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hiking Big Pine Lakes CA

The trailhead is out of Big Pine, California, in the eastern Sierras.

Temple Crag – Big Pine Lakes CA

Starting at high elevation, you have many good choices of Big Pine Canyon Trails including South Fork Trail, Baker Creek Trail, North Fork Trail to Palisade Glacier.

But I chose to do a lollypop loop of the Lakes.

First, Second, Third, Fourth. With a short detour up to Fifth Lake.

Then looped back via Black Lake, the prettiest section of all.

That was at least 10mi. At least 3000ft of elevation gain.

This area is very popular with fishermen. Rock climbers. And overnight (permit required) backpackers. It’s a bit long for day hikers.

Dudes ride this trail.

Lesson learned = try to get off the trail downhill. Otherwise the beasts fear you may fall down on top of them.

lunch rock

Look for the cabin originally built by actor Lon Chaney. 🙂

The best web page I found on the trip is posted by American S.W.

If it’s scorching hot in the valley, this is a good choice, the trail surprisingly shaded for a hike so high up.

Recommended. No permit nor fee required for day hikers.

trailhead

see more of my photos from this day hike

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Kearsarge Pass – SUCCESS

June 1st, 2009 I was denied this Pass in California. Snow was still too deep on the trail.

July 7th, 2012 it was a dream.

Here’s the view looking over the top over into Kings Canyon National Park.

I left a Summit Stone in this rock formation, a short scramble from Kearsarge.


Onion Valley to Kearsarge is one of the most popular day hikes in the Eastern Sierra. You can start high, driving up to over 9000ft.

Gorgeous climate. Perfect weather day-after-day. No bugs. Excellent footing. The Eastern Sierra truly is one of the best hiking destinations in the world. 🙂

See my full resolution photos from this day hike on flickr.

details and logistics – Natural Born Hikers:

Kearsarge Pass
Kings Canyon National Park, California

Trail Type – Out and back

Trailhead Elevation – 9,212 ft

Top Elevation – 11,760 ft

Elevation Gain – 2,548 ft

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Barry on Summit Stones …

DSD:

I call these “Summit Stones“….. After gathering these small rocks for many years, while out on adventures, I now splash a bit of paint on them and give them back… The musings here are simply about the wonders of adventure and inspiration. It’s all about the importance of giving back and passing forward…..

Barry pays respect to DSD, the philosopher / artist who sends both of us — and many others — Summit Stones. And her good causes:

There is a poignant website, anonymously authored by DSD, called Summit Stones and Adventure Musings. …

On her blog, DSD has developed an extensive list of websites beneath the heading ‘Giving Back and Passing Forward’. (right hand navigation of her home page)

Each of the links in her list is worthy of your time. Some are well-established organizations like World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) , and World Wildlife Fund – Canada. …

Hiking With Barry – Wilderness Adventure – Paying Forward and Giving Back

Follow DSD’s blog – Summit Stones & Adventure Musings…By DSD

And Barry, too. 🙂

I’ll be leaving a Summit Stone in a place of natural beauty today. A highlight of my hike.

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trekking Huayhuash, Peru

by site editor Rick McCharles

MY best hike was a guided 11 day adventure in the little known Huayhuash Circuit in 2004.

Here are a few of our photos.

Far better are these photos and videos from a September 2011 guided tour. (May is the best month, so this is a little off season.)

Click PLAY or watch it on Vimeo.

Click PLAY or watch it on Vimeo.

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Nootka Trail 2011

Nootka on the northleft of Vancouver Island is like the West Coast Trail. But unofficial. And wilder.

Esperanza Ministries does a youth adventure program every year for 3 weeks (one week hiking the Nootka Trail, another week camping at Ferrier Point and another week canoeing back to Esperanza).

Click PLAY or watch 2011 highlights on YouTube. Both hilarious and inspiring.

I’m looking at the North Coast Trail, another WCT alternative, sometime last 2wks of August.

Esperanza.ca is their website. A good source of information for your own trip to wild Nootka island.

Thanks to the Boy family for the link.

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Summit Stones: pay it forward

I just got another batch of Summit Stones from DSD.

The philosopher blogger at Summit Stones collects special stones while out on the trail. Paints them. And then returns them to the wilderness accompanied by a tiny booklet of poems & prose inspired by the outdoors.

… Sometimes another hiker passes by and collects the souvenir.

Nice.

🙂

DSD links to a number of sites promoting good causes. I’d like to pass that list on to you, too.

"Giving Back & Passing Forward"

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Mammoth Lakes, CA

Adventure Freak loves Mammoth:

If you like to hike, Mammoth is a great base camp. You can pretty much walk out your door and just go.

1. The John Muir Trail runs a few miles from Mammoth. If you have the time and desire, you could hike south all the way to Mt Whitney or north to Yosemite.

2. Lakes area – there are a number of trails that leave from the lakes area that offer unlimited day hikes and connections to much longer journeys.

3. White Mountains – from Mammoth, you can’t miss these huge mountains to the south. The hiking is outstanding for two reasons – you get a great view of the Sierra and you get to see some of the oldest living things on earth, the Bristlecone Pines.

4. Yosemite offers hundreds of hikes that max out the wow scale.

If you like to camp, the possibilities are endless. Just point yourself toward the mountains and walk until you are tired. Wherever you end up, it will be a spectacular camp site. I am especially fond of the Duck Pass area. …

Great Outdoor Towns – Mammoth Lakes

Should Mammoth be added to our list?

top 10 hiking towns in the world

#1) Queenstown, New Zealand
#2) Huaraz, Peru
#3) Namche Bazaar, Nepal
#4) Cortina, Italy
#5) Chamonix, France
#6) Banff, Alberta, Canada
#7) Grindelwald, Switzerland
#8) El Calafate, Argentina
#9) Zermatt, Switzerland
10) Moab, Utah

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