girl and crater lake reflection of maroon bells

Hike Four Pass Loop and Climb the Maroon Bells

The classic Four Pass Loop is a beautiful must-hike backpacking trip in Colorado that goes over four 12k ft mountain passes. Combine this with the Maroon Bells Traverse, one of the four Colorado’s great traverses, and climb two 14ers. Start at the East Fork trailhead for an epic 38 miles adventure.

Chasing Hot Springs on the Colorado River in the Black Canyon of Nevada & Arizona

VISIT: 5 Natural Hot Spring + Emerald Cave Option in the Black Canyon LOCATION: near Las Vegas, on the Colorado River between Hoover Dam and Willow Beach (NV/AZ) TIME: half-full day (7 hrs for me, depending how long you spend at the hot springs) DATE I WENT: 2/23/21 BEST TIME TO VISIT: Winter and early …

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Hike to Mount Lawlor 5928 ft. in Angeles National Forest

HIKE TO: Mount Lawlor TRAIL: Strawberry Peak Trail > Firebreak MILES: 4.55 miles loop TIME: 2:43 hr DATE I WENT: 2/14/20 DIFFICULTY: moderate ELEVATION: 5928 ft ELEVATION GAIN: 1309 ft PARKING PERMIT: yes, the US National Parks Pass doubles as an Adventure pass in Angeles National Forest LOCATION: Angeles National Forest Mount Lawlor (5928 ft) …

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Challenging Hike To Strawberry Peak In the San Gabriel Mountains

HIKE TO: Strawberry Peak TRAIL: Mountaineer’s Route from Colby Canyon MILES: 6.46 miles out and back TIME: 2:47 hrs up, 2:17 hrs down DATE I WENT: 12/20/20 DIFFICULTY: moderate ELEVATION: 6,165 ft ELEVATION GAIN: 2,684 ft PARKING PERMIT: yes LOCATION: Angeles National Forest Where is Strawberry Peak? Strawberry Peak is the prominent peak shaped like …

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3 Easy Hikes in Lake Arrowhead: Plan a Weekend Getaway

TRIP DATES: November 13-15, 2020 LOCATION: San Bernardino Mountains, CA (Crestline/ Lake Arrowhead) CAMP: Thousand Pines via Campspot HIKES: Deep Creek Hot Spring, Heart Rock, & Pinnacles National Take a Hike Day: Best Hikes Near Lake Arrowhead There are 60k+ trails in the National Trail System and with the convenience of a cabin near Lake …

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followtiffsjourney & 2pups1girl kinga

Hike to Bighorn Peak in Angeles National Forest

HIKE TO: Bighorn Peak TRAIL: Icehouse Canyon > Ontario Peak Trail MILES: 10.57 miles (out & back) TIME: 4:39 hrs (4 hr moving time) DATE I WENT: 10/25/20 DIFFICULTY: moderate ELEVATION: 8441 ft ELEVATION GAIN/ LOSS: 3428 ft HIKE PERMIT: no PARKING PERMIT: yes, the US National Parks Pass doubles as an Adventure pass in …

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Short Hike to Parker Lake, a Turquoise Lake near Mammoth

HIKE TO: Parker Lake TRAIL: Parker Lake Trail MILES: 3.73 miles out and back TIME: 1:23 hrs DATE I WENT: 6/28/20 DIFFICULTY: easy ELEVATION: 8341 ft ELEVATION GAIN/ LOSS: 720 ft HIKE PERMIT: no for day hikes, yes for overnight PARKING PERMIT: no LOCATION: Eastern Sierra/ Inyo National Forest/ Ansel Adams Wilderness Parker Lake Trail …

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Resource Guide for How to Plan An Epic Backpacking Trip

How do you find this spot? What do you use to track your hikes? How do I download a track? How do you check the weather for your camp location? What gear do you recommend? These are questions I get asked often and although the answers may seem like common knowledge to veteran hikers, I …

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girl and white mountain summit sign 14252

White Mountain Peak, 14252 ft: California’s 3rd Tallest Peak

HIKE TO: White Mountain Peak TRAIL: White Mountain Trail/Road MILES: 14.8 miles out and back TIME: 7:11 hrs (6:16 hrs of moving time) DATE I WENT: 6/27/20 DIFFICULTY: moderate ELEVATION: 14252 ft ELEVATION GAIN/ LOSS: 3485 ft HIKE PERMIT: no PARKING PERMIT: no LOCATION: White Mountains Wilderness Area/ Inyo National Forest White Mountain Peak is …

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portuguese bend sacred cove

Portuguese Bend Reserve: Hike South Bay

The Portuguese Bend Reserve took me by surprise – this beautiful coastal hike in the Southbay is a great option this time of year because the rain makes everything green and the wildflowers already started to bloom. The Portuguese Bend Reserve has a system of many interconnected trails with one main fire road (Burma Rd) …

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convict lake winter 2020

Convict Lake Trail: Day Hike Easy Loop Near Mammoth

HIKE TO: Convict Lake TRAIL: Convict Lake Trail MILES: 2.57 miles TIME: 1.25 hrs DATE I WENT: 2/01/20 DIFFICULTY: easy ELEVATION: 7680 ft ELEVATION GAIN/ LOSS: 98 ft HIKE PERMIT: no PARKING PERMIT: no LOCATION: Eastern Sierra mountains near Mammoth Lakes, CA Convict Lake is a very popular tourist destination in the Summer; the beautiful, …

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Hike South Mt Hawkins

HIKE TO: South Mount Hawkins TRAIL: Windy Gap Trail > South Mt Hawkins Trail > Hawkins Ridge Trail MILES: 9.33 miles TIME: 3:40 hrs DATE I WENT: 11/10/19 DIFFICULTY: easy ELEVATION: 7760 ft ELEVATION GAIN/ LOSS: 1943 ft HIKE PERMIT: no PARKING PERMIT: yes, adventure pass LOCATION: Angeles National Forest, Los Angeles/ Southern California Day …

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Snow Hiking Basic Safety Guidelines and Must Have Gear

Pack list for beginner snow hikers (day hikes only) + basic safety tips If you’re new to snow hiking and not sure where to start… we’ve all been there. The two questions I got the most from snow hikes are: wasn’t it cold & did you have microspikes… so I’ve prepared a winter day hike …

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Best of 2019 Hikes

2019 has been a year filled with lots of new adventures along with some old favorite trails. I’ve put together a list of my top 9 hikes from 2019 according to the Top 9 posts you guys liked the most this past year. Blanca Lake, Washington Henry M Jackson Wilderness Area in the Cascade MountainsThe …

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Snow Hike to Smith Mountain Saddle

HIKE TO: Smith Saddle (the saddle before Smith Mountain) TRAIL: Upper Bear Creek Trail MILES: 5.98 mi TIME: 4:05 hr total time, 3:18 hr moving time DATE I WENT: 11/30/19 DIFFICULTY: easy  ELEVATION: 4291 ft  ELEVATION GAIN/ LOSS: 982 ft  HIKE PERMIT: no LOCATION: San Gabriel Mountains in Angeles National Forest, California This past Thanksgiving …

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walking along redwood trees

Skyline to the Sea Trail in Castle Rock and Big Basin Redwoods State Park

HIKE TO: Big Basin Redwoods, Waddell Beach, Santa Cruz TRAIL: Skyline to the Sea Trail MILES: 32.1 mi TIME: 3 days/ 2 nights DATE I WENT: 10/31/18 – 11/2/18 DIFFICULTY: easy ELEVATION: 3074 ft (at Castle Rock State Park trailhead)  HIKE PERMIT: yes LOCATION: 2 California State Parks = Castle Rock State Park & Big …

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Intro to Packrafting: Why You Need a Packraft to Explore More on Your Backpacking Trips

July 15-20, 2019Author: Tiffany Lin | Photographer: Mina Lee + Tiffany’s iPhoneLocation: Lake TahoeBoat Model: Rogue LiteActivity: Packrafting If you know me, you’ll know I’m not much of a water person. I’m actually scared of the big, open water and can’t tolerate being in cold water very well. Two years ago, I went to a …

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Lakes Trail to Pear Lake, Sequoia National Park

HIKE TO: Heather Lake, Aster Lake, Emerald Lake and Pear Lake TRAIL: The Lakes Trail MILES: 12.4 miles (15.4 miles according to my tracker) TIME: 1 night (3:30 hr in, 3:45 hr out) DATE I WENT: 10/13/18 – 10/14/18 DIFFICULTY: moderate  ELEVATION: 9629 ft  ELEVATION GAIN/ LOSS: 2625/423 ft  HIKE PERMIT: yes for overnight camping PARKING …

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Kearsarge Pass: Solo Wilderness Trip

HIKE TO: Kearsarge Pass TRAILHEAD: Kearsarge Pass Trail MILES: 9.3 miles out and back TIME: 1 night (commonly done as a day hike) DATE I WENT: 8/17/18 – 8/18/18 DIFFICULTY: moderate ELEVATION: 11,760 ft ELEVATION GAIN: 2,595 ft PERMIT: no for day hikes, yes for overnight camping LOCATION: Inyo National Forest, Eastern Sierra Last August …

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Is it Better to Day Hike or Backpack for Mt. Whitney?

Mount Whitney 14,505 ft — It’s the tallest mountain in the contiguous US and I’ve been fortunate to summit it 5 times now as both day hikes and an overnight backpacking trip. I have been asked which one is better… so let me break it down for you. 2023 Permits: click to apply for the …

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The Wave, North Coyote Buttes: Permit & Hike Info

After 14 months of applying, I finally got lucky and won a permit to visit The Wave. To give you a quick background, “the wave” is officially known as North Coyote Buttes and is part of Paria Canyon/ Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness. It’s one of the most coveted permits and hardest to get because they only …

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Patagonia (Trip Guide to Exploring Chile & Argentina)

I spent about 2 weeks exploring Patagonia which is the minimum amount of time recommended to me. I went at the end of the summer season and had amazing, almost perfect, weather! The weather is can be unpredictable there so you want to make sure to leave some extra days in case things don’t go as …

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Backpacking Havasupai

Ultimate Guide for Getting Permits and Trip Planning for Beginners Hike to: Mooney Falls / Beaver Falls / Havasupai Trail:  Havasu Falls Trail Miles:  20 miles out & back (parking lot to Supai: 8 mi | Supai to Mooney Falls: 2mi) Time:  1 overnighter (started 7 am first day, finished 2:30 pm second day). Please note …

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Echo Mountain Hike to Inspiration Point and Muir Peak

HIKE TO: Inspiration Point, Muir Peak, Echo Mountain Ruins, Mount Lowe Railway TRAILHEAD: Cobb Estate on Lake Ave TRAIL: Sam Merrill Trail > Castle Canyon Trail > Muir Peak Rd & Muir Peak Trail MILES: 12 miles TIME: 5 hrs DATE I WENT: 3/8/15 DIFFICULTY: moderate ELEVATION: 4,593 ft ELEVATION GAIN: 3,225 ft HIKE PERMIT: …

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