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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA HIKING TRAILS
HIKE OF THE MONTH

Note: See the "Hike of the Month" category on the Northern California Hiking Trails blog for all the hikes, including those posted after February 2009.

Briones Regional Park Trails
February 2009 Hike of the Month

Briones Regional Park hosts some of the East Bay's best trails. February is an excellent time to explore Briones: Lush grasses carpet the hills and the first wildflowers show their colors.

This walk in Briones Regional Park is Hike 89 from 100 Classic Hikes in Northern California, third edition. (Find out much more about the book here.) Download the Briones Regional Park hike Adobe Acrobat file and print it out.

Briones Regional Park: The view from Briones Peak.
Briones Regional Park: The View from Briones Peak.
(Photo by Marc Soares)

Muir Woods National Monument
January 2009 Hike of the Month

Winter's a good time to explore Muir Woods National Monument trails in Marin County. There's fewer tourists, so you'll have a bit more elbow room while you explore the extensive groves of towering redwoods.

This is Hike 85 from 100 Classic Hikes in Northern California, third edition. (Find out much more about the book here.) Download the Muir Woods National Monument Adobe Acrobat file and print it out.

Redwoods along the trail in Muir Woods National Monument
Muir Woods National Monument: hikers just off the trail.
(Photo by Marc Soares)

NORTH PEAK MONTARA MOUNTAIN
DECEMBER 2008 Hike of the Month

North Peak Montara Mountain is an excellent hike year-round. It's especially attractive on clear winter days when you can see the vast Pacific Ocean stretching out to the west beyond Montara State Beach. (And look for the Farallon Islands!)

This is Hike 95 from 100 Classic Hikes in Northern California, third edition. (Find out much more about the book here.) Download the North Peak Montara Mountain Adobe Acrobat file and print it out.

Montara State Beach sunset
Montara State Beach sunset. (Photo by Marc Soares)

Adventures Outdoors Radio Interview
November 13, 2008

The first Adventures Outdoors interview with Cindy Summers on "Rockin' Siskiyou County's" 102.3 FM and 101.7 FM. This is a regular feature that airs just after noon on Thursdays. It will often feature me as the guest, but there will also be many other Siskiyou County outdoors people coming in to share outdoors activities in Siskiyou County and beyond.

Here's what Cindy and I talked about:

And here's a link to the Adventures Outdoors November 13, 2008 radio interview. It's a 7.4 MB MP3 file that you need to download to your computer and then play. The interview itself is about 8 minutes.

ANDERSON MARSH STATE PARK ON CLEAR LAKE
November 2008 Hike of the Month

Anderson Marsh State Park sits on the east side of Clear Lake and features several interconnecting trails that make a great autumn hike. You can still catch some fall color around the park and there are great vistas of Clear Lake and its surrounding hills and mountains.

This is Hike 75 from 100 Classic Hikes in Northern California, third edition. (Find out much more about the book here.) Download the Anderson Marsh State Park Hike Adobe Acrobat file and print it out.

Anderson Marsh State Historic Park Trails: Blue Oak

Blue Oak near the trail in Anderson Marsh State Park.
(Photo by Marc Soares)

EMIGRANT LAKE IN MOKELUMNE WILDERNESS
IN THE SIERRA NEVADA
October 2008 Hike of the Month

Alright, now it's October. Let's head to the Sierra Nevada one more time before winter buries it in ten feet of snow. This hike to Emigrant Lake in the Mokelumne Wilderness is fairly easy: 4.5 miles in and only 950 feet of elevation gain. You can do it as a day hike or take advantage of the great campsites at the lake for an overnighter. (Hint: bring warm clothes and a very warm bag, and a tent. Warning: check the weather at www.weather.com and www.wrh.noaa.gov/sto/; don't go if it's not great weather!)

I love the Mokelumne Wilderness. It's less crowded than nearby Desolation Wilderness and it's stunningly beautiful with clear lakes and stark peaks.

This is Hike 3 from 100 Classic Hikes in Northern California, third edition. (Find out much more about the book here.) Download the Emigrant Lake in Mokelumne Wilderness Adobe Acrobat file and print it out.

Caples Lake Mokelumne Wilderness near Emigrant Lake
Mokelumne Wilderness: Caples Lake on the way to Emigrant Lake.
Photo by Marc Soares.

SEVEN LAKES BASIN FROM THE PACIFIC CREST TRAIL
NEAR MOUNT SHASTA
September 2008 Hike of the Month

It's September. Take advantage of these last warm days to explore the high country in the Klamath Mountains west of Mount Shasta. This month's hike explores the Seven Lakes Basin, which is easily accessible from the Pacific Crest Trail. The walk makes a great dayhike or an easy overnight backpacking trip. Most of the route follows the famous PCT and gives you unimpeded views of Mount Shasta, Gumboot Lake, Mumbo Lake, the Trinity Alps, and the Seven Lakes Basin, including Upper Seven Lake, Lower Seven Lake, and Echo Lake.

This is Hike 51 from 100 Classic Hikes in Northern California, third edition. (Find out much more about the book here.) The same route is also described in Hike 65 of 75 Hikes in California’s Mount Shasta and Lassen Volcanic National Park Regions, revised edition. Download the Seven Lakes Basin Adobe Acrobat file and print it out.

Mount Shasta from the Pacific Crest Trail near Seven Lakes Basin
Mount Shasta from the Pacific Crest Trail near Seven Lakes Basin.
(Photo by John Soares)

LASSEN VOLCANIC NATIONAL PARK: CINDER CONE,
BUTTE LAKE, AND SNAG LAKE
August 2008 Hike of the Month

August is a great month to explore the backcountry of Lassen Volcanic National Park. This month's hike takes you to the top of Cinder Cone (with views of the Painted Dunes) and along the shores of Snag Lake and Butte Lake. There are ample vistas of Lassen Peak, Brokeoff Mountain, and other Cascades volcanoes, and many places for backpackers to find a great campsite to lay out their sleeping bags.

This is Hike 38 from 100 Classic Hikes in Northern California, third edition. (Find out much more about the book here.) The same route is also described in Hike 14 of 75 Hikes in California’s Mount Shasta and Lassen Volcanic National Park Regions, revised edition. Download the Cinder Cone/Snag Lake/Butte Lake Adobe Acrobat file and print it out.

Painted Dunes from Cinder Cone in Lassen Volcanic National Park
Painted Dunes, one of Lassen Volcanic National Park's most spectacular features, viewed from the summit of Cinder Cone.
(Photo by Marc Soares)

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DESOLATION WILDERNESS: SYLVIA LAKE AND LYONS LAKE
July 2008 Hike of the Month

Our July 2008 hike takes you to Sylvia and Lyons Lakes, both set in the stunning granite mountainscape of the Desolation Wilderness in the Sierra Nevada. This is Hike 10 from 100 Classic Hikes in Northern California, third edition. (Find out much more about the book here.) Note that the file is an Adobe Acrobat file. Download the file and save it to your computer, or just open it and print it. Enjoy!

Desolation Wilderness granite mountains near Sylvia and Lyons Lake in the Sierra Nevada
Desolation Wilderness granitic mountains near Sylvia and Lyons lakes
in the Sierra Nevada.
(Photo by Marc Soares)