Mt. San Jacinto was one of the first big peaks I bagged as a teenager and I’m still drawn to it many years later. This route starts at the top of the Palm Springs Aerial Tram — a treat in itself — and although it’s the “easiest” route it’s by no means easy. This out-and-back trail travels 11 […]
Hiking to San Bernardino Peak via Angelus Oaks
One of the best-kept secrets of Southern California is San Bernardino Mountain. Just five miles away from the highest peak in SoCal — San Gorgonio — San Bernardino tops out at a respectable 10,649 feet. Hiking from Angelus Oaks, this 16-mile out-and-back trail climbs over 4,600 vertical feet. It makes for a very long […]
Plank Walk Trail to Mt Tamalpais
This short, family-friendly trail was an impromptu birthday peak bagged by my mom, my wife and I as part of the second part of our spring break road trip. It’s barely over half a mile round trip, but gains at a steady pace, climbing over 250 feet in a quarter mile. And while it might […]
Enchanted Rock in Texas Hill Country
Enchanted Rock is a pink granite dome that rises 425 feet above the surrounding area in central Texas — but it’s just the exposed part of the largest batholiths in North America. The Enchanted Rock batholith stretches 62 miles — mostly underground. Humans have been visiting this rock for 12,000 years, and some believe it […]
Echo Mountain via the Sam Merrill Trail
Hiking Echo Mountain via the Sam Merrill Trail is a rewarding experience, rich with history. First, Echo Mountain itself is the site of the ruins of the Echo Mountain House — a hotel built in the late 1800’s by Thaddeus Lowe. There were no roads to this hotel — you reached it by an incline […]
Thru-Hiking the JMT: Guitar Lake to Mt. Whitney
Day 22 on the John Muir Trail… Technically, this day begins at the end of Day 21. We went to bed early last night, sleeping lightly for a few hours and waking to our alarm at 11:30 PM. We ate Clif Bars and packed up our sleeping gear and tent. Donning our headlamps, we made […]
Thru-Hiking the JMT: Happy Isles to Little Yosemite Valley, Plus Half Dome
The night is fading as we awaken, excited to finally start hiking the John Muir Trail. I slept like a log at the backpacker’s campground, but Jeffrey and Hari heard people chasing a bear away from the car campground. We eat a quick breakfast, break camp, don our backpacks and walk along the road to […]
Burbank Peak, Cahuenga Peak, Mt. Lee and the Hollywood Sign
Are you a peak bagger? I have a hiking friend who loves to bag peaks — or for the uninitiated, hike to the summit. His goal is to reach the summit of as many of the high and prominent peaks as he can. Â He would love this trail, which takes you up three peaks in […]
