Caribou Lakes, Trinity Alps

The Caribou Lakes area is one of the finest regions of the Trinity Alps with fantastic scenery and beautiful alpine lakes. The trailhead is at the end of a long and slow gravel road that is quite rocky in spots; passable in low-clearance sedans but caution must be exercised. The extra effort required to reach…

Sawtooth Loop: Matterhorn Peak – Finger Peaks – Kettle Peak

Photos here. The “Sawtooth Loop” is a spectacular route through one of the most scenic regions of the High Sierra and a personal favorite. I call this particular route the Sawtooth Loop since it circumnavigates an impressively rugged subrange of the Sierra crest known as Sawtooth Ridge that straddles Yosemite national park’s northern boundary and…

High Sierra Camps Loop

At 48+ miles, the High Sierra Camps Loop covers a lot of ground and in the process showcases the spectacular Tuolumne Meadows area and Yosemite high country. The route includes a great mix of scenery characteristic of the region including lakes, waterfalls, meadows, granite and views. It’s one of the most popular circuits in all of…

Ohlone Bluffs at Wilder Ranch

The Ohlone Bluffs trail in Wilder Ranch State Park provides access to a gorgeous stretch of coastline just outside of Santa Cruz along Highway 1. The bluffs feature unique sandstone terraces sculpted by powerful ocean forces and sandy beaches. From the park headquarters, the trail stretches around 6.5 miles to the other end of the park, although…

Jedediah Smith Redwoods

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park is the northernmost of the primary redwood parks. Located just outside Crescent City, it is relatively undeveloped and contains a fraction of the trail mileage of Prairie Creek or Humboldt. However, what it lacks in trail infrastructure is outweighed by arguably the most scenic display of old growth redwoods in…

Prairie Creek Redwoods

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park is simply amazing. Miles of ancient old growth redwoods, Roosevelt elk grazing in meadows, and unfettered sandy beaches create a primeval setting. Nowhere else can one find such an extensive and continuous stand of old growth redwoods in pristine condition. This park offers a glimpse of what the entire north…

Mendocino’s Attractions

The Mendocino area, located on the coast about three hours north of San Francisco, is a fantastic destination with many varied attractions and sights. In fact, there is so much to see and do in this region it would probably take a half dozen trips to become fully acquainted with all the great trails, coastal hideaways, and…

Point Reyes Pilgrimage

I have visited Point Reyes National Seashore many times over the years, but each time I leave inspired by the amazing scenery and look forward to the next exploration. This time I did a loop out of Bear Valley that I have done in the past, but in the reverse direction to best accommodate the day’s tides. This loop…

2012 Adventure Run Recap

2012 was a fantastic year of adventure running with a diverse set of outings, each with amazing scenery. The following is a recap of the year’s adventures with some of my favorite photographs. Clouds Rest via Yosemite Valley (May 20, 2012): Clouds Rest is a colossal granite formation with striking prominence. At 9,926 ft, it is…

2012 Adventure Runs Video Recap

2012 was an awesome year for me in terms of adventure runs. While I didn’t take video clips on every adventure, below are all the videos I did create this year in chronological order. It’s nice to see them all in one place as there is over an hour in aggregate total footage. For best…