Fun times at the PCTR Woodside Trail Runs at Huddart Park! This was my third year in a row running the event, which features distances of 10k, 17k, 35k, and 50k. I call it my “home course” since I often run at Huddart. Last year I did the 17k in 1:11:00 and was coming in…
Wallace Falls State Park
Wallace Falls is one of the gems of the Washington State Park system. It is located about 1 hour northeast of Seattle in the wonderfully scenic Skykomish River Valley and it’s a popular destination on weekends, especially during the summer. However, winter is perhaps the best time to visit when Wallace Creek is flowing hard…
Mount Tam Sunset
Dad O’Rourke’s Bench is one of the best places to watch sunset or sunrise in the Bay Area. In fact, it is one of the best viewpoints at any point in the day. It is located in Mount Tamalpais State Park about 0.3 miles away from the Rock Springs parking area and 0.3 miles away…
Bay Area Waterfalls!
The Bay Area has many waterfalls in beautiful settings. However, most of them are trickles a good portion of the year. With heavy rains expected all week in the Bay Area, it’s time to think about checking out waterfalls! Here is a selection of some waterfalls I have visited and want to visit. With 21…
Cataract Falls
I returned to Mount Tamalpais with Serena to see sunset from Dad O’Rourke’s bench, but beforehand we did a hike in the Marin Watershed, including a stop at gorgeous Cataract Falls. The trail down to Cataract descends an incredibly lush canyon with bright green moss and ferns covering virtually everything. Cataract falls consists of several…
Cone Peak “Sea to Sky”
Cone Peak is a spectacular summit along the rugged Big Sur coast. At 5,155 feet, it is the second highest mountain in the Santa Lucia Mountain range, but it’s the highest mountain to offer a view of the ocean. The mountain rises nearly a vertical mile in less than three miles from the coastline as the…
Marcel’s Forest – Nisene Marks State Park
The Forest of Nisene Marks is not known for old growth redwoods. However, there is about a dozen big trees near the park entrance that can be viewed from a 1 mile long trail loop. After my trail run, I decided to check out this loop and found some impressively large trees. I was also…
The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park
The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park is located outside of Aptos in the Santa Cruz area. The entire park is essentially covered in a redwood forest canopy and the canyons of Aptos Creek and Bridge Creek are exceptionally lush with sorrel, ferns, and moss in abundance. The area has a long history of human…
Big Basin State Park
Big Basin is one of my favorite places to run. Established in 1902, it’s California’s oldest state park and features the largest continuous stand of old growth redwood forest (in square miles) south of Humboldt State Park (250 miles to the north). It’s only 1.5 hours away from the population centers of the Bay Area, but…
Muir Woods National Monument
Believe it or not, I have never actually done the paved tourist loop at Muir Woods National Monument. I have run across the parking lot along the Dipsea Trail and come down the Ben Johnson Trail only to turn up on the Camp Eastwood Trail. Serena has never seen Muir Woods either, so as part…
Leor Pantilat's Adventures