THE BEST NATIONAL PARKS TO VISIT THIS FALL
movement therapy skills,” Ellie shares. This allows her to address issues like joint pain, muscle pain, and sciatica to help people enjoy their favorite sports and activities with ease. In addition to being a familiar face at Altitude, Ellie is no stranger to Caldwell. She grew up here and graduated from Vallivue High School. Joining Altitude was the perfect pathway to lead her back to her Idaho roots. “I’m excited to come back to Idaho,” Ellie says. She’s an avid hiker, skier, angler, mountain biker, and “you name it,” she says of the long list of outdoor activities she enjoys. Between finishing her residency and starting at Altitude, Ellie celebrated the milestone with a week-long, self-guided rafting trip along the Salmon River. It sounds like the perfect way to mark the start of her next adventure. Have you ever wanted to experience the colors of a Boston fall while enjoying the peace and tranquility of the great outdoors? Autumn leaves are a universally appreciated sign of the changing seasons, and there’s no better place to see those vibrant yellows, oranges, and reds on display than in one of America’s national parks. So, if you’ve got some free time this autumn, here are some parks worth seeing. ACADIA NATIONAL PARK, MAINE While the maple, birch, and poplar trees of Acadia begin to change color in September, mid-October is the best time to witness autumn in full swing. The park is crisscrossed with unpaved trails that date back to a time of horse-drawn carriages, preserving an idyllic setting. If you want to see the colors in full effect, take a drive to the top of Cadillac Mountain, the highest point along the North Atlantic seaboard, and watch the sun crest over the vibrant leaves. To fully experience fall in the Northeastern U.S., Acadia National Park is a must-see. GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK, TENNESSEE AND NORTH CAROLINA Further south, the autumn colors of the Smoky Mountains are no less breathtaking than those
in the Northeast. This park offers many scenic lookout points accessible by car, so don’t worry about hoofing it into the forest if that’s not your thing. Park wherever you like and watch the warm colors of ancient maples, oaks, and cedars change before your eyes. GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK, WYOMING While the West might typically be associated with evergreen pines, the deciduous trees of the relatively small Grand Teton National Park pack a colorful punch starting around the third week of September. It’s also breeding season for elk in the area, and their high, eerie whistles can be heard in the evenings. Popular destinations in the park include the Christian Pond Loop and String Lake. Just because the weather is cooling down doesn’t mean you have to abandon your favorite national parks until next summer. The natural beauty of America can be experienced at any time of the year, so start planning your next autumn outdoor excursion!
ELLIE COMES HOME OUR NEWEST PT IS RIGHT AT HOME AT ALTITUDE
Last month, Ellie Toscan wrapped up her orthopedic residency at Creighton University. This month, she joins Altitude PT as a physical therapist. We are so excited to welcome this awesome individual back to our clinics. We first got to know Ellie when she did her clinicals here as a student in the fall of 2017. Ellie got along really well with our patients, and it was clear that she was would be a skilled clinician. Since then, she’s gone above and beyond in her education, completing her orthopedic residency at Creighton in order to address the deeper aches and pains people experience. Ellie says it was the realization that she likes treating a wide range of patients that encouraged her area of specialization. “I really enjoy working with people throughout the age spectrum, from high schoolers with sports injuries to people with osteoarthritis of the knee and low back pain,” she says. “I wanted to specialize more, so I went back to Creighton to specialize in orthopedic PT.” As Ellie explains, an orthopedic specialty means she’s focused on treating the muscles, joints, and nervous system to ease aches and pains. “I’ve gotten to hone in on movement analysis and
Ellie and her new Aussie pup, Groot
Ellie and her sister, Andie
Ellie and Codi
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