Mount Lamarck
I had met Sean a year ago, and we had started having conversations about our firms working together. Finding out he and his business partner, Matt, were hikers, I invited them on a Sierra day hike. Matt flew into Ontario, and we drove up together and stayed at Tom’s Place. It was pretty spartan, but […]
Climbing the North Arete of Bear Creek Spire
At an elevation of 13,726′, Bear Creek Spire dominates the head of Little Lakes Valley. It’s not the tallest peak in the cirque but it is by far the most stunning. Climbing the North Arete is considered one of the classics of the High Sierra.
Zion Adventure Weekend
I talked Ian into a Narrows trip, and, as chance would have it, Ian’s son Jacob could also join. Jacob was in Colorado, so we timed the trip for Ian and me to pick him up in Las Vegas on the way. Our plan was to arrive on a Thursday afternoon to get permits, then […]
Me and the Boys on Muah Mountain
I talked Rudy, my son-in-law, his brother Christian, and my son, Wes, into an “easy” Sierra Peak. Saturday morning we drove up together and got on the trail in the late morning. Temperatures were mild and the skies were cobalt blue – a perfect hiking day. The hike took us up to an easy pass, […]
Rumppah Point
Manny and I both really liked the Pahrump Point hike we did last season. Rumppah was in the same tiny mountain range with the added bonus of some exposed class three scrambling near the summit. The last time we were here, we camped overnight to get an early start. On this trip, we drove up […]
Iron Mountains High Point
Drive past Twenty-Nine Palms and keep driving. Then drive some more. Turn off the road and follow an aqueduct that is fed from the Colorado River until the road runs out. You have not arrived at a tiny mountain range called the Iron Mountains. The high point of this range is obscured from the trailhead […]
Barber Peak Scramble
It was a short hike today, but the scenery and the terrain were amazing. The hike starts through a narrow slot canyon with fascinating rock formations everywhere, then passes through open desert before ascending Barber Peak. The mountain itself is a giant horseshoe, with our route ascending one side, then traversing across a large plateau before we descended the opposite side.
Sheep Hole Mountains High Point
Manny and I decided on short notice to catch another desert scramble. The Sheep Hole Mountains High Point is a tiny mountain range outside of Twentynine Palms. Route finding is pretty challenging, but the terrain was never more than class 2. It’s a great little short and steep hike.
Eagle Moutain Scrambling in Death Valley
We left the car, and within 10 minutes, we found ourselves scrambling up extremely steep terrain. In fact, as we approached the mountain, the drainage we were headed toward looked so steep that I wondered if it was climbable.
Zabriskie Point: Death Valley’s Most Beautiful Trail
This is the starting point of a network of trails that link Zabriskie Point, Manly Beacon, Red Cathedral, and Golden Canyon. There are a lot of choices. The 6-mile out-and-back trail we picked takes about 3 hours at a slow pace – winding through some of the most interesting terrain Death Valley has to offer.