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When a Hike Turns to Agony

Ahot sun, no water and a loss of direction turned what should have been great hike into a day of agony when I decided to climb Billy’s Hill and trek over to Glascock Mountain up California Highway 16 on the Cortina Ridge.

A series of things went wrong, which started with a mistake I made on the trail. This is not a trail summary – that will come later this summer, but I want to write about the importance of taking the proper amount of water as the summer heat approaches. Continue reading “When a Hike Turns to Agony”

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Stevens Trail Along the American River

The American River Canyon from the Stevens Trail.
The American River Canyon from the Stevens Trail.

The Stevens Trail just outside of Colfax starts off pleasantly as you hike amongst lush greenery on both sides of the trail under the shade from oak tree canopy. The 1400 foot 3.7 mile descent to the American River is gentle, and the traffic sounds of the traffic on Interstate 80 fade into the distance as you venture away from the trailhead. Continue reading “Stevens Trail Along the American River”

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Hiking Around Loon Lake

Loon Lake from the trail.
Loon Lake from the trail.

There’s nothing difficult about hiking this scenic trail along Loon Lake on the Rubicon Trail, which offers picturesque images of the lake if you venture off the forested trail a little bit for the views. Along the way you will hike past granite rocks and hills as the trail is a gateway to Desolation Wilderness. This hike is purely about the scenery and not much of a challenge, as the trail is nicely maintained. Continue reading “Hiking Around Loon Lake”

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Hiking Pleasants Ridge Trail

A view of the Sacramento Valley from Pleasants Ridge Trail.
From Pleasants Ridge Trail, you can look down into the Sacramento Valley.

This trail is now closed

Hiking up Pleasants Ridge Trail starts off easy enough, but the hike quickly becomes a heart-pounding, heavy-breathing workout. At the time of this writing, Alltrails.com rates this trail as moderate (recently re-rated as hard). It is not, and this short trail is no way for the inexperienced hiker by any means. With grades at nearly 46 percent in some sections, this trail can actually be dangerous on the descent. I’ve never used my “hiker safety” category on a trail summary before, but this one is an exception. Continue reading “Hiking Pleasants Ridge Trail”

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Hiking The Mount Konocti Trail

Buckingham Peak with Clear Lake in the background from Wright Peak on Mount Konocti.
Buckingham Peak with Clear Lake in the background from Wright Peak on Mount Konocti.

Hiking up Mount Konocti to Wright Peak is about a six-mile round-trip hike from the Upper Parking Lot near the access gate on Konocti Road. You will climb approximately 1,600 feet, and along the way, you hike past past walnut and apple orchards, through an amazing Canyon Oak grove to the Mary Downen cabin, which was built in 1903 and preserved. The trail continues up to Wright Peak to the no longer used CalFire lookout tower. You can also hike to Buckingham Peak and Howard Peak, which would make the entire mountain nearly a 9-mile hike. Continue reading “Hiking The Mount Konocti Trail”

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