Hiking the Trail to West Parks Lakes – Lower, Middle, Upper

September 20, 2011

Lower, Middle, and Upper West Park Lakes lie just a few miles from Mount Eddy and the Deadfall Lakes, yet few people hike the trails to these gems, even though they are fairly easy to reach. I did the West Parks Lakes as a day-hike in late August, the day after I explored the nearby [...]

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Gateway Trail Project Manager Position in Mount Shasta

September 13, 2011

As some of you know, I’m on the board of directors of the Mount Shasta Trail Association. We recently won a grant to build and enhance the Gateway Trail system just outside the Mount Shasta city limits, and now we’re hiring a project manager. Here’s the announcement… Gateway Trail Project Manager Position The Mt. Shasta [...]

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Hiking the North Fork of the Middle Fork of the American River with Gambolin’ Man

September 5, 2011

Hiking the North Fork of the Middle Fork of the American River country is often not easy. Yes there are trails, but many of the best canyon sections and swimming holes aren’t accessible to the casual hiker. Enter Gambolin’ Man. His latest post takes you to many of out-of-the-way destinations, and he has the pictures [...]

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Hiking to Lower, Middle, and Upper Caldwell Lakes along Parks Creek

September 2, 2011

Here’s all the info you need to hike or backpack the trails to Lower Caldwell Lake, Middle Caldwell Lake, and Upper Caldwell Lake in the Parks Creek drainage in the Eddy Range west of Mount Shasta. I just did the hike last weekend, along with hiking to the nearby West Parks Lakes. (This is just [...]

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Hike the Lassen Peak Trail over the Labor Day Weekend

August 31, 2011

The Lassen Peak Trail has been undergoing some major changes this summer, so access to the summit has been restricted to just a few days, although visitors are allowed to hike in 1.3 miles to the Grandview area on any day Lassen Volcanic National Park is open. Hiking the Lassen Peak Trail,  Labor Day Weekend [...]

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Yes, I Did Go Skinny-Dipping with 12 Naked Women in the Trinity Alps…

August 29, 2011

Mount Shasta area writer Tim Holt just wrote a really good piece in the Redding Record Searchlight called “Naked sunbathers, Mt. Shasta oddities: In the great outdoors, expect the unexpected.” I’m one of the hikers he featured, and he discusses a very pleasant and memorable experience I had while backpacking in the Trinity Alps in [...]

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Hiking Manzanita Creek Trail in Lassen Volcanic National Park

August 24, 2011

Stephanie and I just hiked the Manzanita Creek Trail in Lassen Volcanic National Park. Wow! Meadows, flowers, Loomis Peak, Lassen Peak… It had been many years since I hiked this trail for my two hiking guidebooks and we picked the best time to return: flowers everywhere in the meadow and all the snow is gone. [...]

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When Deer Run from Bears and Mountain Lions…

August 18, 2011

When I see deer running fast, I wonder if they have a good reason. I wrote recently about my writer’s camping retreat in the Trinity Divide mountains west of Mount Shasta, which ended yesterday afternoon with Thai food in Mount Shasta. Bears On My Hike to Chipmunk Lake near the Pacific Crest Trail On Tuesday [...]

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How I Mix Camping, Writing, and Hiking…

August 15, 2011

I’m leaving in a few hours to camp for three days in the Trinity Divide Mountains west of Mount Shasta. I’ll primarily be working a freelance writing project for a college textbook publisher (Friday deadline), but I’ll also find time to do some hiking. I just wrote a post about how much writing I can [...]

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Backpacking and Hiking Class at College of the Siskiyous This Fall

August 3, 2011

For you folks that live in the far north state, this is a great class. It’s taught by my friend Charlie Unkefer, and it begins at College of the Siskiyous on August 24th, 2011. Here’s the press release: Take the next step outdoors with College of the Siskiyous new Backpacking and Hiking class starting this [...]

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Outdoors Writer Paul McHugh’s Intriguing Presentation In Mount Shasta

July 13, 2011

“Quite Risky to a Bit Risque: Outdoors Stories I Could Never Write” by Paul McHugh, a well-known former writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. Sounds very interesting! It’s goin’ down on Thursday, July 21, 2011 at the Mount Shasta Resort at 7:30 p.m. It’s a benefit for the Siskiyou Land Trust.  (I’m a member.) It’s [...]

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On the Potential Closure of Castle Crags State Park

July 7, 2011

As many of you long-time readers know, I’ve written often here about the major threat of closures of California’s state parks due to the California budget crisis and the choices our lawmakers are making to deal with that crisis. I’ve made my stand in favor of protecting California State Parks and their hiking trails many [...]

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Hike to Cliff Lake West of Mount Shasta on July 3, 2011

July 6, 2011

Stephanie and I did one of our favorite Mount Shasta area hikes to Cliff Lake  in the Trinity Divide Mountains on Sunday, July 3. As we’ve discussed here (see recent posts), it’s been a heavy snow year. However, except for a few spots below the north-facing slope, Cliff Lake (elevation 5770 feet)  is free of [...]

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Fourth of July in Mount Shasta Is For Hikers, Runners, Fun Lovers

June 28, 2011

Calling all hikers, runners, outdoors lovers, and just-plain-fun lovers: Come to Mount Shasta for the Fourth of July! Here’s why. There’s a ton of stuff happening here, including a very popular foot race and 2-mile walk, great fireworks, and the opportunity to explore my home territory, including the hiking trails. All the details of the [...]

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