One of the highest points in the Sierra Estrella Wilderness, Quartz Peak offers spectacular views from atop a unique summit block made of white quartz. This challenging trail has beautiful vistas of the Rainbow Valley as it climbs a rugged ridge from the valley floor to the crest of the Sierra Estrella. Getting to the Trailhead The drive to this trailhead can be challenging. … [Read More]
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Hiking Black Mountain in Rancho San Antonio County Park
At 2,812 feet, Black Mountain looms large, way up, and behind, the smaller hills to the west of Highway 280 in Silicon Valley. On a clear day you can see the Pacific … [Read More]
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Hiking Camelback Mountain via the Echo Canyon Trail
Camelback Mountain is the most popular mountain to hike in the Phoenix area for good reasons. It’s a fun challenging hike from either side, with good views of the … [Read More]
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Hiking to High Point on Palomar Mountain in the Cleveland National Forest
Appropriately named High Point is the highest peak in the Palomar Ranger District of Cleveland National Forest. This hike offers unique views of Toro and San Jacinto Peak, and a colorful variety of trees that isn’t often found in Southern … [Read More]
Hiking Hot Springs Mountain on the Los Coyotes Reservation
Hot Springs Mountain in the Los Coyotes Reservation is the highest peak in San Diego County, with chaparral, oak and pine forests. On a clear day, you can see the Pacific Ocean over 50 miles away. Near the summit are the crumbling remains of a lookout tower, … [Read More]
New Day Hiking Permit Requirements for Wilderness Areas in the San Bernardino National Forest
Beginning September 1, 2020 day hikes up many popular trails in the San Bernardino National Forest will require a wilderness permit, and new trailhead quotas have been created to reduce overcrowding on the trails and help preserve the wilderness … [Read More]
Interview: John Soares, author of ‘Camp for Free: Dispersed Camping & Boondocking on America’s Public Lands’
Since the pandemic shut things down in California back in March, we've been keeping connected through weekly online "Happy Hours." Each week, we discuss a different topic related to the outdoors, and for our 14th happy hour, we held a Facebook Live discussion … [Read More]
Hiking the Tumalo Falls Loop
Hiking to Tumalo Falls is one of the "must-see" sights in the outdoor mecca that is Bend, Oregon. The namesake waterfall is a short walk from the trailhead parking, but most people don't realize that there is so much more to see – if you're willing to put in … [Read More]
Hiking to Chush Falls in the Three Sisters Wilderness
Beautiful Chush Falls on Whychus Creek is a local favorite in Central Oregon. The trail is an easy trek that parallels Whychus Creek with views of South Sister looming above. The first time we took this trail, we were looking for something easy for our two … [Read More]
Hiking the Canyon Creek Meadows Loop in the Mount Jefferson Wilderness
There is something about an alpine meadow filled with wildflowers with craggy mountain peaks as a backdrop that gives me a sense of peace. Beautiful cascading creek? Check. Craggy peaks? How about Three Fingered Jack? Alpine meadow? Hit it in late July and … [Read More]
How to #RecreateResponsibly as Trails Re-Open
As I sit down to write this, it's the Friday before the 3-day Memorial Day Weekend holiday. It's also the 65th day of California's Stay-at-Home order, so the days of the week and holidays don't seem to carry the same weight. Trails are reopening all over … [Read More]
How to answer the question “Is the [fill-in-the-blank] trail open?”
As hiking trails and parks begin to reopen, often with restrictions and new rules for social distancing and face coverings, the question on everyone's mind is "which hiking trails are open?" If you visit any of the Facebook groups devoted to hiking, you'll … [Read More]
Trails are Re-Opening in Los Angeles (but not all)
Good news, confusing news. The good news? Many hiking trails are re-opening in Los Angeles. The confusing news? There are still many trails in Los Angeles County that are not reopening. To begin with, Los Angeles County initially announced that hiking … [Read More]
Hiking Bill Williams Mountain
Named after a legendary Arizona mountain man, Bill Williams Mountain offers a beautiful hike through pine and aspen trees. Spring and summer are great times to hike this peak, but it’s even more special if you wait for the leaves to start changing. No matter … [Read More]
Backpacking the Wonderland Trail
Backpacking the Wonderland Trail in Mount Rainier National Park is a great way to test the thru-hiking waters to see if it's for you. Joan and I visited Mount Rainier National Park for the first time in 2018, as we were scouting trails for the Pacific … [Read More]
Essential Wonderland Trail Resources
If you want to hike the Wonderland Trail, it pays to do your homework. There were a number of resources we used help us plan, prepare, and successfully hike the Wonderland Trail. First up is the wonderful book Hiking the Wonderland Trail by Tami Asars. I … [Read More]
Mushrooms of the Wonderland Trail
I was amazed by the variety of mushrooms I saw on the Wonderland Trail. I know some of them are edible, but I've no idea which ones. Click on the gallery to view larger, and leave a comment on a photo if you can help me identify them. … [Read More]
REVIEW: The Healing Power of the Outdoors in ‘HIGHLINE’
The Highline Trail is a 100-mile trail through the little-traveled Uinta Mountains in northeast Utah. The Uintas are one of the few east-west ranges in North America. The are home to 13,528' Kings Peak, the high point of Utah. HIGHLINE is a feature-length … [Read More]
12 Outdoorsy Podcasts to Keep You Stoked While You’re Stuck at Home
Podcasts can be entertaining, informative, and educational. They are free to listen to, and portable. I like to listen to them on the drive to the trailhead. And they can provide a great mental escape when you're stuck inside. We asked members of the SoCal … [Read More]
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