2009 was a very good year for me.  My eyes have seen some spectacular places this planet has to offer.  By April, I had made seven visits to different areas of the Mojave Desert. In May, I had a crazy idea to hike 100 times before the year was out, setting me on a path [...]

I first visited Joshua Tree National Park back in 2004. The place had come up in too many conversations for me to ignore any longer, so I jumped in my car, drove the 120 miles from Pasadena to the park’s western entrance, and took a look for myself at this so-called “awesome place.” It was [...]

During my 100hikes project, I was fortunate enough to visit the Vetter Mountain Lookout before the Station Fire took it from us. While there, I got a tour of the small 14×14-foot building and the tools the volunteers use to help spot forest fires. Along with the Osbourne Fire Finder and a large topographic map [...]