John Muir Trail, Kings Canyon National Park, August 2021 Note: This is the first in a series of five posts describing the John Muir Trail (JMT), a scintillating, multi-week hike through California’s Sierra Nevada that extends more than 200 miles from Yosemite National Park in the north to Mount Whitney and Sequoia National Park in …
Boomerang Lake, Desolation Wilderness, June 2021 Desolation Wilderness spans around 64,000 acres of the Sierra Nevada in northern California’s Eldorado National Forest, including dozens of alpine lakes, towering granite peaks, and glacial streams. The wilderness, due to its close proximity to Lake Tahoe, is known today as perhaps the state’s most popular backpacking area, but …
Continue reading Twin Lakes, Boomerang Lake, & Island Lake (Desolation Wilderness, CA)
Deadman Canyon, Kings Canyon National Park, June 2021 Becoming increasingly well-known as a lesser-traveled alternative to the popular John Muir Trail – Pacific Crest Trail corridor, the roughly 50- to 60-mile backpacking circuit known as the Deadman Canyon Loop (a.k.a. Elizabeth Pass Loop) traverses spectacular terrain spanning both Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in …
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Wildcat Peak, Tilden Regional Park, May 2021 Truly unobstructed panoramas with views in all directions are a relative rarity in the Berkeley Hills of California’s East Bay, but Wildcat Peak in Berkeley’s Tilden Regional Park offers one of them with excellent vistas of the San Francisco Bay, the Carquinez Strait, the Briones Hills, Mount Diablo, …
Continue reading Wildcat Peak via Laurel Canyon & Jewel Lake (Tilden Regional Park, CA)
Water Canyon, Canaan Mountain Wilderness, May 2021 Climbing partway up the sandstone cliffs of Canaan Mountain, this short hike—located just over the Utah border from Colorado City, Arizona—ascends rocky and sandy terrain to a beautiful perennial waterfall, short slot, and bowl-shaped narrows resembling “The Subway” in nearby Zion National Park. Water Canyon is notable for …
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The New Wave, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, May 2021 The striated sandstone formation known as “The Wave” attracts flocks of photographers and sightseers to southern Utah each day, and—given its popularity—is now limited by a permit lottery that is next-to-impossible to win. Fortunately, the characteristic undulating Navajo sandstone knobs and ruddy gulches of the …
Continue reading The New Wave Loop (Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, AZ)
Wiregrass Canyon, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, May 2021 Highly weathered and rimmed with chalky hoodoos, natural arches, and tafoni, Wiregrass Canyon is an intriguing side drainage in southern Utah’s Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. The relatively-accessible canyon eventually empties into Glen Canyon and (what’s left of) the reservoir at Lake Powell. Those wishing to …
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Horseshoe Bend, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, May 2021 There once was a time when Horseshoe Bend—an entrenched meander along the Colorado River—was a relatively sleepy destination, known largely only to locals living in northern Arizona. But today, thanks to social media (and its high propensity for showing up as a Windows desktop background), the …
Continue reading Horseshoe Bend Trail (Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, AZ)
Cathedral Wash, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, May 2021 Appearing modest from the trailhead, Cathedral Wash quickly deepens into a spectacular canyon that cuts through the Kaibab Limestone and Toroweap Formation in northern Arizona’s Glen Canyon area, ending at the Colorado River and a narrow sliver of Grand Canyon National Park. Don’t be fooled by …
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Angel's Window, Grand Canyon National Park, May 2021 Situated at the far southern fringe of the Walhalla Plateau along the North Rim, Cape Royal is one of Grand Canyon National Park’s finest viewpoints. From here the epic canyon unfolds to the south and east, revealing stunning colors, deep gorges, and towering buttes. An added bonus …
Continue reading Cape Royal & Angel’s Window (Grand Canyon National Park, AZ)
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