Trail reports for hikes in California, Colorado, and more!
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 […]
Snow Hike to Smith Mountain Saddle Read More »
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
Skyline to the Sea Trail in Castle Rock and Big Basin Redwoods State Park Read More »
Hike to Ice Lake Basin to see turquoise lakes in Colorado’s San Juan National Forest. The Ice Lake Trail can be done as a day hike or an overnight backpacking trip.
Backpacking to Island Lake in San Juan National Forest Read More »
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
Intro to Packrafting: Why You Need a Packraft to Explore More on Your Backpacking Trips Read More »
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
The Lakes Trail to Pear Lake, Sequoia National Park Read More »
This blog post combines two separate half-day trips, but if you start in the morning, you can pack all this into one full day or a leisurely weekend trip! I pass Valley of Fire State Park, an hour north of Las Vegas, in Nevada on EVERY Southwest road trip from SoCal and always told myself
One Weekend in Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada Read More »
San Gabriel Peak is one of the best hikes in San Gabriel Mountains. It’s only 3.2 miles total with 360 views of DTLA, the coast, and Angeles National Forest.
San Gabriel Peak: Hiking San Gabriel Mountains at Sunset Read More »
Duck Pass Trail is a moderate and popular hike in Mammoth Lakes of the Eastern Sierra Mountains. It can be done as a day hike or an overnight high to visit Barney Lake, Duck Lake, Pika Lake, and other alpine lakes.
Backpacking Duck Pass Trail to Duck Lake in Mammoth Lakes Read More »
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
Kearsarge Pass: Solo Wilderness Trip Read More »
Wildflowers in SoCal bloom late-Feb through April in the low elevation hills, sometimes even into May! Use this guide to find a hike near you to see some wildflowers
12 Places to see wildflowers in Southern California Read More »