Fall is one of my favorite times of the year in the Sierra. This time of year comes after the summer monsoon thunderstorm season but before winter storms roll in off the Pacific burying the high country in snow. The result is weather that is characterized by numerous clear and crisp days interspersed with the…
Category: Trail Running
Little Lakes Valley to Morgan Pass
The trailhead at Mosquito Flat in the Rock Creek area is one of the highest trailheads in the Sierra at just over 10,000 feet and provides easy access to wonderful hiking, climbing and trail running at Little Lakes Valley. The visitor less inclined to travel many miles will find quintessential High Sierra scenery within merely…
North Fork Big Pine Fall Foliage
The eastern Sierra has some amazing displays of fall color. The season typically only lasts two to three weeks and it’s one of my favorite times to be in the Sierra. As promised, here are some photos of the awesome color on the North Fork Big Pine Creek. On the two prior occasions that I…
Mount Winchell & Mount Robinson
The North Fork Big Pine Creek is one of the most scenic areas in the High Sierra including a collection of picturesque alpine lakes, the largest glacier in the range, and some of the most rugged terrain in the Sierra in the Palisades subrange. I have visited the North Fork Big Pine twice before to…
Robinson Peak
The Sawtooth Ridge region is one of the most scenic in all of the Sierra. I visited this area earlier in the summer climbing Matterhorn Peak, Finger Peaks and Kettle Peak in an aesthetic loop – the “Sawtooth Loop.” The highlight view was from Finger Peaks with a complete panorama of impressive Sawtooth Ridge from…
Tulainyo Lake: The Cleaver and Mount Carillon
Photo album here. Tulainyo Lake sits in a desolate bowl 12,828 feet above sea level nestled between four peaks – Mount Russell, Mount Carillon, Tunnabora Peak and The Cleaver. It is one of the highest lakes in the contiguous United States and impressively large for its altitude. Due to its elevation and shadowing effects from…
Whitney to Langley
I don’t often visit the Whitney Zone due its long distance from the Bay Area (7 hours) and convoluted red tape associated with the permitting process. However, I’m always looking for new scenery to explore and parts of this region I have never seen. Snagging some last minute day use permits for the weekend, I…
Kaweah Queen & Lawson Peak via Kaweah Gap
Each of the past four years I have run the High Sierra Trail to Hamilton Lakes, Kaweah Gap and nearby Precipice Lake. The rugged beauty of this region never ceases to amaze and inspire, from the sapphire blue of Hamilton Lakes and Precipice Lake to the sheer granite walls of Angel Wings and the Valhallas….
“Lion Loop” – Lion Rock and Triple Divide Peak
The “Lion Loop” is a spectacular large loop that I designed out of Wolverton utilizing the High Sierra Trail and the Tablelands to access one of the most remote corners of the High Sierra along the Great Western Divide. Lion Lake is the centerpiece feature of the route and is absolutely stunning with Triple Divide…
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…
Leor Pantilat's Adventures