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Giving Thanks

November 23, 2016 By Jeff Hester 1 Comment

Giving thanks

Happy Thanksgiving! I was thinking about the many reasons I have to be thankful this year, and want to start by thanking you. I’m so grateful that you are part of this amazing community of hikers, backpackers and adventurers. Your stories continue to inspire me and countless others. And so I made this photo mosaic […]

Filed Under: Hiking News Tagged With: inspiration

2016 Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge Recap

November 20, 2016 By Jeff Hester Leave a Comment

Recap of the second annual Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge

A big thank-you to all of the challengers and congratulations to those who finished our second annual Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge. Together, you have logged over 2,500 hikes up the six peaks, hiked more than 32,000 miles and climbed nearly 11 million vertical feet! Best of all, you helped raise $10,000 for Big City Mountaineers–and awesome […]

Filed Under: Hiking News Tagged With: inspiration, Six-Pack of Peaks

Four Big Adventures to Add to Your Life List

November 17, 2016 By Jeff Hester 1 Comment

Do you want more adventures in the year ahead? Maybe you’ve finished the Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge, and you’re looking for a new challenge−something that takes you out of your comfort zone and pushes you beyond what you thought you could do? Big adventures don’t happen by dreaming−they require planning and preparation. Many big adventures require […]

Filed Under: Hiking News, Lifestyle Tagged With: adventure, High Sierra Trail, inspiration, John Muir Trail, Lost Coast Trail, Trans-catalina Trail

Big Adventures Ahead

November 16, 2016 By Jeff Hester 3 Comments

Your next big adventure

At the 2016 Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge Finisher’s Party, we asked folks to write down their next big adventure and clip it to a line with a clothespin. The end result looked a bit like a Himalayan prayer flag filled with inspiring goals from our challengers. Here’s a glimpse at what they’ve got planned for […]

Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: adventure, inspiration, Six-Pack of Peaks

Meet the Artist: Sarah Hernandez

October 3, 2016 By Jeff Hester 3 Comments

Sarah Hernandez is the artist behind the Six-Pack of Peaks Series now available in our shop. She shares many of her eye-catching pen and ink drawings on her Instagram feed. As it turns out, she used SoCalHiker when she was planning her thru-hike a few years ago. But I’ll let her tell you… Tell us a […]

Filed Under: Hiking News, Lifestyle Tagged With: art, inspiration

Creating a Legacy of Love for the Outdoors

June 9, 2014 By Jeff Hester 4 Comments

It was a warm, moon-less summer evening. I hiked in silence along the damp lakeside trail, my father behind me. There were a couple dozen of us — young boys about 8-9 and our fathers, solemnly making our way from our campsite to the campfire. My foot slipped off the embankment and into the muddy, murky […]

Filed Under: Hiking News Tagged With: dad, father, fathers day, inspiration, legacy, trailtime

Muir Monday: The Paths You Take

April 7, 2014 By Jeff Hester 8 Comments

Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.” – Anonymous In a survey conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) they found that people in the United States spend 87 percent of their time indoors, mostly at either home or work. Bear in mind, that’s an average. […]

Filed Under: Muir Monday Tagged With: inspiration, quote

Muir Monday: Going to the Mountains is Going Home

November 25, 2013 By Jeff Hester Leave a Comment

Going to the mountains is going home.

Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity.” – John Muir Seems like whenever I ask a friend how they are doing, the reply inevitably includes “I’m so busy!” or “I’m slammed!” It seems that we are all busy, […]

Filed Under: Muir Monday Tagged With: inspiration, John Muir, quote

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About Jeff Hester

I created SoCal Hiker while preparing to thru-hike the John Muir Trail. My goal? Create guides for the best hiking trails throughout Southern California--and occasionally beyond. I personally hike each trail to create these guides, sharing practical advice on gear and outdoor skills. Read more...

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