Trip Report: Mammoth Lakes Basin, November 29 2015
After hours of research and planning, we decided to head up to Mammoth to spend the long weekend snowshoeing. We spent the first day of our trip driving and the second day snowshoeing near Minaret Summit. On day 3, I decided to get some sunrise photos of Crystal Crag, then hiked up to TJ Lake. It was cold and windy (3 degrees F, when I started my … Read More
Top 5 of 2015: Most Memorable Hikes
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. The last year has been amazing. I spent more days on the trail than I ever have, took my first extended backpacking trip (High Sierra Trail) and I … Read More
Trail & Snow Conditions: Mt. Baden-Powell, Dec 13 2015
Trail & Snow Conditions We hiked Mt. Baden-Powell from Vincent Gap: We got started later than expected. Both navigation apps on my phone gave us bad directions. Since SR 2 shows up as ‘closed during the winter,’ they were routing us to Forest Service Road 4N56. The trail was apparent and easy to follow. We did see tracks (from when … Read More
Gear Giveaway – Woolx Heavyweight Merino Wool Hat & Long Neck 3 In One Gaiter!
To celebrate a great year of hiking and product testing, I’m giving away gear from some of my favorite manufacturers! This week, Woolx is teaming up with HikingGeek and Tales of the Trails to give one (1) lucky winner a Woolx Heavyweight Merino Wool Hat & Long Neck 3 In One Gaiter! The winner will decide what color they want.
Under Review: Black Rock Gear – The Original Down Beanie
Why Buy? When I head to the mountains, I carry a beanie. It doesn’t matter if it’s 90 degrees at home or if the forecast is clear. I never know when I could spend an unplanned night on the trail or when the weather will take a turn for the worse. While I am concerned with pack weight, my safety take precedence. … Read More
Trip Report: Minaret Summit & Peak 10,242′ Provisional, Nov 28 2015
After hours of research and planning, we decided to head up to Mammoth to spend the long weekend snowshoeing. We spent the first day of our trip driving, but on day 2, we headed out to Minaret Summit and spent a few hours in the backcountry. It was very cold (2° F), when we arrived at the ski area. After a quick breakfast, … Read More
Hiking with Dogs: Blue Mountain, November 21 2015
I didn’t have time to get out for an extended hike, but wanted to spend some time testing the functionality of my new camera. The Sony Alpha 6000 has the ability to download apps. One of the apps I wanted to test allows your smartphone to be used as a remote for the camera. The other app I wanted to … Read More
Trail & Snow Conditions: Lake Mary Road to Lake George, Lake Barnett and TJ Lake
Yesterday (11/29/15), I hiked in the Mammoth Lakes Basin area, starting at the Lake Mary Road Closure near Twin Lakes. I will post a trip report later, but here are my observations regarding snow/trail conditions, as well as some pictures. The section of Lake Mary Road that I walked had decent coverage, except for the area where the road gets close … Read More
Trail & Snow Conditions: Minaret Summit & Peak 10,242′ Provisional
We hiked from Mammoth Mountain Inn to Minaret Summit, then snowshoed to Peak 10,242 Provisional via San Joaquin Ridge. Here are some conditions and a few photos: Between Mammoth Mountain Inn and Minaret Summit, we did not use snowshoes on our ascent or descent. Once the snow goes through several thaw and freeze cycles, snowshoes (traction) might be more useful. We used snowshoes … Read More
Hiking with Kids & Dogs: Prado Lane, November 14 2015
Out for a quick hike with my son and dogs. My son ran most of the way to the top. At our turnaround spot, which had a nice view of the San Bernardino & San Gabriel Mountains, I put him in the pack to keep him from running down hill (the kid seems to only have 1 speed -FAST!). Geek … Read More