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Jotunheimen National Park: Vettisfossen

Paulina DaoJune 2, 20151855 views

The next stop after Bergen was Årdal to visit my friend Kris at Utladalen Camping and explore a tiny fraction of Jotunheimen National Park. First on our list was Vettisfossen.

With a drop of 275 meters (or 902 feet), Vettisfossen is the tallest unregulated waterfall in northern Europe—meaning it doesn’t go through a hydroelectric power station. The trail begins on a tractor road that follows the Utla river. It winds around and crosses the river several times before ending at Vetti Gard.

Hiking Convict Lake

Paulina DaoApril 27, 20151899 views

For my 25th birthday, I took a road trip through the Eastern Sierra. Renown for its mountain views, Convict Lake ranked high on my to-visit list. Located just south of Mammoth, this was the perfect stop on my way down to Bishop.

Hiking the Black Point Fissures at Mono Lake

Paulina DaoMarch 30, 201532K views

Mono Lake: Black Point Fissures Hike Review Trip Report

A few days prior to my Eastern Sierras birthday trip I poked around the #easternsierras hashtag on Instagram looking for some ideas and inspiration on what to do. I was pretty much stumped and so beyond planning a detailed itinerary at that point. My friend, Sarah, suggested the Black Point Fissures at Mono Lake. A quick click on this link and I was sold.

Hiking Buzzard’s Roost, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park

Paulina DaoMarch 13, 20150811 views

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park: Buzzard’s Roost Hike Trip Report

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park is a beautiful park, but it’s a fairly small park. There is probably less than 15 miles of hiking trails, some connecting deeper into Ventana Wilderness like Sykes Hot Springs via the Pine Ridge trail. Some are gems like the Big Sur River Gorge and Pfeiffer Falls. Others are less so.

Pinnacles National Park: Balconies Cliffs and Cave Loop

Paulina DaoMarch 10, 20151793 views

When my friend and fellow purple fiend, Oshie, invited me on a camping trip at Pinnacles National Park for a weekend, I couldn’t say no! My friendships with internet people have spawned some of the most fun and awesome memories. I packed my Teton Sports Hiker 3700, grabbed the keys and started the two hour drive to Pinnacles. And then I realized that I had both sets of keys to our building and apartment. I’d managed to absentmindedly grab all the existing keys within a 50 mile radius to my home. Whoops.