Author name: markshaeussler

Sunrise light on Mount Fitz Roy above Laguna de los Tres in Patagonia, Argentina
Adventure Travel, Argentina, Chile, Hiking, Patagonia, Personal Journeys, South America, Travel, Trip Report, Waterfalls, Wildlife Encounters

From Granite Spires to Jungle Roar: Patagonia and Iguazú in One Trip

Patagonia’s famous “logo mountain” is real—and it’s even more dramatic at sunrise above El Chaltén. This trip story follows our route from Los Glaciares and Torres del Paine to the thunder of Iguazú Falls, with the photos that defined each place.

Beautiful mountain scene with waterfall on the Teton Crest Trail in the Grand Tetons
Backpacking, Grand Teton, Yellowstone

Backpacking the Teton Crest & a Return to Yellowstone

It had been just over a year since my family and I last visited Yellowstone National Park. In that time, everything shifted — my wife Julie passed away after a long fight with cancer, and I moved from Illinois to Colorado to begin a new chapter. Returning to northwestern Wyoming — where Julie and I met and spent nearly every year of our marriage — felt both painful and necessary, a step toward reconnecting with a place that shaped so much of our life together.

Scroll to Top