San Bernardino East Peak – different than usual

It has been 3 weeks since our backpacking trip to the Desolation Wilderness and we were ready for another good hike. We eventually settled on San Bernardino East Peak since it would offer a new trail and a new peak to part of the group. We met at 6:30am to car pool for the ride. With a quick bathroom stop we arrived at Momyer TH around 8:15am and hit the trail 10 minutes later.Continue reading “San Bernardino East Peak – different than usual”

Alaska Cruise

It started on Sunday morning 26 Aug. No problems getting to the airport, parking in long term lot, shuttle to the airport, check bags, pass through security (we were TSA Pre so went quickly) and at the gate in plenty of time. Uneventful trip, fortunately, non-stop to Seattle. Arrived about 1300, got a shuttle to a motel and got checked in to wait for Bill and Maggie. They arrived a few hours later and we all went out to dinner.Continue reading “Alaska Cruise”

3 Easy Days in Desolation Wilderness

After hiking for 7 days straight it was time for a little more relaxed approach. We spent a day with a friend’s kids exploring a little water fall, hanging out by a fishing pond and balancing on a fallen tree trunk. The next day we went to the ranger station and got a 3 day permit for the wilderness. After that we setup camp in DL Bliss State Park and spent the day napping on a beach of Lake Tahoe and driving along the lake a little for some great views.Continue reading “3 Easy Days in Desolation Wilderness”

7 Day Wilderness Adventure

Our original adventure was to be the epic Tahoe-to-Yosemite hike, one attempted by less than 10 people per year. The Donnell Lake fire which started August 1, and continues to burn 36,350 acres, destroyed over 21 miles of our 180-mile hike.  For plan B we reverted to a modified series of loops through the Desolation and Mokelumne Wildernesses.Continue reading “7 Day Wilderness Adventure”

North Kaibab Trail, Grand Canyon

After Bryce Canyon we went to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Since we traveled during prime season we did not expect to get a camping spot inside the National Park without reservation, so we grabbed a spot on the National Forest campground Demotte just outside the park. After picking a site we went straight into the park. Along the way we saw a herd of bison and of course stopped for some picture. On the way to the visitor center we checked at the campground to see if we could reserve a site for the next day. To our surprise we got one.Continue reading “North Kaibab Trail, Grand Canyon”