Gear: Packing Lighter (and smarter)
When I first started hiking on a regular basis, I always loaded my pack with what I thought I needed. If there was room left over, I would toss in some extras for good measure. Being the consummate worrier, it was not long before I was dubbed the ‘mother hen‘ amongst my hiking buddies and consistently carried the heaviest pack in our group. I used … Read More
Zahniser Peak (10,056′) Snow Climb, Mar 7 2015
I joined the SoCal Hike and Peakbag Meetup for another epic day of hiking and snowshoeing. With the recent snowfall, I was hoping that there’d be enough snow to test my winter traction devices, put in a few miles with my snowshoes and summit one of the 10,000 foot peaks in the San Gorgonio Wilderness. The conditions ended up being the best that … Read More
Hiking with Kids: Jenks Lake Snow Play, March 4 2015
I brought my wife snowshoeing in 2013 and she was immediately hooked. We rented snowshoes a few times, then decided to buy her a pair. Due to the CA drought, those snowshoes sat unused for a full 2 years. This past weekend, the local mountains were hit by a significant snowstorm. Not wanting to miss the opportunity to finally get those ‘new’ … Read More
Hiking with Kids: Snow Play in Running Springs, Feb 27 2015
My wife and I were hoping to spend some time snowshoeing. There wasn’t enough snow for that, but we manged to make a snowman and give my son his first ride on a sled. After he tired of sledding, my son said ‘No sled, climb the hill,” so I guess we got a little ‘hiking’ in too. I was able to … Read More
San Antonio (Mt. Baldy) Ski Hut Hike, Feb 28 2015
With the recent snowfall, I was hoping to finally climb the Baldy Bowl, a goal that has been eluding me for the past 3 years. The Plan I asked members of the California Peaks FB group for conditions regarding the snow level in the bowl. Several responded to my inquiry and I ended up joining a group that was already planning to go. … Read More
Gear Review: Tenacious Tape
I’ve started to repair some of my gear with Tenacious Tape. I will add details once I’ve tested it’s durability more. This is what I’ve repaired so far: Outdoor Research M’s Verglas Gaiters I tore a hole in these gaiters with my crampons The gallery includes photos before the repair and immediately afterwards. I will add some current pics soon – the tape … Read More
Misc Photos: Jan – April 2015
Some random photos, mostly taken on the way to or from work… Feb 24 2015 Mar 1 2015 Mar 1 (PM) 2015 – Mar 2 2015 (PM) Mar 3 2015 – ??
South Fork TH to Christmas Tree Hill (and Beyond) Snow Climb, Feb 21 2015
It’s hard to tell how long the snow will last in SoCal, so I took the opportunity to join the SoCal Hike & Peakbag Meetup for some ice axe & crampon practice. It was also my first opportunity to get out with my new Oboz Beartooth BDry boots; with the foot pain I’ve been dealing with lately, I was excited to see how … Read More
Hiking with Kids: Prado Lane, Feb 17 2015
Upon waking this morning, my son said ‘Daddy, we go hike!’ How could I argue with that?!?! The Plan I had no idea how long we’d be out for, so I emptied the contents of our diaper bag into our child carrier and added some food and lots of water (extra weight). I was hoping to put a couple miles on my new … Read More
Christmas Tree Hill, Feb 7 2015
While there’s still snow in the area, I am trying to get out as much as possible to test my winter gear. With the warm temperatures in Southern California over the last week, the snow is melting fast. Since I knew there was lots of snow within a few miles of the South Fork Trailhead, we decided to head to the … Read More