down and heading home.

Here's what I do for a backpacking trip: Let my wife or parents know the trail I'm taking, how many days I'll be out, and when I expect to be back (and when to call 911 if I haven't been heard from). You can also l leave a note on your car's dashboard with this information as well.

These are super easy things that everyone should do. We never expect bad things to happen, but if we prepare for the worst, hopefully, help can arrive sooner rather than later if needed.

National Park Spotlight of the Week - Yosemite NP

Old Inspiration Point above Yosemite Valley

We're still in waterfall season in Yosemite, and figured, why not touch on one of my favorite national parks? During and after college, I worked at a summer camp south of the park, which allowed me daily trips into Yosemite. Floating the Merced, hiking Half Dome, and exploring the valley were an integral part of my young adulthood.

When did it become a National Park: 1890

How many people visit per year: In 2025, it had 4.27 million visitors, placing it fifth in the nation

Best airport to fly into: Fresno (for proximity), but SF for ease if you're looking for a major hub

My favorite hikes: Mist Trail, Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, or Taft Point (See my top hikes here.)

How many days? I believe 4 days is a nice sweet spot. Obviously, do more if you can. But I think four allows you to do some good hikes in the valley and up in Tuolumne Meadows (Here's a 4-day itinerary, including the town of Mariposa).

I made a video on a full hiking day in Yosemite, doing three different trails.