Guatay Mountain is a moderate-height peak that lies just south of Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. The park features the usual views, but the noteworthy aspect of this mountain is that it is home to the Tecate Cypress, which grows in a handful of locales in Orange and San Diego Counties.Distance: 5.7Elevation Gained: 1,600'Difficulty: Moderately StrenuousTime: …
Whale Peak
Whale Peak stands as a botanical island in the sky amidst the scorched, barren wastelands of the Anza-Borrego desert. Representing the high point of the Vallecito Mountains, Whale Peak supports a thriving pinyon-juniper woodland, which is more common to the higher elevations of the Mojave Desert and eastern sides of the Sierra Nevadas. Flora aside, …
Mt. San Jacinto State Park via the Tramway
Distance: 4.8 MilesElevation Gained: 700'Difficulty: ModerateCritters: NoneGet there like this.When I was a kid, my parents took me up to Mt. San Jacinto via the tram. My cousin from Illinois was in town, and I think they were trying to prove to him that California gets cold too sometimes. This seemed to me a very …
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Giant Forest
This is the last blog in the Yosemite series, and will probably be the last hike I do for a couple of weeks. I've got what I believe is plantar fasciitis, and I'm going to take some time off from hiking to see if the rest will do it any good. I also will be …
Yosemite, Day 3: Cloud’s Rest
Distance: 14.2Elevation Gained: 2,500Difficulty: StrenuousTime: 6:50Critters: Deer, GrousesNew Trees: Mountain Hemlock, White PineDetails:After months of hiking, planning, charting, and documenting, it all came down to one last hike. I had tried to work everything out so that my last hike in this process would be a memorable one to make a fitting end for what …
Yosemite, Day 2: Sentinel Meadow
Distance: 1 MileElevation Gained: negligibleDifficulty: EasyTime: 1 hourCritters: 3 bucksDetails:We had finished Panorama Trail, but, by my calculations, I needed at least 15 miles to reach my goal of 1,000 miles on the year. I was debating whether I would traverse Cloud's Rest and come down the same gory downhill stretch of the Muir Trail, …
Yosemite, Day 2: Panorama Trail
Distance: 8.5 MilesElevation Gained: 800'Difficulty: Moderately StrenuousTime: 4:45Critters: NoneDetails:The Panorama Trail is one of the more popular and famous trails in Yosemite. It doesn't rank quite up there with Half Dome or Yosemite Falls, but it still encompasses one of the most popular areas of the Valley, from Glacier Point two the canyon holding Vernal …
Yosemite, Day 1: Tenaya Canyon
Distance: 5.9 MilesElevation Gained: 250'Difficulty: EasyTime: 2:19Critters: A buck, a doe, and a fawnNote: I am retiring pros and cons.Details:Kelly and I were so excited to go on this trip that I nearly almost not quite convinced her to leave at 10pm the night before the trip was supposed to start. We had reservations to …
Mt. Whitney
Panorama looking south from Whitney summitPanorama looking north from Whitney summitDistance: 15.7 MilesElevation Gained: 3,000'Difficulty: StrenuousTime: 11:00Critters: Marmots, ChipmunksPros:- The most epic mountain views I've ever seen- Night hiking under an impressive canopy of stars- Sunrise at 13,600 feetCons:- Aside from a headache at the top, none- Having to experience the wag bag at an …
Mt. Whitney Trail to Trail Camp and Consultation Lake
Distance: 7.3 MilesElevation Gained: 3,900'Difficulty: StrenuousTime: 6 Hours, approximatelyCritters: Marmots, chipmunksPros:- Some of the most epic scenery ever- Alpine Lakes- Towering granite crags- Adventures at Trail CampCons:- Thunder, lightning, and hail- Wet camping gearDetails:Adventure. Excitement. A hiker craves not these things. Or perhaps he does since, even though events may suck at the time, the …
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scott turner hikes 