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I’ve got some additions to my list:
- Channel Islands (hat tip to @last_adventurer)
- Mt. Baden-Powell
- Bedford Peak (both credit to @rgpelayo)
- Sandstone Peak (thanks to @modernhiker)
And so the list grows…
Got any others to add?
Griff, I highly suggest checking out the hiking groups at Meetup.com as a starting point. There are a variety of groups depending on the level of hike you’re after, and it’s a great way to meet other active hikers.
You might also check out #hikerchat on Twitter each Friday at 9am Pacific. There are hikers from all over the world participating, and quite a few from SoCal.
I’m sure you’ll have no problem finding companions for your SoCal hiking adventures.
Not quite in SoCal, but a one day drive away: Yosemite!
Thanks to Johnny from #hikerchat for the tip!
@TheSoCalHiker #Yosemite NP also offers multi-day snowshoe adventures through the park in winter which are amazing! #hikerchat
— Johnny Richardson (@TrailMiser) March 1, 2013
Thanks for joining the discussion, Derek!
Norway? Is there a particular trail or mountain you will be hiking? I have to admit I’m ignorant about the opportunities there, and you’re the first person I know who’s mentioned it.
I have a friend who completed the Seven Summits two years ago… with his FATHER! That’s epic. I don’t have any aspirations to do all seven, but it might be fun to do a few of them.
I checked out your bucket list. If you did one per year, you’d be an old man by the time you finished. Better get crackin’!
Hey ADKinLA, I forgot about the Lost Coast trail. That’s on my list, too.
As for when? IÂ highly recommend putting some dates out there, even if you end up adjusting them. Having a plan… something to shoot for really helps. In fact, I first started thinking about hiking the JMT for a second time back in 1999. The year 2000 would be the 20th anniversary of the first time I hiked the JMT, and both my sons were interested in doing it, and had the time (summer off from high school). The problem was that I was working for a dot-com startup and couldn’t get the time off. We still took a great backpacking trip up in the Thousand Island Lake area, but my dream of re-hiking the JMT had to wait.
Fast forward to 2009, and the 30th anniversary approached. This time around, it happened. I got the permits, setup a training plan (and stuck to it), recruited three others to join me (including the gal who later became my wife!), and in the summer of 2010, almost 30 years to the day from the first time I hiked it, we completed the JMT.
Planning is key, especially for some of the bigger, longer (and more costly) adventures. Realistically, you have to start serious work on it about a year in advance. And if you have a lot of hikes on that bucket list, you can see how you’ve got to think WAY ahead.
The Lost Coast is not so long though– maybe this summer!?
That’s AWESOME, Josh! I totally get the time issues though. When we did the JMT back in 2010, that was the longest vacation I had ever taken since I was 18. And that was, um, a fews years ago. We did another 3 week trip in 2011, so I’m starting to set the precedent. Maybe I should go for 4 weeks?
Can’t wait to hear all about it. Keep me posted!
Thanks, Josh! Both are epic shots. Half Dome is always inspiring. You get to the the little hill looking down at the saddle, scratch your head and wonder “I’m going up THAT?!”
And Mt Whitney takes your breath away — literally and figuratively! Both times I’ve summited Whitney I’ve hiked up just in time to catch the sunrise. I only wish a photo could do that justice.
Some things just have to be experienced to be believed.
I have received one suggestion via Twitter:
@TheSoCalHiker http://t.co/HYH8mIZ9
— Rowena Pelayo (@rgpelayo) February 5, 2013
Not a lot of detail on trails or when to go, but it’s a start!
Any other suggestions?
I’ve hiked up San Jacinto several times from the tram. Taking the tram is itself a lot of fun, and the contrast from the Palm Spring desert to the alpine mountain climate is fantastic.
I hope they get some more snow — I’d love to go snowshoeing up there.
It really depends on what you like, and how much work you want to put into it.
I’ll share my own approach.
For a one day trip (I’m assuming overnight) I don’t worry as much about keeping the weight down. In fact, I often get crazy and bring things you normally would never bring (a fresh melon, hamburger, eggs, etc.).
For a longer trip, you need to consider both weight and freshness. You don’t have a refrigerator in your pack, so things like fresh meat are usually out of the question. Usually what I do is something like this:
Breakfast:
Quaker 1-Minute Oatmeal. I get the big cylinder and measure out 1/2 cup of oats, then add to that brown sugar, dried cranberries, cinnamon, a dash of salt and some nuts. For breakfast, I add one cup of bowling water, wait a few minutes, stir and enjoy. This is usually washed down with instant coffee (I like Starbucks Via) or tea.
Lunch:
Since it’s usually a break in the hiking, I opt for something that doesn’t require any cooking. Cheese and salami will both keep for 4 days pretty easily. Ry-crisp crackers with tuna salad (those foil packages work well). Trail mix, or a Clif bar. Sometimes I get a little tired of plain water, so I have a powdered mix for tea, lemonade, etc.
Dinner:
The easiest solution (and my preference) is prepackaged, dehydrated meals. You can get them at REI or online. They come in foil pouches, and you just boil water, pour the measured amount into the pouch, seal it up for the designated time and enjoy. We’ve had pasta, Pad Thai, chili, and all kinds of great meals this way, and clean up  is super easy — just fold up the foil pouch and stow in in your waste bag to pack out. These are a little pricey, but worth it for me.
If you want to do-it-yourself, you can find a number of cookbooks out there with recipes across the board.
One final warning — plan for a little variety. That way if you find you don’t like a particular meal, you’re not dreading 3 days of repeats!
I’ve wondered about the neo-air. Thanks for the heads-up about the noise! Joan is a light sleeper, so it might be worth the extra weight to bring our older, self-inflating Therma-Rest pads.
Hey Jeffrey! Great question!
A couple years ago I camped for the first time in Anza Borrego State Park. We went in November, and it was beautiful! I’m planning to repeat sometime in either November or December, possibly with a dayhike to the Goat Canyon Trestle: http://www.anzaborrego.net/Travel/AnzaBorrego/page/Hiking-to-Anza-Borrego-s-Goat-Canyon-Trestle-.aspx
