Guides and Trips
Trips
Spring skiing in Winter. We went up this weekend with over 15 friends to hit the slopes. It was 55 degrees but the snow wasn't as bad as expected. On the plus side, hardly anyone else was there. Photos / Videos coming soon.
On our first full day in Kauai we hiked the Pihea trail to Alakai swamp and just barely made it back before it got dark. It was to cloudy to see any good views at the end of the trail, but it was still a nice hike and I got some great pictures earlier in the day.For the full writeup, check out my blog: http://www.gone-wandering.com/blog/waimea-canyon-the-pihea-alakai-swamp-trail-and-jurassic-park/
I went on a hike today with David and a couple of friends at Mt. Tamalpais State Park. It was raining when we started which was a shame because no one even considered the possibility that it wouldn't be warm and sunny. Fortunately it cleared up shortly after and the sun came out and warmed us up as we reached the summit.The view of the bay below is always amazing, and this...
After our quick 2-day backpacking trip in the Ventana Wilderness we desperately needing a dip in the cold ocean, and Andrew Molera seemed to be just the spot. The parking lot was packed on Sunday, so we were forced to park on the road a little ways away (but it wasn’t too bad, since we didn’t need to pay). The trail to the beach was about 1-2 miles round trip and made...
Over the long 4th of July weekend David, Josh and I were looking for a backpacking trip. Unfortunately, literally everything in the Sierra's was either full or covered in snow, and we decided to stay a bit closer to home.We eventually decided on Big Sur and left Friday after work to spend the night in Monterey to get an early jump on the next day. The jump was most of a slow...
Berry Creek Falls Trail
Big Basin Redwoods State Park, California, United States
Hiking | 10.6 miles
Hiking | 10.6 miles
This weekend we had planned a backpacking trip at Big Basin with Loren, David, and Josh but soon found out that the backpacking camps would not be open for another week (pretty late if you ask me). So there we were with all of our backpacking gear and no food (David forgot to pick it up...), so we decided to go on a day hike.Part of the Skyline to the Sea trail...
On our final day in Hawaii we took the bus and hiked to Manoa Falls. The hike to the falls was pretty quick (and the viewing area was crowded) so we decided to continue along the trail up to the ridge. This was the type of hike that I expected to experience in Hawaii: huge plants, waterfalls, and lots of thick bamboo forests.We found that we could climb up a bamboo stalk...
Note: This is a private trail. We did not know it was private until we finished the hike and someone informed us.On our first full day in Honolulu we wanted to go on a hike. Fuzz, Solon, Ariel, Louis, David, Debby and I decided to go to Hanauma Bay. The views were just spectacular--light clear blue water with the Koko crater behind.After we left the paved road the trail got very steep...
On the final day of our trip we went to Heavenly for a full day of skiing. The weather was beautiful and the snow stayed soft the whole day. I always forget how amazing the views are from heavenly--unsurpassed anywhere in tahoe.Read about my full day at Heavenly on my travel blog
This weekend I was up in South Tahoe with a few old friends and a lot of new ones. On Saturday the 14 (or so) of us went to Sierra and had a great time. It was pretty tough to all stay together but we never got separated for too long.Read about my ski trip to Sierra on my blog
Even though it was cloudy/rainy today I couldn't resist a hike (that, and I wanted to create some EveryTrail guides in San Francisco).I took a bus to the Presidio and started with the Ecology Trail, which was short and had a nice overlook at Inspiration Point. Unfortunately, a good portion of the trail is under reconstruction/renovation (like several other trails in this area), so it was not entirely scenic.Afterwards I hard the 2.5...
On Saturday David and I went skiing at Alpine Meadows (well, he snowboarded). For me, it was the my first trip up to the snow this season so I was very excited.The weather was pretty warm and sunny, which meant light clothing and icy slopes in the shade. The snow in the sun wasn't too bad, so we mostly stuck to the slopes in the sun.My Forerunner died a little after lunch...
I flew to Miami--well, Palm beach--to see the Orange Bowl. WE WON!! But this is what I did before watching the game. After landing at the Palm Beach airport I had a few hours to kill before heading down to Miami and I wanted to see the sights in Palm Beach. I started by walking down Clematis Street, but it was completely empty. I guess it only becomes popular in the night...
Preiffer Big Sur Nature Trail
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, California, United States
Hiking | 0.3 miles
Hiking | 0.3 miles
A short hike along the nature trail to explore the world around us.Read more about my hike in Big Sur on my blog
Pfeiffer Fall and Valley View Trail
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, California, United States
Hiking | 2.0 miles
Hiking | 2.0 miles
This short hike combined two of the more popular trails in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park: Pfieffer Falls and Valley View. Unfortunately, due to fire damage from 2008, part of the Pfeiffer Falls loop was closed for rehabilitation and reconstruction, but luckily the waterfall was still reachable.When I got to Peiffer Fall the water was barely trickling down, and my guess is that late spring may be a better time for this...
Point Lobos Grand Loop
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, California, United States
Hiking | 5.6 miles
Hiking | 5.6 miles
As part of our effort to create guides for all California State Parks, Joost and I set out for Point Lobos. It was a beautiful November day so we parked the car and set out with our cameras over our shoulders and our iPhone apps set to tracking mode. The sea lions were out in full force around Sea Lion Cove. We parted ways around the north end of Cypress Cove and...
Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park
Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, California, United States
Sightseeing | 2.5 miles
Sightseeing | 2.5 miles
After we finished the Monroe Ridge Trail we decided to walk through the historical Coloma town. We started at the Marshall Monument and continued downhill past Marshall's cabin, church, and cemetery before reaching the main road. There must have been over 50 historical houses and buildings each with descriptions of their significance.We ended by walking to the site of Sutter Mill and the Gold Discovery Site (which wasn't very impressive considering all that happened...
South Grove in Calaveras Big Trees State Park
Calaveras Big Trees State Park, California, United States
Hiking | 5.2 miles
Hiking | 5.2 miles
While Paul and Benoit were exploring the North Grove, Joost and I drove the RV to the other end of Calaveras Big Trees State Park and hiked through the South Grove. The hike was about 6 miles long and we were able to see many giant sequoias along the way, which always amazes me no matter how many times I see them (first time here, but I've seen them in Mariposa Grove...
Ehrman Mansion and Estate
Sugar Pine Point State Park, California, United States
Sightseeing | 1.1 miles
Sightseeing | 1.1 miles
We took a tour around the Ehrman Mansion with Ranger Susan as she explained the history of the area and the prominent Hellman family.Read more about the Ehrman Mansion and State park on my travel blog
