China Camp State Park gets its name from the historic fishing village that thrived along the shoreline here in the 1880s. At one time the fishing village had more than 500 residents, mostly immigrants from China. Today the park offers a nearby Bay Area getaway, a historic look back at the former fishing village, walk-in …
On day 5 of a backpacking trip on the John Muir Trail, we were sitting at the edge of Thousand Island Lake enjoying an amazing view of Banner Peak reflected in the water. (Photo above courtesy of Eric Ragland) The following exchange was so counter to the unbelievably peaceful backdrop, it wins top honors in …
Backpacking is just a series of chores. – Markkus Rovito On day 6 of a backpacking trip on the John Muir Trail, Markkus Rovito made a very astute observation as the morning rituals of coffee making, tent tear down, breakfast prep and water purification began. Have you heard (or overheard) an amusing quote while on …
Have you heard, or overheard, something amusing on the trail recently? Tell us! Best ones will be featured on hikerly.
If you check the dictionary, the answer to that question is no. But there are hikers across the nation who have claimed the word for decades. If you do a web search you’ll find thousands of pages of links that reference the word, all made by outdoorsy types. Apparently, in the world of hikers, we …
As any California outdoorsy type knows by now, our state parks (and the rest of the state for that matter) are in grave financial trouble. So bad, in fact, that more than 50 of them are scheduled to close this summer, down from the original 70. While there are last-minute efforts underway to minimize the …
The stretch of the Coastal Trail from Tennessee Valley to Muir Beach is one of my all-time favorites in the Bay Area with postcard perfect views of the Pacific shore that are truly breathtaking, especially on clear days (though foggy days have their own eerie appeal). The hike is made even better with a swing …
Nounou Mountain aka Sleeping Giant is one of the more popular hikes on the east shore of Kauai for good reasons. The hike is fairly short, moderately steep and offers a little adventure at the top getting to the giant’s nose and forehead for some top-notch views of the east shore. You can find guided …
When it comes to backpacker food there are two types of hikers: Those content with prepackaged freeze-dried cuisine from a bag and those who want “real” food without the weight. That’s not to say some of the freeze-dried foods aren’t good; I’m a big fan of bringing skillet brownie mixes with me on a long …
If you are looking for a really tough hike in the Waimea Canyon region, you’ll inevitably get a recommendation for the 11-mile loop on the Nu’alolo, Cliff and Awa-‘awapuhi trails in the Koke’e State Park. We set out to do that very hike early one morning after having beach camped at Polihale State Park (highly …
