Wahclella Falls, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, August 2024 On the morning of day six of the cross-country trip, we were still in northern Oregon an popped in for a short hike in the Columbia River Gorge before tracking eastward… Not to be confused with nearby Wahkeena Falls, the stem-and-loop hike described here features …
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Wiesendanger Falls, Wahkeena - Multnomah Falls Loop, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, July 2024 After three days on the Oregon coast, day five of the cross-country adventure brought us to Portland, Oregon—where we happened upon the annual convention of the National Parks Travelers Club—and ventured out on some hikes in the nearby Columbia River …
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Cape Falcon Trail, Oswald West State Park, July 2024 Even if devoting three days to the effort—as yours truly did in July 2024—travelling the entire Oregon Coast south to north is a risky endeavor: for much of the time, my travel partner and I were caught in a mix of mist, rain, and fog that …
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Humbug Mountain Trail, Humbug Mountain State Park, July 2024 This marks the first of a long series of posts from a cross-country haul in July-August from northern California to Washington, DC. Alas, after five years in California, it was time to return to the east coast. After heading north from the Bay Area, day two …
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Mount Saint Helena, Robert Louis Stevenson State Park, February 2024 Long before the Napa area became renowned for wine-making, author Robert Louis Stevenson—of Treasure Island fame—spent an extended stay here on the slopes of Mt. St. Helena, one of the highest peaks in northern California’s Mayacamas Mountains. The trip in 1880 inspired The Silverado Squatters …
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Eagle Lake Trail, Sequoia National Park, July 2024 West of the Great Western Divide, California’s Sequoia National Park is effectively bisected by three branches of the Kaweah River—the Marble, Middle, and East Forks—all of which carve deep canyons fed by snowmelt from the 12,000-foot mountain range. Most visitors remain in the vicinity of the first …
Little Baldy, Sequoia National Park, July 2024 A granite dome with a panoramic 360-degree view, Little Baldy in Sequoia National Park is a more satisfying destination than the higher but more pedestrian Big Baldy Ridge. Views extend from the Central Valley to the west to the Silliman Crest, Kings-Kaweah Divide, and Great Western Divide to …
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Mist Falls, Kings Canyon National Park, July 2024 Kings Canyon National Park, Sequoia’s adjacent sister park to the north, boasts skyscraping mountains, majestic granite formations, serene valleys, and spectacular wilderness best explored on a multi-day backpacking trip (such as the Deadman Canyon Loop, Rae Lakes Loop, or John Muir Trail). But for those without the …
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Tokopah Falls, Sequoia National Park, July 2024 Visitors to California’s Sequoia National Park come for the namesake trees but stay for the miles of epic, rolling granite (see, for example, my previous post on the Deadman Canyon Loop). Hikes into this granite wonderland tend to be long and strenuous, but one can get a short …
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Founders' Grove Nature Trail, Humboldt Redwoods State Park, June 2024 A scenic centerpiece of Humboldt Redwoods State Park, Founders’ Grove is the most popular redwood stand in the park and easily explored on a well-trodden ½-mile loop trail. The most famous attraction is, of course, the 364-foot Founders’ Tree, which was once thought to be …
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Live and Let Hike 