Things don’t always go according to plan. I’m normally pretty good at planning stuff and I have decent luck most of the time, but every once in a while hiking does not go how I expect.
Continue reading “Lyons Creek Trail – Desolation Wilderness”
Tag: waterfall
Mt Tamalpais via the Steep Ravine Trail
If you wanted to, you could drive almost to the top of Mt. Tamalpias. But if you want to really climb Mt. Tam, then start from the ocean. This hike leaves from Stinson Beach and climbs the Steep Ravine trail up to East Peak, then loops back on the north side. The grand total is over 16 miles, and a few thousand feet of elevation gain.
Basics: This hike climbs from Stinson Beach to the East Peak of Mt Tamalpais. It’s a long one – we hiked it as a loop totaling over 16 miles round trip. We reached the top via the Steep Ravine Trail, Matt Davis Trail and Old Railroad Grade road. We returned on the International Trail, Northside Trail, Bay Area Ridge Trail and Matt Davis Trail (among others). Mt Tam has an amazingly large and well developed network of trails and roads. There are many options. Everything is well-signed, but unless you know where you are going, bring a map! Continue reading “Mt Tamalpais via the Steep Ravine Trail”
Quarry Road Trail to American Canyon
The Quarry Road Trail in Auburn State Recreation Area is perfect for trail running, easy mountain biking or hiking. It’s also dog and horse friendly. The trail is six miles long, and gently climbs a few hillsides along the river.
It has finally rained in California! Not enough to save us from the drought, but at least the grass is a little less brown. The snow conditions still aren’t great (heavy, wet snow) so rather than braving the holiday weekend crowds, we decided to saunter in the foothills. The next best thing to do after some rain is to go see a waterfall! So many waterfalls in California seem to just spring up out of nowhere for a few short weeks or days each winter. This one actually has water for a decent portion of the year.
Basics: The Quarry Road Trail in Auburn State Recreation Area actually follows a portion of the Western States Trail. It’s a wide dirt path that is perfect for trail running, easy mountain biking or hiking. It’s also dog and horse friendly. The entire trail is nearly six miles from beginning to end. We extended our hike another mile by heading up the single track American Canyon Trail to some small waterfalls and a deep little hidden pool. Continue reading “Quarry Road Trail to American Canyon”
Four Mile Trail, Sentinel Dome, Panorama Trail, Liberty Cap and Mist Trail… In One Day
In John Muir’s book The Yosemite, there is a chapter near the end entitled “How Best to Spend One’s Yosemite Time”. This post focuses on the first listed single day excursion – the quintessential day hike in Yosemite. It’s about 20 miles total, with about 6,500 feet of elevation gain – longer and more difficult than a round trip up Half Dome.
In the Footsteps of John Muir [Part I]
In John Muir’s book The Yosemite, there is a chapter near the end entitled “How Best to Spend One’s Yosemite Time”. The chapter describes several hikes, just as a modern blog would. He describes two single day excursions, two 2-day excursions, a 3-day excursion, and a grand several week excursion (not the JMT). This post focuses on the first listed single day excursion – the quintessential day hike in Yosemite. It’s about 20 miles total, with about 6,500 feet of elevation gain – longer and more difficult than a round trip up Half Dome. Continue reading “Four Mile Trail, Sentinel Dome, Panorama Trail, Liberty Cap and Mist Trail… In One Day”
Ropi Lake via Horsetail Falls – Desolation Wilderness
This hike is 6-ish difficult miles beginning at the Pyramid Creek trailhead on Highway 50, with about 1900 feet of elevation gain. The unmaintained trail goes past Horsetail Falls (a neat destination itself) up to several beautiful lakes in Desolation Wilderness.
I’ve been wanting to hike up Pyramid Peak for quite some time, but it just hasn’t happened (yet). On the occasions I have planned to do this hike, I’ve been stopped by major thunderstorms or crazy gusts of wind. This weekend, the weather was looking pretty perfect, but with a late start and the days already getting shorter, we didn’t make it up the peak. I will get there eventually. Instead, we hiked up to some high alpine lakes and enjoyed a beautiful and relaxing October day in Desolation Wilderness. Continue reading “Ropi Lake via Horsetail Falls – Desolation Wilderness”
Feather Falls
Basics: Feather Falls has to be one of the best waterfalls in California (outside of Yosemite), especially in the spring when it is huge! It is located in Plumas National Forest and can be visited year-round. The hike is 7 to 9 miles depending on which trail you choose to take. There is an elevation loss of about 1000 feet on the way to the falls. Continue reading “Feather Falls”