#guided hike

[rebeccathenaturalist]

Hey, Portland-area folks! Want to go on a guided hike with me and learn about forest ecology? Tualitin Hills Park and Recreation District has invited me to show people some of the natural wonders at Cooper Mountain! More details at https://www.thprd.org/activities/search-classes-and-camps - sort by Winter 2026 and Nature Activities, then scroll down to Forest Ecology in the results.

[rebeccathenaturalist]

Black Friday Hike at Cape Disappointment

Get moving after Thanksgiving with a three mile hike through a beautiful Sitka spruce forest!

I've mainly been doing privately booked guided nature tours for the past couple months (yes, you can book me anytime throughout the year for a date and location of your choosing!) I figured it was time to offer a scheduled hike that anyone can join, so let's get out on the trail for Black Friday!

On November 24 from 1pm - 4pm we'll be exploring the North Head Trail at Cape Disappointment near Ilwaco, WA, a three mile out-and-back through forest and wetlands. Prepare for some moderate hills and great views along the way--and we might just head up onto the old battery at McKenzie Head, too!

This is an excellent opportunity to learn about local nature. Your guide, Rebecca Lexa (that's me!), will share her knowledge about the local flora, fauna, and fungi, as well as the ecosystems they are a part of. Bring your curiosity and your questions, and allow yourself to get to know this amazing natural place more deeply.

You can register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/black-friday-hike-at-cape-disappointment-tickets-760731657867

[rebeccathenaturalist]

So I'm still going through the various trails in my local Washington State Parks, seeing how long it takes me to hike each one without getting distracting and taking pictures of things every five feet so that I can give my guided nature tour participants better estimates of how long each trail might take. I haven't managed to NOT get distracted by cool things along the way at least a few times, but I can make it more than twenty feet before I stop and look.

Yesterday I spent the afternoon on the Discovery Trail section that goes from Ilwaco to Beard's Hollow at Cape Disappointment. There are a few "make sure you stretch first" hills, but the whole trail is either paved, boardwalk, or fairly even gravel and other natural surfaces, so I was able to make good time this time around. Technically speaking the trail begins in Ilwaco proper at the docks, but I began timing myself from the trailhead up the hill where you get into the woods. And since I started at Beard's Hollow I was going backwards (sort of), though I did walk into Ilwaco and grab a snack at Old Town Trading Post (how many hikes let you visit a cute little cafe partway through?)

I'm just about done timing trails at Cape D, other than the few around the visitor center. Leadbetter's going to be a challenge because this time of year almost all the trails have a flooded section (sometimes up to four feet deep!), and then as soon as they dry out it becomes Mosquito Season. July-early October is usually the best time for Leadbetter, though I have gone as late as November in drier years. I might just have to wait to time those, but that's okay. I'm working on adding other trails to my roster.

BTW, I am officially open for guided nature tours! The WA State Parks here are just the ones that I already have permits for, especially good for folks who arrive in the Columbia-Pacific region for a weekend and want same-day (or next-day-or-two, depending on my schedule) experiences. But I am open for booking throughout the Pacific Northwest; I just need enough lead-up time to secure any necessary permits and make other preparations. More info available at https://rebeccalexa.com/guided-nature-tours/

[rebeccathenaturalist]

Planning on heading outdoors over Memorial Day weekend? Bring me along and I'll help you learn more about the wildlife and habitats we encounter along the way! I'm primarily going to be working on the coast in the Columbia-Pacific Region (Seaside, Astoria, Long Beach Peninsula, etc.) on Friday, but I'm available to work elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest the rest of the time.

The sooner you can get in touch, the sooner we can make arrangements! I can go ahead and schedule right now for Washington State Parks in the Long Beach area (including the beach!), and any Oregon State Park. Some other places will require permits, and turnaround may not be long enough for all of them, but let's get talking now so we can make things happen.

Whether you want to work with me for the holiday, or make plans for a different weekday or weekend, head over to HireaNaturalist.com !

[audreykalman]

My life in 28 pounds

My life in 28 pounds

Or: How hiking the grand canyon is like having a baby or writing a book I traffic in words, and yet words sometimes seem wholly inadequate to convey an experience. Yet I owe it to myself to try. I recently returned from my third journey to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. I made the trek in 2008 and again in 2012. This time was different. This time, no mules carried my supplies. Instead, I…

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[adventureswithrachel]

Franz Josef Glacier

#franzjosef guided hike! a #glacier in #newzealand. Beautiful!

Sorry this post is a little late – my big final projects are due this week and I completely forgot to post.  But here it is – photos from my Franz Josef Glacier Guides Valley walk. (which I booked for half price at bookme.)      So the third and final leg of my trip was the Franz Josef glacier.  I was going to go on a helicopter tour/hike on the glacier but unfortunately, the weather had other…

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