Big Santa Anita Loop (Mt. Zion Loop)
October 28, 2007
Trail.com preview: In the lush and shady recesses of the Front Range of the San Gabriel Mountains you can easily lose all sight and sense of the hundreds of square miles of dense metropolis, and the millions of Angelenos, that lie just over the ridge to the south. With easy access from the San Gabriel Valley by city street and mountain road, you can be laying bootprints down a fern-lined path less than half an hour after leaving the freeway traffic behind. Keep Reading
© Copyright Paul Backhurst, Editor Published by Wilderness Press. All Rights Reserved.
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San Gorgonio Mountain
October 28, 2007
Trails.com preview: This memorable trip is perhaps the finest backpack route in southern California, touring the region’s most scenic high-mountain landscape. Glacial cirques, virgin forests, windswept alpine ridges, two subalpine lakes, a lush meadow, and panoramic vistas make this one of the finest and most memorable hikes in southern California. Keep Reading…
© Copyright Ron Adkison Published by Falcon Publishing. All Rights Reserved.
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Santa Anita Canyon Loop Trail
October 28, 2007
Trails.com preview: In the lush, shady recesses of Big Santa Anita Canyon and its tributary, Winter Creek, you can easily lose all sight and sense of the hundreds of square miles of dense metropolis, and the millions of people, that lie just over the ridge tot he south. With easy access from the San Gabriel Valley by city street and mountain road, you can be strolling along a fern-lined path less than half an hour after leaving the freeway traffic behind. Keep Reading…
© Copyright Jerry Schad Published by Wilderness Press. All Rights Reserved.
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Cottonwood Lakes to Upper Rock Creek
October 28, 2007
Trails.com preview: I’m always looking for trips with huge dividends per hiking mile. This one nears the top of my list. Magnificent alpine basins defined by sculpted peaks cradle shining blue lakes and are linked by high passes with awe-inspiring views, all on a relatively short trip that’s about half in Sequoia National Park. But don’t cut it short! One layover day in the Cottonwood Lakes or the South Fork Lakes would let you climb Mt. Langley—the Sierra’s southernmost 14,000-footer—or easier Cirque Peak, or explore Cottonwood Basin. Another layover day, this one near the lake on Upper Rock Creek, would permit a dayhike into breathtaking Miter Basin or a visit to dramatic Siberian Outpost. Keep Reading
© Copyright Paul Backhurst, Editor Published by Wilderness Press. All Rights Reserved.
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Holy Jim Falls Trail
October 28, 2007
Trails.com preview: Undoubtedly, the hike into Holy Jim Canyon is one of the most scenic and interesting in the Santa Ana Mountains. The hike passes under a multitude of trees, and crosses Holy Jim Creek many times before eventually reaching the falls, a 35-foot cascade and popular picnic spot. Keep Reading
© Copyright Randy Vogel Published by Falcon Publishing. All Rights Reserved.
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Mount Whitney
October 28, 2007
Trails.com preview This expedition takes you to the top of the highest peak in the contiguous United States, and to unparalleled views. Keep Reading…
© Copyright Laurel Scheidt Published by Falcon Publishing. All Rights Reserved.
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Agnew Meadows to Ediza Lake
October 28, 2007
Trails.com preview: With only moderate effort this trail places you among peaks of the spectacular Ritter Range—capped by Mt. Ritter, Banner Peak, and the Minarets—in the Ansel Adams Wilderness. Some say that the alpine beauty of all Sierra lakes culminates at Ediza Lake where, amid towering evidence of mountain building and glacial action, the visitor can readily appreciate the colossal forces that shaped these awe-inspiring landforms. For more than a century, climbers have used the shores of Ediza Lake as their base camps for scaling these classic peaks. However, hikers without climbing experience should not attempt them without the guidance of capable climbers. Keep Reading…
© Copyright Paul Backhurst, Editor Published by Wilderness Press. All Rights Reserved.
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Cool to American River Loop
October 28, 2007
Trails.com preview: A loop day hike through foothill terrain and the American River Canyon. As more and more of California’s classic foothill scenery falls to development, conservationists and long-time devotees of the High Sierra are paying more attention to the unique beauty of the Sierra’s lower western flanks. The shortage of extensive natural preserves in the foothills makes the 35,000-acre Auburn State Recreation Area all the more special. Of its more than 100 miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian paths, this challenging loop on the Pointed Rocks, Western States and Wendall T. Robie Trails traverses a rich range of foothill scenery—rolling oak savanna, chaparral, and rugged river canyon. Keep Reading…
© Copyright Barry Parr Published by Falcon Publishing. All Rights Reserved.
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Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne
October 28, 2007
Trails.com preview: Over a 100 years ago, John Muir declared the Sierra Nevada “the most Divinely beautiful of all the mountain chains I’ve ever seen.†Millions of people have since made pilgrimage here to experience the famous “Range of Light.†And of all the mighty canyons and valleys in the incomparable Sierra—including the valley of Yosemite—there is only one that has earned the appellation â€Grand Canyonâ€: the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River. With mile-high canyon walls, vast expanses of granite, spectacular waterfalls, and abundant wildlife, this Grand Canyon also features a much rarer quality: it’s in backcountry wilderness.
Protected within Yosemite National Park, the closest section is at least a day’s hike from the nearest road. This classic loop trip takes you to the canyon bottom at 4200 feet in Pate Valley, and then all the way up through it to 9800-foot Tuolumne Peak. En route you’ll experience the heart of this diverse wilderness, the result of millions of years work by the mighty Tuolumne River and its once-massive glaciers. Keep Reading
© Copyright Paul Backhurst, Editor Published by Wilderness Press. All Rights Reserved.
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Sacramento and Western Sierra Foothills Campgrounds
October 28, 2007
Trails.com preview Tourists traveling to the Sacramento and Western Sierra Foothills Area from the north via the Golden Chain Highway are welcomed to the region by the gold rush towns of Nevada City and Grass Valley. Once rivaling San Francisco and Sacramento in population, Nevada City has reinvented itself, turning from gold fields to grape fields as it hosts a flourishing wine industry. North of the town lies Malakoff Diggins, the world’s largest hydraulic mining site, while to the south Empire Mine State Historic Park preserves what was once California’s largest and richest hardrock mine.
Farther south, at Coloma, a replica of Sutter’s Mill stands on the original site of the 1848 gold discovery that started the worldwide rush to California. Placerville, once called “Hangtown†because of its speedy law enforcement, has the distinction of owning its own gold mine, which is open for tours. Columbia State Historic Park, near Sonora, provides the opportunity to tour an actual gold rush era town, with its original buildings, covered boardwalks, and storefronts. Fortunately, the tourist wares for sale in most of the shops fail to dent the authentic feel of the town, which even has two operating Victorian-style hotels. Coulterville, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, once had 50 saloons.
But all that glitters in this area is not gold. Twelve large lakes offer their shining surfaces to water sports enthusiasts. Campgrounds included in this eTrail are: Malakoff Diggins, South Yuba, Nevada County Fairgrounds, Scotts Flat Lake, White Cloud, Skillman Group Camp, Rollins Reservoir, Auburn, Parker Flat OHV Staging Area, Sugar Pine OHV Staging Area, Sugar Pine Reservoir, Big Reservoir, Folsom Lake State Recreation Area, Marshall Gold Discovery, Sly Park, Chaw’se Indian Grinding Rock, New Hogan Lake, New Melones Lake, Don Pedro Reservoir, Lake McClure, and Merced River Recreation Area. Keep Reading…
© Copyright Richard McMahon Published by Falcon Publishing. All Rights Reserved.
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