9 January 2023 Hellhole Canyon Trail to Maidenhair Falls (5 miles, +1,000/-1,000 feet). Before heading back to San Diego this morning, we got in one more hike at nearby Hellhole Canyon. The trail is pretty flat at first, heading straight up a (by comparison) lush wash. As we ascended it got steeper and we started…
Tag: Half Cookie
The Slot
8 January 2023 West Butte Trail to Borego Mountain Wash (5 miles, +800/-800 feet). It’s Half Cookie’s birthday this weekend! (er, birth-weekend?) We decided to go do a couple of hikes in Anza Borrego State Park. It’s California’s largest state park, but relatively unknown to people outside of Southern California. We love it! We decided…
Secret Falls (Shhhh!)
26 December 2022 Secret Falls Trail (2 miles, +100/-100 feet). Our last hike in Kauai was my favorite! It was very short, but to get to the trailhead we first had to paddle on the Kailua River, which was GORGEOUS! It was about an hour paddle to the trailhead where a hundred kayaks crowded the…
Waimea Canyon
22 December 2022 Canyon Trail (6 miles, + 1,800/-1,800 feet). Today we went to Waimea Canyon, which is sometimes called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. We picked a popular trail, so we got an early start. The mix of rain and morning sun on the drive created a perfect Hawaii moment. We were the…
Mahalo!
21 December 2022 Maha’ulepu Heritage Trail (6 miles, +200/-200 feet). Half Cookie and I have been together for 30 years! It’s hard to imagine…. We decided to celebrate with a trip to Hawaii to see Kauai, an island we have never visited. Our friends Quercus and Tami have moved there, so we get to see…
Return to Eagle Rock
4 December 2022 PCT Warner Springs to Eagle Rock (6 miles, +900/-900 feet). Half Cookie is usually busy this time of year making… you guessed it… cookies! But she was all caught up today, so we decided to do a short hike. Half Cookie’s knees have been bothering her and it was a bit chilly…
Oakzanita Peak
29 October 2022 Oakzanita Peak Trail to East Mesa Fire Road (7 miles, +1,200/-1,200 feet). I’m back! I finally finished my financial research project, and it has been easier to focus on getting back outside. I’m ready! Half Cookie and I set our sights on Oakzanita Peak, a minor peak in Cuyamaca State Park. I…
Day 22: Mount Whitney!
15 August 2022 Tarns above Guitar Lake to Whitney Portal (14 miles, +2,900/-6,500 feet). Well it happened again! Half Cookie’s sleeping pad deflated last night, just like it did on our last trip. So I offered to swap with her to keep her warm. My body temperature was fine, but the ground was quite hard…
Day 21: The Spectacular Bighorn Plateau
14 August 2022 Tyndall Creek to tarns above Guitar Lake (12 miles, +2,800/-1,900 feet). I have to apologize: today was very scenic and we took too many photos! I should probably have culled this set a little better, but I couldn’t kill my darlings. Anyhoo, our campsite last night was super comfy and this morning…
The JimmyJam Hiking Club 