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Trail Summaries Will Return In The Spring

So, cooler weather is starting to arrive in the arrive in the Sierras, and my hiking summary season has ended, but it will pick back up in April 2025. This doesn’t mean I haven’t hung the boots up yet though. Until the snow drops, I’ll be out there, and some of you will probably see me on the trails during weekends and the holidays. I’m gathering information to post when the weather warms again, and I plan on publishing more trail summaries out of some hopefully spectacular places that you may want to hike when the weather turns favorable.

Until then, I may post here and there on hiking topics, and I will be updating some of the pages such as useful hiking links and hiking tips and safety during this downtime. The site will slow down, but it won’t be stagnant.

Hike on…

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Hiking Olmstead Loop in the Auburn State Recreation Area

Tall grasses protrude from a pond in the foreground with oak tree covered foothills behind the pond.
One of the ponds at the Auburn State Recreation Area emerges as you hike along the Olmstead Loop Trail from the canopy. This is one of three ponds in the area.

We hiked a portion of the Olmstead Loop Trail in the Auburn State Recreation Area on a warm spring morning when the hills were still green and wildflowers were still in bloom.

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Backpacking to Lake Aloha in Desolation Wilderness

Lake Aloha sits behind pine trees with mountains behind it.
Lake Aloha on the Tahoe Rim Trail/Pacific Crest Trail is a gorgeous site to see with the forest in front of it and the mountains behind it.

The hike from Echo Lake to Lake Aloha is a beautiful Type 2 Fun hike along the Tahoe Rim Trail/Pacific Crest Trail in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. We backpacked into Desolation Wilderness and were there for two nights.

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Backpacking to Dewey Point in Yosemite National Park

The view from Dewey Point with El Capitan to the left.
The view from Dewey Point looks the High Sierras in the distance with El Capitan to the left.

The hike to Dewey Point from the McGurk Meadow Trail in Yosemite National Park is a hike to a fantastic view of El Capitan with Half Dome in the distance and the majestic tops of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range in the background. While many people do this hike as a day hike, we decided to backpack in and spend the night at Dewey Point.

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Backpacking to Buck Island Lake in Eldorado National Forest

Buck Island Lake with forest and mountain ridges in the background.
Buck Island Lake is offers crystal blue waters in a picturesque setting in the Eldorado National Forest.

We backpacked out to Buck Island Lake over the summer which is in the El Dorado National Forest near Loon Lake but just short of going into Desolation Wilderness. The lake itself was beautiful where we and other backpackers were. But behold, the other side of the lake where the Jeepers are left the experience something to be desired.

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Complacency Can Get You Killed on the Trail

Search and Rescue personnel remove an injured hiker from the wilderness on a wheeled gurney.
Search and Rescue personnel remove an injured hiker from the wilderness on a wheeled gurney.

Complacency might get to most of us before we head out on the trail, and that’s not a good habit to fall into. I’ve done it myself over things that might seem trivial with the thought that, “Oh, that won’t happen.”

I don’t know what the statistics are, but I’ve heard that more injuries or life threating incidents occur on day hikes more than for backpackers. If that’s true, maybe it’s because more people may day hike than backpack.

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Hiking the Arnold Rim Trail to the “Top of the World”

The Sierra Nevada Mountain Range can be seen from the "Top of the World" on the Arnold Rim trail with snow caps in the distance.
The Sierra Nevada Mountain Range can be seen from the “Top of the World” on the Arnold Rim trail with snow caps in the distance.

The Arnold Rim Trail is a hike through a part of the Stanislaus National Forest that leads to a fantastic point dubbed the “The Top of the World” where the view is incredible. From the Sierras, you can see over to the Coastal Range and Mount Diablo nearly 90 miles away on a clear day.

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Hiking Upper Ritchey Canyon at Bothe-Napa Valley State Park

The forest at Bothe-Napa Valley State Park on the Upper Ritchey Canyon Trail are recovering from a fire that occurred in 2020.
The forest at Bothe-Napa Valley State Park on the Upper Ritchey Canyon Trail are recovering from a fire that occurred in 2020.

The hike to Upper Ritchey Canyon at Bothe-Napa Valley State Park is challenging, but along the way you can see a forest that is in recovery from a fire that burned through parts of it in 2020.

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