#ThrowbackThursday: A short hike and playing in the snow, 2011
Back when Riley’s ears were still goofy and it actually snowed in California! If you regularly hike or backpack in California, please join our Facebook group, California Hiking and Backpacking! It’s a great place to ask questions and share your photos, trip reports and gear recommendations.
Hiking with Dogs: Training Hike & Gear Testing (Prado Lane), January 3 2016
I’m hoping to get out for another 50-60 mile backpacking trip in the Sierra this summer. I’ve been reviewing my notes from my HST hike, thinking about gear selection, and have started testing out a few items on training hikes and on my snowshoeing trips. It had been a couple weeks since I’d been able to hike and Riley really needed to get … Read More
Trail & Snow Conditions: San Jacinto & Miller Peaks, January 23 2016
Some friends and I joined S.C.H.P. for their 3rd peak in the SoCal Hiker 6 Pack of Peaks Challenge. Our route: We caught the first tram up and followed the San Jacinto Peak Trail until we reached the Sid Davis Route. We followed the Sid Davis Route until about 9,000 ft, then headed more directly towards Miller Peak. After a quick stop … Read More
Under Review: Minus33 Merino Wool – Kodiak Expedition Full Zip Hoody & Day Hiker Socks
Why Buy? Merino wool is an amazing material. After using it throughout the spring and summer, I was convinced of it’s antibacterial (odor preventing) and wicking properties. Testing mostly socks and shirts in temperatures ranging from the 30s to 90s, I was continually impressed how well merino regulated my body temperature and was especially impressed with how much merino could be worn … Read More
Hiking with Dogs: Mt. Baden-Powell, December 13 2015
I’ve been eyeing this mountain for a couple of years now, hoping to hike it when conditions were good for a snow climb. With my upcoming move to New Hampshire, I decided that I should hike it now, then maybe try with snowshoes and crampons later if southern California gets a significant snowfall before I move. We hiked from Vincent Gap, … Read More
Trail & Snow Conditions: Icehouse Canyon, Bighorn Peak, & Cucamonga Peak, January 16 2016
I joined the S.C.H.P. Meetup group for the first part of my hike. They planned to hike Cucamonga Peak, in the effort to complete the SoCal Hiker 6 Pack of Peaks Challenge in winter. I did not have enough time to hike Cucamonga, so I decided to join them to Icehouse Saddle, then solo hike Bighorn. Some notes on trail and snow conditions: From … Read More
San Gabriel Mountains Time-lapse, January 11 2016
I headed out this morning with my new camera to get a time-lapse of the San Gabriel Mountains. I took a few photos and will add them to this post once they’ve been re-sized. I made two obvious mistakes when setting up for this shot: The tripod wasn’t quite level. I had to rotate the video in Adobe Premier. The app … Read More
Trail & Snow Conditions: Register Ridge, January 9 2016
Trail & Snow Conditions We only had enough time for a short hike, but still wanted to get out for a bit. We set a turnaround time and headed up Register Ridge. We made it to an elevation of about 8,000′ before starting our descent. The snow was soft and we did not need any winter traction devices for most of the … Read More
Gear Review: Sun King Pro AN Portable Solar Lantern + USB Charger
Why Buy? I’m picky about the gear that I accept for review. I do my research and ask questions, in the hopes that I don’t spend my time testing something that doesn’t fit a need or something that already has a track record of poor performance or durability. When I was first asked to review the Sun King Pro AN Portable Solar Lantern … Read More
Gear Review: Darn Tough Vermont Merino Wool Socks
Why Buy? Merino wool is an amazing material. After using it throughout the spring and summer, I was convinced of it’s antibacterial (odor preventing) and wicking properties. Testing mostly socks and shirts in temperatures ranging from the 30s to 90s, I was continually impressed how well merino regulated my body temperature and was especially impressed with how much merino could be worn … Read More