28-29 January 2024 Pepperwood Canyon to Agua Caliente via Inner Pasture and Moonlight Canyon (28 miles, +4,800/-4,800 feet). The first time I came to McCain Valley was during the pandemic. All the National Forests in California were closed, and I was losing my mind being trapped indoors. Half Cookie said why don’t you go do a short…
Tag: Half Cookie
Fonts Point
6 January 2024 Inspiration Wash to Fonts Point (5 miles, +500/-500 feet). Another desert getaway! This time we went to Anza Borrego. Ever since I left my stake bag at Inspiration Point on a section hike of the San Diego Trans County Trail, I have wanted to return to see if I could find them! We…
Palm Springs Escape
17-18 December 2023 Art Smith, Fern Canyon, Palm Canyon Trails (10 miles, +2,000/-2,000 feet). Half Cookie and I were supposed to go to Yosemite this week. But she got sick for four days and then I got sick the four days after that! Oh well. We got well enough in time to use the last couple…
Annular Eclipse!
14 October 2023 Christmas Valley-Wagontire Road, Eastern Oregon Well, this wasn’t a hike but it was definitely an adventure! Half Cookie and I flew up to Bend, Oregon to see an annular eclipse with Orion and his family. I have only seen total eclipses before, so I was very excited to see this “ring of…
Back to Horseshoe Meadow
27 July 2023 Cottonwood Lakes Trail (6 miles, +200/-1,200 feet). One last day in Paradise. We agreed to meet at the car at 3. And then UltraShuffle, Half Cookie, and I took one last tour of the meadows to the east of the Cottonwood Lakes. Meanwhile another crew was busy showing off. Back in San…
High Lake and South Fork Lakes
26 July 2023 Ramble from Cottonwood Lakes to High Lake (6 miles, +700/-700 feet). UltraShuffle was so taken with High Lake on our excursion to New Army Pass that he wanted to take the whole gang there. So today we mounted a group expedition. So High Lake was a lot colder. Like 33 degrees cold….
Muir Lake and Hidden Lake
25 July 2023 Ramble to Muir Lake and Hidden Lake (4 miles, +400/-400 feet). What a crazy night! The wind went non-stop until early morning. The predawn light had a very calm-after-the-storm vibe. Today I led some off country excursions to two lakes outside the main basin. The first was Muir Lake, which we approached…
New Army Pass
24 July 2023 Cottonwood Lakes to New Army Pass (8 miles, +1.400/-1,400 feet). Today some folks wanted to fish, some wanted to chill out, and some wanted to hike. I was very curious to see whether it would be possible to go over New Army Pass to get to Miter Basin, so I led an…
Cottonwod Lakes
23 July 2023 Cottonwood Lakes Trail (6 miles, +1,200/-200 feet). Time again for another adventure with UltraShuffle! And this time he brought his whole family! We originally planned to tackle Whitney again, this time from the trailhead at Horseshoe Meadow. And we wanted to pass through Miter Basin on the way. But the Snowpocalypse of…
The JimmyJam Hiking Club 