I had a pretty good run this year: traveling or hiking almost every weekend and writing about my most interesting trips here on Remembered Earth. Now that the year is almost over, I thought it would be fun to look through my posts and pick my favorite trips. Here are my top five, listed in descending order.
Thanks for reading Remembered Earth. I look forward to more adventures next year, and I hope you look forward to reading about them.
1. Red Slate Mountain from McGee Creek
Elizabeth and I got perfect weather for this 3-day backpack in the eastern Sierra. We started in the sagebrush and climbed through forests and meadows up to an alpine lake where we camped for two nights. We also scrambled to the 13,156-foot summit of Red Slate Mountain for excellent views.
2. Miners’ Ridge and James Irvine loop hike, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
This was the best hike through old-growth redwoods I’ve ever done. Starting from a fern-covered creek, we hiked along a ridge, then dropped into a dark, primeval canyon of giant trees to emerge on a windswept beach filled with wild elk. But that wasn’t even the best part! We looped back through a spectacular canyon whose vertical walls were lined with ferns.
3. Gray Lodge Wildlife Area
We didn’t even get out of our car for this one. An unplanned stop at a wildlife refuge in California’s Central Valley turned into an awe-inspiring experience when we saw a million geese and ducks fly overhead at sunset.
4. The most direct hike to Mount Diablo’s summit
A hike with friends to the top of Mount Diablo in early April had great scenery and the best wildflowers I saw all year.
5. Indian Head Mountain via the Devil’s Path
A summer trip to New Jersey gave me a chance to return to the Catskill Mountains after an absence of two years. The hike gave me just what I wanted: beautiful forests, great views, a few good scrambles, and a thunderstorm.
Honorable mention
These three trips didn’t quite make the top five, but are worth mentioning in their own right.
Toughest hike: University Peak north face
This scramble from 9,200 feet in Onion Valley to 13,632 feet at the summit of University Peak took 11 hours, starting at 8:30 and ending after sunset. Tiring, but with awesome scenery.
Most scenic: Chocolate Peak loop hike
Mile for mile, this was the prettiest hike I took this year. Countless alpine lakes and flower-filled meadows, followed by an easy climb up Chocolate Peak where we had great views of the Inconsolable Range and the Sierra Crest.
Most exciting wildlife encounter: Bears on the Trinity Alps Stuart Fork
The two bears we saw while hiking up Stuart Fork were the biggest, most exciting wildlife we saw this year.
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Wow, Miguel, I had started to forget just how awesome California is. You’re getting really good with the camera. The clouds on that Chocolate Peak shot above are incredible. I’m heading to Switzerland tomorrow for a couple of weeks. I can’t wait to be in the mountains again. Afghanistan, somehow, just doesn’t count. Happy holidays to you both.
Thanks for the wonderful trips.
Love, Helen
These are great. You are quite adept with the camera. These are good ideas for my own hiking. Thanks for posting.
Good ones and fantastic photography. Thanks for posting these.