It was a cold and rainy day… no really, it wasn’t raining, but the drizzle was so heavy it might as well was raining. It wasn’t terribly cold, but we expected warmer drier weather, so without proper cloth it felt cold. The cool weather was made the hiking easier and…
Pinnacles Chalone North Peak and the High Peak Trail
Not only we got to hike one of the more interesting National Parks in California, we also had interesting clouds in the sky and favorable ambient light for photography. The hike up Chalone Peak is a great way to get a bird’s-eye view of the area and the High Peak…
Carrizo Plain 2019 Super Bloom
I don’t have words to add to the vistas.
Royal Arch Loop, Grand Canyon National Park
The Royal Arch Loop is perhaps the most technical section of the Tonto Trail accessible from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. It is also the only part that is done in a loop, starting and finishing at the same trailhead. Access is via 25 mile dirt/jeep road –…
Backpacking in Henry Coe State Park – Mt. Stakes
Henry Coe State Park is one of my favorite places for backpacking in early springs. It is just 1 1/2 hours drive from my house, but it feels very remote – usually I don’t see more than 1 or 2 people from the time I leave the headquarter. It is…
Circling Timna Valley
Chronologically, this trip happened before Ramon Crater, but for various reasons it didn’t get posted in time. Timna Valley is the site of biblical time copper mines. The history is long and complex and beyond the scope of this blog entry. Today it is a park with many points of…
Circling Ramon Crater (Makhtesh Ramon)
Circling Ramon Crater or in Hebrew סובב מכתש רמון is a newly created series of trails following the rim of Ramon Crater. The largest erosion crater on earth. From Google search “Located at the peak of Mount Negev, some 85 km south of the city of Beersheba, the landform is…
Tel Aviv – Jaffa
We spent the first 2 nights in Tel Aviv getting organized and start to get over the jet lag. The hotel was across the street from Charles Clore Park and there is a promenade going all the way to the old city of Jaffa, about a mile walk along the…
Death Valley – Jan 2019
Death Valley has been one of my favorite destinations for mid winter trips. Temperature is comfortable and winter brings clouds and soft light. This time my goal was to get to the Racetrack. It is a dry lake bed where rocks seem to travel on their own leaving trails in…
Kelso Dunes – Winter 2019
We are on a trip through the southern desert, trying to avoid the rain of the Bay Area. Our stops at Kelso Dunes in Mojave National Preserve was particularly successful.