Hiking

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Hiking The Mt Reba Trail

On a quick fall trip to the mountains, we explored a bit of the Central Sierra that we hadn’t spent much time in before!  While we had spent time along the Highway 4 corridor in spring, exploring the town of Arnold and Calaveras Big Trees State Park, the high mountains above Highway 4 were still unknown to us!  The first hike we did to explore the area was Mt Reba! Located just above Lake Alpine and near the Bear Valley...

Hiking The Spine Trail To The Bay Area’s Best Swing!

Ocean hikes are always great, and the rugged California coastline is one of the best places to do them!  Big Sur may be more famous, but there are actually a ton of awesome coastal hikes right in the Bay Area.  The Spine Trail just north of Half Moon Bay is one of these. Beginning just off Highway 1, this hike will take you up a steep and rugged ridgeline as you climb away from the ocean towards the peaks of...

Hiking The Brutal Meysan Trail From Whitney Portal

When you start a hike in the acclaimed Whitney Portal, most would assume that you’re on your way up the lower 48’s highest peak.  However, there is actually another awesome trail that has a fraction of the traffic, huge views, alpine lakes, scrambling, and none of the shenanigans that go into getting a Whitney Permit.  That trail is the Meysan Trail. Beginning at the Whitney Portal Campground, the Meysan Trail climbs Whitney Portal’s neighboring valley.  The end point of the...

Day Hiking All Five Of The Cottonwood Lakes!

At the far southern end of the high Sierra, there is a stunning chain of lakes set under rough rocky peaks at extremely high elevation.  The Cottonwood Lakes lie at just over 11,000 feet of elevation at the very southern end of the big mountains of the Sierra Nevada, and are actually reached by a long but pretty mellow day hike. Placed just to the south of the southernmost 14,000 foot peak in California, Mt Langley, the Cottonwood Lakes are...

Hiking The Little Lakes Valley To The Gem Lakes

Nestled among soaring 13,000 foot peaks, the Little Lakes Valley is one of the most stunningly beautiful alpine valleys in all of California.  Holding somewhere around a dozen alpine lakes and accessed via a short and easy trail, this is one of the best places to enjoy big mountain terrain for not a lot of effort! At an elevation of over 10,000 feet, the Mosquito Flat Trailhead at the base of the Little Lakes Valley is the highest elevation trailhead...

Day Hiking The Incredible Minaret Lake

Above the town of Mammoth Lakes, the stunning Ritter Range dominates the skyline of the high Sierra.  Perhaps the most visually stunning feature of this range are the Minarets, and nestled at their base is Minaret Lake. Requiring a long hike through sub alpine forests, this trail is more commonly done as a backpacking outing, but we did it in a day.  Starting from Devils Postpile National Monument, this hike quickly takes you into the Ansel Adams Wilderness as you...