China Hole, Henry W. Coe State Park, March 2021 The second-largest state park in California, Henry Coe State Park spans 87,000 acres of rolling hillsides and stream valleys in the central Diablo Range. Most visitors stick to the “Western Zone,” accessed from the Coe Ranch Headquarters and Campground on Pine Ridge. A number of full-day …
Continue reading Madrone Soda Springs – China Hole Loop (Henry W. Coe State Park, CA)
Middle Ridge Trail, Henry W. Coe State Park, March 2021 At 87,000 acres, Henry Coe State Park is the second largest state park in California and offers a beautiful landscape of rolling hills and woody ridges in the Diablo Range southeast of the Bay Area. Lacking any towering peaks, Henry Coe is nonetheless extremely rugged, …
Continue reading Middle Ridge – Manzanita Point Loop (Henry W. Coe State Park, CA)
Lafayette Ridge Trail, Briones Regional Park, March 2020 The East Bay’s Briones Regional Park is a hiker’s paradise, with dozens of interlocking trails traversing a scenic stretch of hills between the suburban centers of Lafayette, Orinda, and Pleasant Hill. Lafayette Ridge—a lengthy spine that stretches southeast from the Briones Hills—is especially beautiful in spring, when …
Continue reading Lafayette Ridge Trail to Russell Peak (Briones Regional Park, CA)
Upper Salmon Creek Falls, Silver Peak Wilderness, February 2021 The Silver Peak Wilderness covers 31,555 acres of the Santa Lucia Range along the central coast of California between Monterey and Cambria. Hikers can explore the heart of the wilderness area by combining the Buckeye, Cruikshank, and Salmon Creek Trails for a 15-mile circuit that covers …
Continue reading Buckeye – Cruikshank – Salmon Creek Trail Loop (Silver Peak Wilderness, CA)
Piestewa Peak, Phoenix Mountains Preserve, November 2020 Piestewa Peak (2,608’) is the second-highest summit in the Phoenix Mountains, a smattering of cactus-covered peaks in the heart of Arizona’s largest metropolis. Situated inside the Phoenix city limits, Piestewa Peak is extremely popular, but the panoramic views across nearly the entire metropolitan area make the crowded climb …
Continue reading Piestewa Peak (Phoenix Mountains Preserve, AZ)
Crown Lake, Hoover Wilderness, July 2020 Well, what a strange year it has been. In the early days of 2020, it was hard to imagine that, by March, much of the world would be dealing with a global pandemic that would take the lives of millions and usher in lockdowns, mask mandates, and economic recessions. …
3-4 day backpacking trip to five spectacular lakes in the Hoover Wilderness and Kerrick Meadow in Yosemite National Park.
The Peekaboo Loop Trail via Bryce Point is a challenging stem-and-loop hike through some of Bryce Canyon's most spectacular hoodoo landscapes.
Strenuous climb up Lassen Peak Trail to the summit of a recently active volcano with 360-degree panoramic views.
Short backpacking trip through Snow Mountain Wilderness in California's Mendocino National Forest, plus a loop that visits beautiful Milk Ranch Meadow.
Live and Let Hike 