13 November 2021 Rachel Carson College to Wilder Ridge Vista Point (10 miles, +1,500/-1,500 feet). We recently visited our son Pasta Jay at college. He has a beautiful hike right out his front door! It passes through a gorgeous coastal redwood forest and into a state park adjacent to campus. It was a great way…
Tag: Pasta Jay
Portage Pass
Portage Pass Trail (5 miles, +1,000/-1,000 feet) On our way from Seward to Anchorage we passed a turnoff for Whittier that would take us through the world’s longest tunnel shared by trains and automobiles. It is one lane with railroad tracks down the middle, so each side gets a turn once an hour, alternating every…
Eielson Alpine
Eielson Alpine Trail (2 miles, +1,000/-1,000 feet). We got so, so lucky today! To get near Denali you have to take a 4 hour bus ride (and 4 more hours back out!), and I scheduled that ride months ago, not knowing what the weather might be. About 70% of the people who take the bus…
Savage Alpine
Savage Alpine Trail to Savage River (4 miles, +1,400/-1,600 feet). Today we had a full day for hiking so we decided to try something bit more challenging. The farthest you can drive on your own into Denali National Park is Savage River, and there is a trail that starts a couple of miles away, climbs…
Hello Denali!
Taiga Trail to Horseshoe Lake Trail (4 miles, +600/-600 feet). Time for one last nuclear family trip with the four of us before DoubleSub goes to college! Where to go? We originally thought about Iceland, but the time change for a short trip can be brutal, so we decided to stick closer to our own…
Lassen Peak
Lassen Peak Trail (5 miles, +2,000/-2,000 feet). Today was another day intimately tied to my youth. On one of my cross country trips in the early 1980s between Oklahoma and Oregon my family stopped at Lassen Peak and I climbed it with my dad. I still remember how amazed I was by the experience. I…
PCT Taster
Subway Cave to Old Station via PCT (3 miles, +200/-200 feet). We lazed around a bit after our Cinder Cone hike and then decided to do another excursion this afternoon. A lava tube called the Subway Cave was about a mile away from our airbnb in Old Station and the plan was for Half Cookie…
Fantastic Lava Beds
Butte Lake Campground to Cinder Cone and back (5 miles, +1,000/-1,000 feet). Last night we drove down to Old Station to spend a couple of days in Lassen Volcanic National Park on our way back from the eclipse. We were originally going to stay at Crater Lake, but the Spruce Fire has caused lots of…
The JimmyJam Hiking Club 