Below you will find videos and photos from the 2009 hike, and for more information on the whos, wheres, and whatsits, check out my other site, 100hikes.com.

Video:

Photos:

Camping at Onion Valley (9,200 ft). The altitude kicked my ass on the first day, but I acclimated faster than expected. (I actually didn't think I'd acclimate much at all.)

Sisters Sam (left) and Nikki. Now entering the world-famous John Muir Wilderness, hiker's Disneyland!

A curious Clark's Nutcracker. A moment before this photo was taken, it was using it's long beak to crack open the nearby pine cones to get to the seeds.

Onion Valley looking southwest. Kearsarge Pass is in the distance, just behind the branches of the tree on the right.

Gilbert Lake with University Peak (13,632 ft elev.) in the background.

A good-sized trout in Gilbert Lake. The water was crystal clear.

We stopped at Gilbert Lake for lunch, a few miles into our hike and a little less than half-way to Kearsarge. (Flower Lake is the half way point between Onion Valley Campgrounds and Kearsarge Pass.)

A big freakin' rock!

Huffing it up the trail. We're at about 10,000 feet in elevation now and the pine trees are thinning out and being replaced by bristlecone pines.

Beautiful foliage.

Looking down on Flower Lake. It looks small only because I am high above it. The large granite boulder just below the lake in this photo is just as big as the boulder pictured earlier in this post.

Two backpackers head down into Onion Valley.

I'm hot, tired, and the altitude is making it very slow going. Some of our party have already turned around with symptoms of altitude sickness. At this point, I'm at about 11,000 feet in elevation.

Heart Lake. To give you an idea of the size of the lake, I've circled in orange a hiker along the shoreline.

Big Pothole Lake with a nameless peak in the background. I read that some climbers call it "The Finger of God."

At Kearsarge Pass (11,760 ft) looking down into the back side of Kings Canyon National Park. Seeing this view for the first time is a moment I'll never forget.

We headed back down as the sun was setting. This was taken at Gilbert Lake, where we took a brief break. Faster members of our party filtered some water and hid some bottles for us in the brush.

The last of the sunlight highlighted the jagged profile of University Peak.

We celebrated our fantastic day of hiking around a cozy campfire. Steak, macaroni & cheese, s'mores, and friends. It doesn't get any better than that.

Happy New Year’s Eve, everyone! Today is a day we spend time reminiscing about the year behind us and look forward to the year ahead of us. I’ve got a lot to reminisce about. You might recall that this site was launched with three ambitious personal goals I hoped to achieve by the end of 2010. Let’s see how well I did on completing them.

Goal #1 – Become a member of a Search & Rescue team.
Status: FAIL

I threw in the towel on this goal fairly early in the year. I was excited to be accepted to the San Dimas Search & Rescue Team and start down the 2-3 year road towards becoming a member, but the time needed to dedicate to wilderness classes and homework would not fit into my schedule. Plus, I wanted my weekends to explore! So I replaced this goal with this:

Goal #1 (Plan B) – Become a Volunteer with a local organization that promotes the outdoors.
Status: Double Win!

In 2010, I became a volunteer with two great organizations:
1. Tree People – Founded in 1973 here in Los Angeles, this non-profit organization’s main goals is to add more trees to the geography of Los Angeles – and idea I can get behind. After the devastation in the Angeles National Forest caused by the Station Fire of 2009, I heard that Tree People would be the group that would eventually replant saplings in the burned areas. I became a reforestation supervisor in February and have helped plant trees in the Arrowhead Lake area during the Spring. Next year, Tree People begin the major task of replanting the Angeles National Forest. If you are interested in spending an afternoon replanting trees you can show your grandchildren, Tree People has got a lot of opportunities for you. Check out their site for details. They have tentatively scheduled to reforest every weekend in March and April.

Planting Trees in Fawskin, CA

2. Santa Monica Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA)- The MRCA works with an assortment of other organizations (including the National Park Service) to secure and develop park land throughout the Los Angeles area. The MRCA preserves and protects many public lands scattered throughout the area, including Franklin Canyon Park in Beverly Hills. It was here that I became a volunteer naturalist in April. As a naturalists, I can conduct guided programs for school groups and the general public, assist at MRCA special events, operate park nature centers and information booths, and/or rove trails. I’ve roved a few trails in the Verdugo Hills, offering assistance to hikers, and I taught a program on astronomy at Vista Hermosa Natural Park in downtown LA. I’m looking forward to dedicating more time to guided programs in 2011.

Trail roving in the Verdugo Mountains

Goal #2 – Hike 500 miles in 2010.
Status: WIN! Total mileage: 513

In 2009, I completed the life-changing goal of hiking 100 times in 240 days and I recall thinking that nothing could top such a physical task. Nothing could push me further. I was wrong. My hiking goal for 2010 took me to what I thought was my limit and pushed me beyond it. This year I hiked 91 times in California, Utah, and Oregon.  The final 100 miles were done on an 18-day trip to New Zealand, where I backpacked 20 miles in a single day, something that I never thought I could do.  I was able to witness some of the most majestic natural wonders I’ve ever seen. (I’ll post a slide show shortly.) Best of all, I was able to finish this seemingly unreachable goal on my birthday, December 6th, in New Zealand. Happy Birthday, indeed!

Each photo represents a mile that I hiked in 2010.

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Goal #3 – To hike with 150 people
Status: FAIL

I wasn’t able to get 150 people on the trails, but I was able to hike with many fantastic people that have been an inspiration to me and others. I was able to convince a few who had never hiked to get outdoors and tramp, something that can be quite intimidating for a city dweller. I was also introduced to many hikers whom I now call friends; those who I met on the trail or through my hiking group on Facebook, The Hike Guy’s Hiking Club. I currently have over 200 members in my little club and hopefully they’ll all eventually join me on the trail. So, for this goal, I got less than half way there: I end 2010 with a total of 66 people whom I’ve hiked with since January.

A BIG THANK YOU to the 2010 Hiking Club: Peter, Shawnte, The Mystery Hiker, Casey, Ric, Eliza, Leighton, Lori, Justin, Chris, Jackie, Amie, David, Jassica, Sarah, Chris, Shannon, Jean, Mike, Remi, Alyse, Jamie, Michael, Gregory, Melanie, Lauren, Brandan, Elizabeth, Jen, Sandra, Bob, Michael, Vanessa, Justine, Molly, Karima, Mona, Tim, Justine, McKenna, Sharon, C.J., Dan, Noel, Cassandra, Daniel, Laura, Carlos, Julie, Claudia, Zachary, Joe, Alan, Rashid, Natalie, Ann, Angela, Michael, Emily, Alexandra, David, Robert, Dan, Peter, and Wendy.

So what resolutions do I have for 2011? I’ve been thinking about this for a while and will post something about it soon.

Today’s hike was to Sturtevant Falls, one of the most popular waterfalls in Southern California. Since we hiked during a weekday afternoon (and a locally-celebrated holiday), my friend and I seemed to have the trail all to ourselves. When we arrived at the falls, Michael revealed that he carried in beers packed in ice! Happy Cinco de Mayo indeed.

Here are a few photos:

Michael and I in front of the 50-foot Sturtevant Falls.

Excellent afternoon lighting. The golden hour!

Spring is still going strong in the Angeles National Forest.

Michael in the Santa Anita Canyon.

One of a handful of old spillways in the canyon.

There are about 80 cabins in the Santa Anita Canyon.

Another beautiful sight along the Gabrielino Trail.

Celebrating hiking and Cinco de Mayo with an ice-cold Corona.

Thanks to Michael for hauling in the bruskis!

A rainy trek in the Parque Nacional Huerquehue, Chile.

August brought devastation to the mountains I called home.  An arsonist lit a fire in the Angeles National Forest.  Before the fire was finally extinguished almost two months later, it would consume 160,577 acres of land and kill two firefighters. The Station Fire, as it was called since it started near the Angeles Crest Ranger Station, was the 10th largest fire in California’s recorded history.

In September, I got my mind off the fire by taking a road trip through the Southwest. The 2,200-mile adventure brought me through some of the greatest natural wonders in the US. During the nine-day trip, I hiked over 50 miles in Bryce Canyon National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Escalante Petrified Forest State Park, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Arches National Park, Zion National Park, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, and the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness. Whew! Quite a few of my favorite photos were taken on this trip.

In October, my friend Chris and I took a 3-day camping trip to the Eastern Sierras. This was only my second time to the Eastern Sierras, the first being earlier in the year. Chris and I spent a great deal of our waking hours exploring the June Lakes region by foot, mountain bike, and car.

In late November and early December, I traveled to Chile and Bolivia for a backpacking trip. I saw things down there that I have trouble putting into words. The land is uniquely beautiful.

According to my photo editing software, I took a whopping 20,628 photos in 2009.  I’d love to share every one of them with you, but instead I’ve selected fifty of my favorites.  These images represent the best (and worst) moments of my year.

If you were living in Oregon in the 1950s, you probably never heard much about Smith Rock. My Dad was born and raised in Bend, a stone’s throw from the rocky landscape reminiscent of the Grand canyon, and even he didn’t hear much of the place other than being a beautiful formation of rocks. It wasn’t even a blip on the tourism radar back then. But in the late 1980s, local rock climber Alan Watts and others put the place on the map by establishing some of the most difficult climbing routes in the world. It is now considered the birthplace of American sport climbing with thousands of routes – including more than 1,000 bolted lines – in the 651 acres of land.

The state park offers more than just hard-core climbing. There are miles of trails running through the area, offering some spectacular views of the central Cascades. For hike #38, my parents and I headed north from Bend to check out the “geologic wonderland.”

We arrived just after sunrise and thought we had most of the park to ourselves, but after a closer look at the rocky crags jutting out of the ground, we noticed a few rock climbers. The goal for the morning was to hike the River Trail, which hugs the appropriately-named Crooked River. When we reached the Mesa Verde Trail, my parents would head back the way we came and meet me back at the car. I would continue up the steep trail, over Misery Ridge, and down the other side to the river and back up “The Chute” to the parking lot.

The morning was cool and still. The sun slowly rose and made the rocks glow like a campfire in reds, yellows and oranges. The river flowed gently, reflecting the monolithic rocks in its deep waters. Rock climbers have made thousands of routes on these rocks, with names like The Christian Bros., The Dihedrals, The Morning Glory Wall, and Monkey Face. The latter is one of the more famous of the routes, with a very distinct shape that goes well with its name.

The nature of the area was outstanding. On the course of the hike, I counted over a dozen deer sightings – including a few bucks. I witnessed a coyote chasing a young faun, who got away with a few heart-racing pronks along the grass-covered river valley. Western skink lizards darted under rocks and cottontail rabbits hopped into brush as I trekked passed.

I felt sad leaving the beautiful river trail and up the Mesa Verde Trail, but I exchanged the serenity of the river’s edge with the majesty of the views. In less than a mile, I would climb over 1,000 vertical feet. It’s no wonder they call it Misery Ridge! During the switchback hell, I stopped frequently to check out the views. Below the river snaked along the base of the towering rocks. The high desert spread out before me – the air so clear I could see all the way to the snow-capped Cascades. When I wasn’t looking at the view, I was admiring the fearless climbers on Monkey Face. A group of teens from Wyoming had traveled out here to climb the world-famous rock. I continued onto the summit (3,360 feet) and lost my breath at the view. I stood close to the edge of a rocky ledge for just long enough to picture what it would feel like to fall 3,000 feet to the river far below.

I made my way down Misery Ridge Trail to rejoin my parents at the trailhead. My thoughts were filled with all the beauty I have seen over the last week in Oregon. This was my final hike of my trip. I had hiked nine times – over 30 trail miles – in the last six days. It felt good to get so much hiking in, especially with my parents. There are so many ways we could have spent our time together, but hiking seemed the most appropriate. A few hours before my plane flew me home to Southern California, we went to REI where my parents excitedly bought trekking poles. It brings a smile to my face when I think of them on the trail in the coming years.

Thoughts about the hike:

1. There are small shacks below the rocks supplied with emergency rescue supplies in case a climber takes a fall. Unfortunately, there are many fatal falls in this park, which is home of the first 5.14 (read: REALLY hard) climbing route in the US.
2. Unless the rocky spires are between you and the sun, there’s very little shade in this park.

Resources:

1. Oregon.gov : Smith Rock State Park
2. Smith Rock State Park – Wikipedia
3. Youtube: Rock Climbing in Smith Rock State Park

Hike #38 Trip GPS Stats:

• Date of hike: June 25th, 2009
• Location: Smith Rock State Park, Terrebonne, Oregon
• Length: 4.3 miles
• Duration: 4 hours, 18 minutes
• Average speed: ±1 mph
• Altitude at start: 2,822 feet
• Altitude min.max: 2,664/3,360 feet

This map was made with the data my GPS captured on the hike.
For a more detailed trip report map, check this out.

Photos:

Monolithic rocks of Smith Rocks State Park

Crooked River

Dad stops to look at a really big rock in the river.

Stained stones

Well groomed River Trail

Bucks!

Another buck!

See the waterfall?

I love how the water glows with the reflection of the rocks.

Wildflowers along the trail

Rock spires

View from the Mesa Verde Trail facing northwest.

Monkey Face with climbers

The clouds make it appear that the monkey is smoking

I'll stick to hiking, thankyouverymuch.

View from Misery Ridge facing northwest with Mt. Jefferson in the background.

Coming down Misery Trail on the east side of the ridge.

The River Trail starts at the footbridge (lower left) and wraps around the rocks clockwise.

Mom & Dad after our last day of hiking.

This article was originally posted on 100hikes.com

DO NOT ADJUST YOUR SCREEN. THAT'S NOT TIDYBOWL CLEANER!

One of the greatest things about Bend, Oregon is the amount of activities one can do within a short drive of town. All of the hikes my parents and I have done in the last six days (hikes #30-36) were within an hour’s drive from town. On my sixth day visiting my home state, my parents and I took a drive 3 hours south to spend the day at Crater Lake National Park, the only National Park in the state. With just a day to see the large park, we would have to plan our trip wisely. After scanning the web for hike options at the park, one stuck out more than the rest, quite literally. There is one major land mass poking out of the deep-blue lake: Wizard Island.

We arrived into Crater Lake NP via the north entrance around 8:45am. You’d think that this would give us a full day to explore many of the sights of the park, eh? Yeah, I though so too, but not the case. Not only is the park massive – 286 square miles, the lake is just 20.4 square miles of that – but there are very few roads within the park. Wouldn’t you know it, we arrived on a day where they were working on the main road running the perimeter of the lake. These delays caused us to rush and plan out our time to the minute, two things I hate to do while traveling.

When we reached the rim of the lake, we stopped to check out the view. My parents and I don’t recall if I had ever been here before, even though I was born and raised in Oregon, but ooking out over the lake with its famous deep shimmering blue water, I think I would have remembered if I was here before: the sight was not one I would have forgotten! You can see for 100 miles from the highest vantage points in the park.

We stopped into the small ticket booth at Cleetwood Cove to purchase our tickets to Wizard Island. Boats leave about once an hour, but only a couple allow for a long enough stay to explore the small island. Reservations can be made in advance for half the tickets and the other half are on a “first come first served” basis. After purchasing our tickets for a noon departure, we had just enough time to rush over to Rim Village to buy some picnic supplies before rushing back to catch the boat. I’m sue without the construction work on the road, we would have had plenty of time to hang out at the small village and browse the gift shop, but with 20+ minute delays, we were cutting it close. But getting to the boat was more than just a park and a short walk. I could have made the hike down to the dock and back a hike unto itself. One must hike down the steep, 11%-grade Cleetwood Cove Trail, dropping 650 feet in elevation in less than a mile. The trail isn’t for everyone: going down isn’t too hard, but the trip back up can be difficult for those that aren’t in great shape.

We made it down to the Cleetwood Cove dock with enough time to make a little lunch and dip our feet in the ice-cold water. It was mesmerizing to see the rocks below the dock so well. The lake is not only one of the deepest in the world, but one of the clearest as well. Measurements taken using a Secchi disk revealed that one could peer 173 feet (52.8 meters) into the lake.

We departed from the cove at noon in a full boat. There were visitors from around the world on board, something I enjoy seeing when visiting national parks. The 45-minute boat ride included a ranger-guided tour. The ranger couldn’t have been more than 24 years of age, but he was very knowledgeable about the lake and it’s history. We arrived at the Wizard Island dock around 12:45pm.

On the island, the 42 passengers didn’t waist any time getting off the boat and on their way. The last boat of the day would be back to pick us up at 3:30pm and there wasn’t as moment to spare. Some brought fishing poles and headed out to the nearby cove to see how many they could reel in (no permits necessary, no catch limits). Others headed up to the top of the island. More than a few spent their time near the dock, either reading a book or swimming. Mom & Dad decided to stay at the shoreline. They have done seven hikes with me in the past five days and it has started to wear them down. I delayed my start up to the summit. I wanted to let the other hikers get up the trail a bit before I started, allowing me to hike with my thoughts. The plan worked and I found myself seemingly alone on the island. I sat down on a log and enjoyed the tranquility, writing in my hiking journal and listening to the birds and the wind. Last year, 415,686 people visited this park, and yet I feel like the last man on the planet sitting here.

I didn’t more than 2-3 people on the trail until I got to the top of the 750-foot cinder cone. I couldn’t have planned it better with all of the fifteen or so summit hikers heading down just as I arrived. I stood on the top, looking down into the “Witch’s Cauldron” – the caldera of this small volcano on the lake. The view of the surrounding lake and the sheer cliffs holding the lake were exhilarating! And to have the view all to myself for at least 30 minutes was heavenly.

After taking a handful of pictures and some video (see below), I headed back down to the cove. Our boat arrived just minutes after my return and when everyone was accounted for, we departed. The boat ride back to Cleetwood Cove took about 70 minutes and included a full tour of the southern and eastern coastlines of the lake. We saw waterfalls in Chaski Bay, circled Phantom Ship, a small rocky island that looks a little like a sailing ship, and saw Pumice Castle and Sentinel Rock, among other geological formations. We sat on top of the deepest point of the lake – where the land is about 1,932 feet below the water’s surface – before heading back to Cleetwood Cove.

Many of the passengers in our boat struggled up the 1-mile trail to their vehicles. I admit, it was pretty grueling for me as well – but I felt in really good shape and kept a good pace the entire way up. My parents didn’t do a bad job either, but they were a hurtin’. My dad’s knee started to bother him and he had to stop frequently. Could this be the last hike they do with me for 100hikes? We’ll see…

Thoughts about the hike:

1. The boats on Crater Lake only run during the summer months (mid-July to mid-September). The tickets cost us $20 a piece, but don’t be surprised if they raised the price yet again when you go.
2. The animals on Wizard Island have been separated from the rest of the world for centuries. The garter snakes on the island have adapted to their surroundings and lost their stripes!
3. We brought walkie-talkies with us on this trip. They came in very useful when exploring Wizard Island.

Resources:

1. Crater Lake National Park, By the Numbers
2. nps.gov – Crater Lake National Park

Hike #37 Trip GPS Stats:

• Date of hike: July 23th, 2009
• Location: Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
• Length: 5.1 miles (minus the boat ride)
• Duration: 6 hours
• Average speed: n/a
• Altitude at start: 6,850 feet
• Altitude min.max: 6,176/6,850 feet

This map was made with the data my GPS captured on the hike.
For a more detailed trip report map, check this out.

Video:

Photos:

Never underestimate the mosquitoes of Oregon. This one kissed me long enough to leave this nickel-sized bite on my cheek.

Wizard Island inside of Crater Lake.

The hike down to Cleetwood Cove, the only boat dock on the lake.

Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States at an average of 1,148 feet deep (1,932 at it's deepest spot). This extreme depth and how the sunlight interacts with the water is what causes the unique color of blue.

Mt. Scott, the highest peak in the park at 8,929 feet, seems to peek over the caldera's edge in the distance. From the rim of the caldera to the lake's surface is an average of 1,000 feet.

Having a little picnic on the dock of Cleetwood Cove. Dad has his feet in the frigid water.

Lots of great wildflowers in bloom - but many were wilted due to the warm weather.

One of the privately-owned, ranger-guided boats of Crater Lake, departing Cleetwood Cove every hour or so.

A golden-mantled ground squirrel of Wizard Island

More wildflowers

I love the contrast between the neon-green of the moss on the trees and the deep blue of the lake.

Hiking on volcanic territory

The signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) of Crater Lake

Still snow and it's the middle of July! On average, Crater Lake NP gets 44 feet of snow a year, making it one of the snowiest places in the world.

Phantom Ship, a unique rocky island on Crater Lake.

The island has seven different types of trees.

Hiking back up the Cleetwood Cove Trail

Out boat, anchored in Cleetwood Cove.

Check out the subtle changes of color in the water during the sunset!

Sunset over the park.

Celebrating our hike with drinks on the patio of the Crater Lake Lodge. Wizard Island in the background.

This was originally published on 100hikes.com