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 Ocean, as well as San Francisco, and the entire Silicon Valley at your feet. You can also gaze at some of the other […]
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 Phoenix area, and entertaining to compare its profile to a napping camel. There are two popular routes up this dromedary. This route on the Echo Canyon […]
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 California. Getting to the Trailhead Take Interstate 15 toward Temecula and exit at Highway 79 […]
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, and the true summit requires a short boulder […]
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 you’ll have abundant wildflowers. Optional scramble to a saddle with even bigger […]
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 the season, you can enjoy spectacular Northern Arizona views from […]
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 Northwest Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge. We were awestruck by this […]
Hiking Piestewa Peak from Dreamy Draw
Hiking Piestewa Peak is a famously popular Phoenix-area, StairMaster-like workout that can get really crowded. Most people take the short, direct route up Trail 300. For this year’s Arizona Winter Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge, I wanted to explore a different route that would add both mileage and net vertical gain to the hike, and hopefully […]
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