The “Subway” is aptly named after the tunnel shaped slot canyon located deep within the Left Fork in Zion National Park. There are two ways to explore the Subway: the Bottom Up hike is a difficult, non technical 9 mile hike, that involves creek crossing and boulder scrambling. The Top Down route is an even more strenuous 9.5 mile hike that…
Desert Road Trip: Exploring Valley of Fire, Red Rock Canyon, and Kelso Dunes
As a SoCal native I’ve vacationed in nearby Las Vegas on numerous occasions. A fun city to escape to for the weekend, full of exciting night life, fancy restaurants, and entertainment galore! However, this year I opted out of the glitz and glamour and took a weekend road trip through the surrounding desert landscape. A whirlwind…
A Weekend in Anza-Borrego
Anza-Borrego is California’s largest state park, over 600,000 acres, located just Southeast of Los Angeles. It’s a hidden desert gem, often forgotten about by SoCal natives. The park is named after Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and the Spanish word borrego translates to bighorn sheep. Although the bighorn sheep inhabit the area, they are quite elusive and often go unseen…
Cave of Munits
Located in Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve lies the Cave of Munits. For thousands of years the Chumash Native American tribe lived in the current Preserve’s area. Supposedly the cave was once occupied by a Chumash shaman. Legend has it he was executed after killing the son of a powerful chief. It’s an easy hike to the cave at just 2.6…
Day Hiking Gear
I’m frequently asked questions about hiking gear. I’m no expert, but I thought it would be beneficial to share my favorite hiking products. The following is a review of the top products I use on almost every day hike. Hiking Boots: I’ve tried numerous brands, styles, and fits, but my tried and true boots that have…
Mount Lowe, Josephine Peak, and Strawberry Peak
These past few months I explored local day hikes to Mount Lowe, Josephine Peak and Strawberry Peak, located in the San Gabriel Mountains, off the Angeles Crest Highway. All three hikes are in close proximity to each other and each trail is less than 10 miles in distance. I was pleasantly surprised that these underrated hikes are close to…
Dragon’s Back, Hong Kong
I recently traveled to China for business and had a little downtime on the weekend. I try to hike hike at least once a week and traveling to a foreign country is even more of a reason for me to get out and explore. With a little online research I found Dragon’s Back, a moderate yet scenic trail along the southeastern ridge…
Mount Whitney-One Day Hike
This year I really wanted to challenge myself—push myself to my absolute limit. I made it my goal to not only hike once a week for a year but also hike Mount Whitney in one day! Mount Whitney is the highest peak in the contiguous 48 states at 14,508ft! I knew it would be difficult…
San Jacinto
Difficulty: Strenuous | Elevation Gain: 4,689 ft | Length: 11.4 miles roundtrip | Time: 8-9 Hours This past weekend I hiked San Jacinto via the Marion Mountain Trail. It marks #5 of the Six Pack Peaks I have hiked this year! Since I’m training for Whitney, I passed on the tram route and opted for the more challenging Marion Mountain Trail that’s detailed…
Ancient Bristolcone Forest
If these ancient trees could talk, what questions would you ask them? This past weekend I visited the Ancient Bristolcone Forest located in the White Mountains of Inyo Valley. The home to the oldest living organism! These ancient trees withstand thousands of years in the harshest of elements at approximately 11,000 feet elevation. To reach the Bristlecones,…
San Bernadino Peak
Difficulty: Strenuous | Elevation Gain: 4,702 ft | Length: 16.5 miles roundtrip | Time: 8-9 Hours This year I’ve been training for Whitney by hiking the six tallest peaks in Southern California aka “The Six Pack Peaks.” This past Friday I just completed hiking San Bernadino Peak and it’s one of my favorite hikes in Southern California! It is quite a strenuous…
Goblin Valley
One of the most unusual places we explored while driving through Southern Utah was Goblin Valley State Park. This alien like place features thousands of Hoodoos or “goblins” as the locals refer to them. These distinct mushroom like rock formations are formed from the gradual erosion of sandstone, deposited about 170 million years ago when the area was situated…
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