The crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains seems to get snow at least once a year, but it’s still a rare enough occurrence that I get excited about it. On Monday, I drove up to Skyline Blvd. and found picturesque winter scenes after 2-3 inches of snow fell at the higher elevations that morning. Here…
Rose Peak Snow
I joined Gary Gellin for a 19 mile roundtrip hike up 3,817 ft Rose Peak in the Ohlone Wilderness. A rare snowstorm swept through the hills and mountains above 1,500 ft in the Bay Area and the objective was to see lots of snow and views. Our wishes came true with 6-8 inches of fluffy,…
Houston Area Trail Running Map
During my visit to Texas, I did some research on trail running locations. Here is a map of my findings: I look forward to seeing more of the Lone Star Trail and the trails in Big Thicket National Preserve next time I visit! Note: The green shaded area is the Lone Star Trail within the…
Fall Color at Huddart
My favorite local trails in Huddart Park and Phleger Estate are not known for their colorful fall vegetation. The forest is dominated by redwoods, Douglas fir, California laurel, coastal live oak, and tanbark oak, none of which produce striking fall colors. However, near streams there are a few big leaf maples that turn bright yellow….
Sykes Hot Springs
After an awesome adventure run down the Carmel River last week, I returned to the Ventana Wilderness with Holly, Gary, and Jim to see the famous Sykes Hot Springs. The Pine Ridge Trail to Sykes Hot Springs is one of the most popular destinations in the Ventana and without the cumbersome brush and routefinding issues…
Carmel River Adventure Run
I joined Gary Gellin and Jim Moyles for a point-to-point adventure run along the wild Carmel River in the Ventana Wilderness. The route starts at China Camp along Tassajara Road (rough dirt road) and finishes below Los Padres Reservoir. The first 3.5 miles is along the Pine Ridge Trail with great views into the Tassajara…
Lone Star Trail – Little Lake Creek Wilderness
I had so much fun on my last trail run on the Lone Star Trail that I decided to check out another section before my departure back to California. This time I chose the Little Lake Creek Wilderness at the west end of Sam Houston National Forest. This small wilderness area protects a mature stand…
Lone Star Trail – Big Creek to Double Lake
One might think that Texas doesn’t have good venues for trail running. Think again. The Lone Star Trail is a 128 mile trail in the Sam Houston National Forest an hour north of Houston that runs in an ark shape spanning from the west end to the east end of the forest. The setting is…
Brazos Bend State Park
Brazos Bend State Park is only a 45 minute drive from downtown Houston, but it feels like a different world. This lush park is primarily located on the Brazos River floodplains with thick bottomland hardwood forest that gives a jungle ambiance. I can imagine how humid and hot these woods become in the summer months…
2009 Mountain Photography Highlights!
The highlights page for 2009 is up on my website! After 2008 featured scenery predominantly from the Washington Cascades, this year’s edition has more shots from California’s Sierra Nevada than ever before. Areas visited in the Sierra include the Minarets, Palisades, Kings-Kern Divide, and Rae Lakes area. The first adventure run of the season was…
Leor Pantilat's Adventures