Wish you could adventure in the mountains all year, but are deterred by winter and snow? Even if you’re not a skier or snowboarder, you can still hit the trails by snowshoeing! Any hiker can easily snowshoe. These floatation devices, used for centuries, spread your weight over a larger area and let you walk over the snow without sinking. Strap on a pair and don’t let the cold keep you indoors this winter!

Sometimes, mountains save lives. It's no secret climbing is inherently dangerous. But it can also be a lifeline, a way to stay grounded and focused, to remember what's important in life, to challenge us to be our best selves. Before McKenzie Johnson could conquer high peaks, she had to conquer an addiction to alcohol.

If you are one of those hikers who has waited forever for it to stop raining or for a clear weather day to get outside, read on.

Finding the right climbing partner is critical. It has to be someone you trust with your life, someone with whom you can communite, someone you want to share the highs and lows. Ellie Briggs, 38, found her perfect partner 7 1/2 years ago -- a Siberian husky she named Loki Eddison. Since then, the adorably bad ass dog has become the first to climb all 58 of Colorado's 14,000-foot peaks and the first service dog to summit 14,411-foot Mount Rainier in Washington state.

Ask any seasoned hiker what the most worthwhile treks in the world are and you'll get a different answer. But ask enough times and you'll start to see some of the same trails popping up again and again. Our top picks require lots of preparation, sturdy legs, strong lungs and a decent dose of determination. Who is ready to get their walk on?

There's something about golden larch trees dotted across high mountain slopes and encircling frigid alpine lakes that lures hikers in.  For just a few weeks each fall, hundreds in Washington state go hunting for the deciduous conifers in an experience affectionately dubbed the "Larch March."  The window shifts every year but your best bet is usually late September to mid-October. That's when larch needles turn a fiery yellow before dropping and going out in a blaze of gold.