Hikes

This is the category for hikes we have done recently.   Here is the hike I did last Saturday:

http://moondust.smugmug.com/gallery/7266058_w tXHr#467089415_bcq77

That was a beautiful hike.  I'd like to hike someplace like that some day, but for the time being, I and my husband are hiking along the pilgrimage trails in Japan.

I hiked today along the Big Shoals trail of the Florida trail. It followed a ridge along and above the Suwannee River. It was a benefit hike--"Ididahike"--to raise money for the Florida Trail Assoc.

We went 8 miles up and down hills and ravines. I never knew Fl was so hilly. I found it very challenging, beginner that I am, and beautiful. It was a perfect day, in the 60s. The trail passed through a variety of habitats. I would highly recommend it.

After not hiking for four weeks because of winter rains, I finally got to stretch my legs on a 12 mile hike Saturday.  I took the Mt. Diablo to Black Diamond Regional Trail from Clayton, CA and hiked three miles into Black Diamond Regional Park.

The area was first used for coal mining and later silica mining and encompassed a number of towns that have long since disappeared.  Not much remains there now except for pretty landscape, a vandalized cemetary and remnants of mining activities.

The hike offered views of Mt. Diablo, the San Joaquin Delta and surrounding communities.  The day was overcast and the California sun unusually coy so the pictures are rather dark and flat.

Ten pictures here - clicky!

Nice going, Flatrat!  Mines and cemetaries are always fun.

I hiked near Three Rivers, CA on Saturday, out of the South Fork Kaweah River trailhead.  Here is a link to my report:

http://moondust.smugmug.com/gallery/7495651_4 BUQJ#484003359_up4Lb

Thanks.  Nice pictures especially of the bald eagles.  I have yet to see them in the wild.  I'm hoping to hike tomorrow and possibly return with some pictures.

I went on a 15-ish mile round trip hike from Morgan Territory Regional Preserve to Riggs/Jackass Canyons in Mt. Diablo State Park on Saturday.  It was cold, foggy and windy and I cursed myself for not checking weather conditions before the hike.  Then the rain began.

A significant portion of the hike was on the Highland Ridge Trail which as the name suggests was along the ridge.  It also meant there was no protection from the winds.  Only timely interventions from the strap kept the hat from demonstrating it's flight capabilities many times.

The views (no doubt stunning) were veiled by fog for the first third of the hike.  Eventually things began to clear up and I was able to see something and get a few satisfactory pictures.  For a few minutes sunlight found the earth before the clouds reimposed their authority.

Because of the wind and fog, a lot of the pictures are fuzzy, dark and flat.  Interestingly, I did not run into anyone on this hike.  Link to 24 pictures.

Hey, Flatrat, those are some pretty nice photos considering the weather.  Very green!  Does your camera have a GPS built in?  Hmmm, I wonder why no one else wanted to hike in the wind and rain.

A weekend ago I went hiking in the Mt. Whitney area.  Photos are here:
http://moondust.smugmug.com/gallery/7663429_8 vkbB#494719222_TVU4S

This past weekend I went over to the Death Valley area and hiked a desert peak.  It was pretty windy there, too, and I took off my visor after I almost lost it on a ridgeline.  I haven't got my photos uploaded for that hike yet, but my friend took some:
http://natedeb.com/krv/displayimage.php?album =193&pos=0

Next weekend I hope to hike a little closer to home.  I'm tired of leaving so early in the morning!

The camera does not have GPS but I have some very detailed maps of the trail and was able to pinpoint or approximate the location of the pictures based on those and Google's map.  Thankfully the rain was light and did not last long.  The greenery will be gone in a month or so.

I loved the pictures of the Mt. Whitney area hike although I have to admit I got frostbite from just looking at the snow.  One of these days I hope to day-hike Mt. W.  I love that side of the Sierras along Hwy. 395.

The Pinto Peak hike looks cool too.  I have very little experience with desert hiking but over the last 6 months or so, I have been thinking about it a lot.  I love the CA and NV desert and would like to explore it on foot.  Keep those pictures and hikes coming. 

This was one of the hardest dayhikes I've done, almost as hard as Whitney, and I had a cold.  But it was a blast!  The first 4 miles went north on the Pacific Crest trail, then the other 10 miles were all off-trail, rough rocky terrain, sidehilling on loose stuff, and ten minor peaks along the way. Somewhere between 5000 and 6000 feet of total gain, and 8000 feet of loss.  My friend's photos are here:

http://natedeb.com/krv/thumbnails.php?album=1 94&page=1

Incredible!  Beautiful and inspiring hike.  Thank you for sharing.  My hikes this weekend were short and flat in Point Reyes National Seashore and San Francisco.  Pictures when I feel inspired.

I hiked from Riggs Canyon to Curry Point in Mt. Diablo State Park this morning.  The weather was perfect.  Easily one of the best hiking days out here this year.  Here are a few pictures including some looking back at the trail from my previous hike - Click.

I like to hike in the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. There are several hikes for someone out out shape,( like I am). lol Does anyone live in this area and like to hike?

amyjo

Flatrat, those hills are amazingly green!  Love the lupine and the coyote.  It looks like the coyote was hunting something.  I'm glad you had such perfect weather.

I will get my photos ready later, but we had a good hike with nice weather also (not very green, though).  The only mishap was that while downclimbing a ledge, I sat on a beavertail cactus!!  My family is still helping me pluck out the tiny spines, and I feel decidedly prickly

That is hilarious Moonduster.  Hope you don't mind me ROTFLOL at your expense.  I suspect this was my first and last hike in April given the weekend schedule for the rest of the month.  In all my years of hiking, this was the best hiking conditions I've encountered.  Relived it in my dreams last night and can't stop thinking about it today either.

Nightstar0102, I have hiked sections of the Appalachian Trail in GSM in NC.  Very pretty area and the folks are nice too.

I have been hiking every weekend but not finding time to post.  Here is my hike from last Saturday.  It was in Sequoia National Park, but not in the main area.  Very pretty trail and several unusual wildflowers. About 12 miles with 4000 feet of elevation gain - a good calorie-burning workout! 

In late April, I went to the Carrizo Plains, a unique area along the San Andreas Fault.  Photos are here.

On May 30, a few of us went north on the Pacific Crest Trail from Walker's Pass.  We climbed three peaks, each higher than the previous one.  Morris Peak is around 7200', Mt Jenkins is 7900' and Owens Peak is something like 8300 or 8400'.  Talk about being tired!!  Photos here

Remember, you can burn thousands of calories by day hiking!  Get out there and hike! 

Thanks for the lovely pictures.  The hikes are very inspiring.  Since April, I have been successful mainly in growing my gut.  Went on a short easy hike once in May and planning a downhill hike this weekend.  Need to get out more, burn some calories and get back to hiking every weekend.  Thanks again for the inspiration.

Hi

I'm new here, live on the border of CA & OR near the coast, anyone nearby?  Thanks, moonduster for the Carrizo Plains photos.  Brought back memories of the summer in 1980 I spent with a UCLA group out of Santa Barbara recording the rock art left by native peoples.  I remember so many rattlers that we had a snake rustler come out to make it a little safer for us.  He left with two large writhing and rattling burlap bags!!!  No one got bit, but I got the worst sunburn of my life, back when sunscreens weren't very effective. My fair Brit skin has burned even under zinc oxide.

Anyway, I live amongst the giants of the tree world, the redwoods, many trails here & even when the weather is good, even on the weekends, still not common to see other people on most of the trails.  Last weekend went up the little bald hills trail to the meadow/backcountry camp.  Six miles & no body else.  The orange tiger lilies are putting on their annual show.  One of these days I'll replace my camera to have photos to share.

Terry

Last weekend I did my first two hikes of the season.  I went camping at Acadia Natl Park on Mt. Desert Island in Maine.  It was the first time I'd ever been and it was beautiful!  We hiked Cadillac Mtn then Dorr Mtn.  the next day we went around Jordan Pond and hiked up the south Bubble. 

I don't have pictures, but here's the website: 

http://www.nps.gov/acad/photosmultimedia/virt ualtour.htm

It was so great to get outside and use my body - especially after a pretty grueling 2 months at work.  this was the perfect antidote to VERY late nights at work and the terrible food choices that go along with them.

I'm inspired to do a little "city hiking" today and walk to brunch!

This last weekend (July 18-19, 2009) I hiked the Ten Lakes Trail (off Tioga Pass Rd) in Yosemite National Park with my husband and another couple, and we camped one night at Lower Grant Lake, just south of Ten Lakes Pass. The total hike was around 13.3 miles, with (I think) 1,400 2,160 foot elevation gain - I'll have to re-check the map...  All I know is that it was a constant uphill trail, and got really steep in a few places. But it was so worth every ounce of soreness and loss of breath along the way!!

The weather was a little warm (104F in Yosemite Valley, not completely sure what it was on the trail), but the sky was clear, and the views were amazing. We camped on a granite ledge overlooking Lower Grant Lake, and the view across the lake and out into the mountains was breathtaking, especially at sunset, with that warm glow the setting sun gives everything.

I will post a couple pictures in my gallery, if I can figure out how.

edit: Correction on the elevation gain. Also, I posted pictures to my gallery.

This is one of my favorite hikes in Boulder. I do this at least 2-3 times a month before work. The trailhead is right on the edge of town and the views are amazing. It's a widely used trail so I don't worry about bears or mountain lions (both are common in the foothills here).

http://www.protrails.com/trail.php?trailID=36

I've gone on two relatively easy hikes this week and will be doing Mount Sanitas (the one above) tomorrow morning. Great way to end the week!

Next summer I am going to do my first 14'er: Mount Bierstadt.

http://www.localhikes.com/Hikes/MountBierstad t_0000.asp

After that, the sky's the limit! Literally. ;)