John Muir Trail Day 3 – Cathedral Peak via Sunrise Lakes to Tuolumne Meadows.

John Muir Trail Hike

Day: 3 | Distance: 10.1 mi | Mountain Pass: 1/10 – Cathedral Pass (9703′)

On day three of our hike on the John Muir Trail, we woke up to a beautiful mountain sunrise at Sunrise Lakes. I had a fresh coat of frost covering my sleeping bag.  But the cold was no match for my 10-degree sleeping bag…

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John Muir Trail Day 2 – Little Yosemite Valley Campground to Sunrise Lakes High Sierra Camp.

Hiking the John Muir Trail

Day: 2 | Distance: 8.6 mi

Today, we leave Little Yosemite Valley Campground for Sunrise Lakes High Sierra Camp, starting our journey at a leisurely pace around 9:00 am. The trail takes us through a forest that was devastated by a wildfire in 2013. The blackened and charred trees are a stark reminde…

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John Muir Trail Day 1 – Happy Isles to Little Yosemite Valley via Nevada Falls.

Hiking the John Muir Trail

Day: 1 | Distance: 4.8 mi

In June 2014, four friends and I embarked on a 3-day backpacking in Yosemite. We started our hike in Tuolumne Meadows and ended it in Yosemite Valley. Our journey through this spectacular national park was filled with awe-inspiring views and thrilling hikes. Little did we kn…

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Coyote Canyon Hike – Two Days Backpacking the Anza Borrego Desert

Coyote Canyon Hike

The Coyote Canyon Trail hike takes you along the same path that Juan Bautista de Anza followed during his 1775-6 colonizing expedition from Sonora, Mexico to the San Francisco bay. With water running year around in the creek, it’s easy to understand why de Anza chose to take this route through the des…

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Willet Hot Springs: Hiking and Camping in Los Padres National Forest

Willet Hot Springs: Hiking and Camping in Los Padres National Forest

Tucked away deep inside a lush green forested canyon, and perched high up on a cliff in Los Padres National Forest, is a hot tub built for five. Assembled and still maintained by some incredibly resourceful, and apparently anonymous folks, the Willet Hot Springs hot tub is a rewarding experience at t…

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