In a previous article, I described my favorite hikes around Anchorage. In this article, I describe five hikes further south from Anchorage on the stunning Kenai Peninsula. The scenery couldn’t be more dramatic than the soaring peaks and water views of the Cook Inlet and Gulf of Alaska. These five hikes on the Kenai Peninsula …
Alaska has long been a favorite destination of mine. I love the majestic mountains, remoteness, lingering pioneer spirit, and softly angled light. I’ve flown in and out of Anchorage, Juneau, Fairbanks, and Whitehorse, Yukon, but never spent much time around Anchorage, using it as a launching point for other adventures. Over the last two years, …
Hiking in Japan is a trekker’s dream destination since three-quarters of the island nation is mountainous. They have a rich hiking culture with extensive networks of huts and village to support short day hikes or longer multi-day hikes. Trails are well maintained, and hikes can range from coastal hikes with expansive water views to remote …
Yosemite National Park is one of the most popular national parks in the US, with visitors flocking to Yosemite Valley to see the massive granite faces draped with ethereal waterfalls dropping hundreds of feet in swirls of frothy mist. It’s often possible to escape the crowds by hiking a mile or two beyond the lookout …
Backpacking Hetch Hetchy to Rancheria Falls is a great way to kick off a summer backpacking season in Yosemite National Park. It’s best hiked in the spring when temperatures are reasonable but not so early that snowmelt creates dangerous conditions in streams that cascade into Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. Another good time to hike here is …
Backpacking the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne route in Yosemite National Park turned out to be harder to accomplish than I expected because of repeated fires interrupting my plans. In the four years that it took to hike the 30-mile trail, I might have held ten permits, repeatedly changing them in the hopes that smoke …
If you’re looking for a place to stay outside Yosemite National Park or a way to extend your stay, one of the best places to look is Tuolumne County. Not only does Tuolumne County include most of the park, but it also contains a sizeable chunk of the adjacent Stanislaus National Forest and Emigrant Wilderness. …
So many wilderness permits, so many cancellations. The last two years have been tough for planning between the pandemic, wildfires, smoke and other issues. I salvaged one backpacking trip that was supposed to be in the Sierra by snagging a back-up to the back-up permit for an easy backpacking trip to Angel Island State Park …
What a treat it was to get away after a long, quiet, Covid winter to a beautiful week of skiing at Mt. Bachelor in Oregon. We were disappointed that the border closure prevented us from spending our annual week at Whistler, British Columbia and debated several alternatives for our first week-long pandemic trip in a …
Glacier Point is graced with some of the most stunning views in Yosemite National Park, with a panorama of peaks, valleys and waterfalls, including the iconic Half Dome rock formation front and center. There could hardly be a more spectacular start to a multi-day hike. Add to that a plethora of trailheads and potential routes …