Mount Sizer is one of the highest points in Henry W. Coe State Park. While the peak is really just the high point along Blue Ridge, getting there and back via this loop requires four climbs totaling well over 3,500 vertical feet, including one of the steepest trails in the Bay Area. This southern-most trail […]
Backpacking San Bernardino and San Gorgonio Peaks
One of the best way to enjoy the mountains of Southern California is on an overnight backpacking trip. I have hiked both San Bernardino Peak and San Gorgonio Peak both as day hikes and as overnight trips, but since many of the trailheads closed by the Lake Fire were reopened in 2017, I wanted to […]
Hiking Mitchell Canyon to Mount Diablo
Mount Diablo stands tall over the San Francisco Bay Area. At 3,849′ it is not the tallest peak in the area, but it is one of the most prominent. Surrounded by low-lying hills, Diablo looks even more impressive. In fact, in 1851 it was established as the baseline and meridian for land surveys covering two-thirds […]
Backpacking the North/South Lake Loop: Sapphire Lake to Little Pete Meadow
DAY FOUR on the North Lake/South Lake Loop We woke early and it was cold at Sapphire Lake. There was ice all over the outside of the rain fly and it took a few minutes for me to warm my clothes inside my sleeping bag before I wanted to put them on. The skies were […]
Backpacking the North/South Lake Loop: Piute Pass to Hutchinson Meadow
DAY ONE on the North Lake/South Lake Loop The Piute Pass Trail is a gentle 2,000 ascent up a gorgeous canyon over five miles. We woke at sunrise at the North Lake Campground, had breakfast and coffee, and broke camp. We hit the trailhead at approximately 7:30 a.m. The weather was sunny and perfect. Our […]
Hiking South Sister
South Sister is the third tallest mountain in Oregon. At 10,363′ it’s the highest of the Three Sisters, and also the youngest, geologically-speaking. The cauldron holds the highest lake in Oregon–when it’s not frozen and buried in snow. It’s home to eight glaciers, including Prouty Glacier, the largest in Oregon. And it’s a great non-technical ascent […]
Hiking to Berry Creek Falls in Big Basin Redwoods State Park
Giant old-growth redwood trees, lush forest, babbling creeks and beautiful waterfalls–there is plenty to love about this nearly 11 mile loop hike to Berry Creek Falls in Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Big Basin Redwoods is California’s oldest state park, and features the largest stand of coastal redwoods south of San Francisco. These are tall […]
Hiking the High Sierra Trail – Big Arroyo to Upper Funston Meadow via Moraine Lake
Day Three on the High Sierra Trail. Yesterday, we hiked to Big Arroyo. Today, another big 13+ mile day awaited us, as we intended to hike down and out of the Big Arroyo, up the ridge, across high alpine meadows at the base of Mt. Kaweah, take a detour to remote Moraine Lake, and then drop down […]
