Buckeye Loop in Hoover Wilderness

Another post from the fall season in the High Sierra, this time from the Hoover Wilderness to the north and east of Yosemite. The Hoover Wilderness and adjacent northern part of Yosemite is largely overlooked for the higher peaks of the Sierra Nevada to the south but features outstanding scenery and tremendous opportunity for adventure…

McGee Creek & Red Slate Mountain

Fall color has long been replaced by snow in the High Sierra, but this post looks back on a great trip at the height of fall color in McGee Creek Canyon. The word colorful best describes this outing from the yellow, orange and red aspen groves in the lower canyon to the sapphire blue of Big McGee Lake,…

Mount Stewart & Eagle Scout Peak

The Hamilton Lakes and Kaweah Gap region is one of the most dramatic and inspiring spots in the High Sierra. Considering how many times over the years I’ve visited the area it’s easily among my favorite spots to explore. I consider it one of the best spots for adventure running in the Sierra Nevada with a…

Pioneer Loop & Mount Stanford

Photos here. The Pioneer Loop is a complete loop (no repetition) coming in around 22 miles and offers a great mix of scenery of the Mono Recess region. Highlights of the route include Ruby Lake, Mono Pass, Trail Lakes, Pioneer Basin, Mount Stanford and Hilton Creek Lakes. There are numerous route variations, additional peaks and…

Onion Loop

Photo album here. The Onion Loop provides an excellent sampling of the high country above Onion Valley in a complete loop with minimal repetition. The route includes excellent views throughout, fun scrambling, several alpine lakes and the three primary summits that reside along the Sierra Crest in the region: Dragon Peak, Mount Gould and University Peak….

Trinity Alps High Route Part II: Mirror Lake, Caesar Peak & Thompson Peak

Part II of the three part series on the Trinity Alps High Route fastpack focuses on the section from Sawtooth Mountain to Thompson Peak. The other parts of the series: Part I including Little Granite Peak, Sawtooth Peak, Alpine and Smith Lake Part III including Wedding Cake, Mount Hilton and Boulder Creek lakes Photos here. The…

Trinity Alps High Route Part I: Little Granite & Sawtooth

Note: Photos here.  The host of photos for this post is having issues so photos may no longer appear in the post. This the first of a series of posts on the Trinity Alps High Route, a mostly off-trail loop through the Trinity Alps that covers many of the highlights of this spectacular region. There…

Conness Peak & North Peak

Photo album here. After a few years I was looking forward to revisiting Mount Conness. My first time up Mount Conness was in 2007 (including North Peak and some excellent photos) and the second in 2011 via Young Lakes so it seems I’m on a four year schedule. I also visited the beautiful Conness Lakes a year ago. It…

More Minarets

Photos here. The Minarets are a spectacular collection of jagged spires in the Ritter Range of the Ansel Adams Wilderness. Usually I like to spread my adventures throughout the High Sierra since there are so many hidden gems to explore and mix up the character of scenery, but I have a particular affinity for the Minarets…