Light broke on my tent early this morning. My air mattress popped during the night. That sucked!
My lower back still ached from yesterday’s painful hike, but the nausea had passed and I was feeling much better. I took my time getting ready and made sure to drink lots of water and eat a good breakfast be…
Woke up at 4:30am to wait in line at the Visitors Center for walk-up permits out of Yosemite. My morning routine needs work. Don beat me there by 45 minutes and was first in line for permits.
The early morning paid off and we received day-of permits for exiting Yosemite via Donahue Pass. Don and I said goo…
I awake at dawn with frost on my sleeping bag. It’s cold out, but my 10 degree sleeping bag kept me toasty warm all night. Soon everyone in camp is awake and we all gather to watch the sunrise over the meadow. The early morning light warms us up as we take down camp, sip on hot coffee and eat our breakfast…
We have another lazy start this morning, leaving Little Yosemite Valley for Sunrise Lakes Campground at around 9:00 am. Most of the trail today takes us along a wandering path through a forest that was devastated by a wildfire back in 2013. Blackened and charred trees dot the hillsides.
New growth …
In June 2014, four friends and I embarked on a 3 day backpacking trip through Yosemite along a section of the John Muir Trail that started in Tuolomne Meadows and ended in Yosemite Valley. In mid July 2016, I started a similar trip with the same group of friends, but this trip was different in two signifi…
There are two things I can’t stand, within the context of this article, when I’m on a backpacking trip. Those are being hungry and returning home with food left over. A good backpacking meal plan can solve both.
The first one probably sounds pretty straightforward. Being hungry sucks. Everyo…
Distance: 13.9 miles | Hiking time: 6 hours | Difficulty: 7/10 | More trail info.
Noble Canyon Trail is a popular hiking and mountain biking trail located in the Laguna Mountains. The trail is steep, rugged and a little technical in places, which makes it one of the more strenuous trails around for m…
The hike through Coyote Canyon 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 throu…
Have you ever run out of water on a hike with miles or hours to go before your next sip? If you have, then you’re not alone.
In December 2014, I set out to hike the California Riding & Hiking Trail in Joshua Tree from Blackrock Canyon to Juniper Flats and back. The 36 mile out and back overnight trip wo…
Eagle Peak is an often missed hike that shares a trailhead with Three Sisters Falls. With an elevation of 3226’, Eagle Peak currently holds the 69th spot on the Sierra Club’s 100 Peaks of San Diego County list.
My frien…
