We are Cynthia & Tex. A human and dog duo exploring the Pacific Northwest & beyond.

A dog wearing an orange jacket standing outdoors on a mountain landscape with snow-capped peaks and green trees in the background.
A black Honda Civic driving on a dirt road through a desert landscape with rocky terrain, leading towards snow-capped mountains in the distance at sunset.
A person in orange pants and dark jacket wearing an orange beanie sits on rocks by a calm mountain lake, with a dog beside them. The lake reflects the surrounding pine trees and snow-capped mountains under a cloudy sky.

Hello!

A dog with an orange collar looking at a mountain lake during sunset with snow-capped peaks in the background.

Best Bike Rides In and Around Seattle

From City Trails to Hidden Forest Roads

Explore the List

Hi, I'm Cynthia. And the dog already at the trailhead? He’s Tex.

We're based in Seattle and spend as much time outside as we can manage while working full-time — backpacking, hiking, cycling, climbing, paddling, the occasional packrafting. It started with a solo road trip to Utah in 2018 and just kind of kept going.

This is where I document the adventures. Hopefully it's enough to get you off the couch and out the door too.

Read more about our story.
A woman wearing glasses and an orange beanie hugging a black and white dog by the water during sunset.

Backpacking

Cycling & Kayaking Adventures

Beyond Washington

Solo Backpacking for Beginners: How I Got Started (and What I Wish I Knew)

A small camping tent set up on a dirt ground in a forested area with trees and mountains in the background, illuminated by sunlight.
A yellow and gray camping tent set up on a grassy area with snow-capped mountains in the background under a partly cloudy sky.
Snow-capped mountains at sunrise or sunset with colorful sky and rocky foreground.
A woman and her dog hiking on a dirt trail surrounded by tall pine trees with yellow and green foliage in a mountainous forest area.
Teach me your ways!

Catch Me Outside

View fullsize everything is going to be okay. especially when your best adventure partner is a dog that loves you unconditionally and is stoked to go everywhere you take them. every time. haven’t camped in a while and took a much needed trip exploring the
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View fullsize I hardly set any goals for myself. The past few years have been rather turbulent in a lot of aspects of my life. Since then, everything has somehow become somewhat uncertain or spontaneous. But this year, I decided to sign up for the STP (Seattle to
View fullsize Bikes are fun. Riding has connected me to my younger self - that version of me had less social anxiety or any type of anxiety really. I couldn’t care less about what other people thought about me. Riding has also helped me reconsider how I a
View fullsize Holding onto the memories of a generally really fantastic year. Started a new job. Went on an epic road trip before the new job. Spent much needed time outside. Explored hikes that have been on my bucket list forever. Spent some quality time with f
View fullsize Growing up, my family and I always rode on this long route to a reservoir (大尾篤) and back. And honestly as kids, I was pretty amazed how we always managed to do that. After countless days of my parents being super patient, my sister and I became speed
View fullsize For some reason, this 9.2 mile round trip hike was one of the most difficult ones I’ve done this season. The stats weren’t any more different than other ones I’ve done. The elevation gain was comparable. But my body was indeed tired
View fullsize Trail shots of the CAMP BEEF crew out on the YAB trail. A trip that did make it out of the group chat. Took @chrischinn__ on his first backpacking trip. @mckayla.reanne is the real speed queen. Justin is just vibing and sharing insights about being