I love hiking!

Especially in the mountains, but a stroll along a Pacific coast beach is nice, too.  I'm always on the lookout for interesting hikes, so please contact me with any suggestions!  Here is a list of some of my favorites in no particular order (other than that I lived in CO before CA):

  • Long's Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park, CO. (all time favorite hike!)
  • Grays and Torreys Peaks near Denver, CO  (two fourteeners in one day!)
  • Quandary Peak near Breckenridge, CO  (solo climb, got caught in a blizzard - exciting!!!)
  • Mt. Bierstadt near Georgetown, CO
  • Half Dome in Yosemite National Park, CA  (long and scenic, but lacks the intense rock scrambling of Long's Peak)
  • Mt. Tallac near Lake Tahoe, CA
  • Mammoth Mountain, CA  (climb the back side, watch for decending bicycles!)
  • Feather Falls near Oroville, CA
  • Pinnacles National Monument, CA
  • Matt Davis, Steep Ravine, and Dipsea trails near Stinson Beach, CA

I don't typically carry a camera, so there are no pictures for most of my hikes.   The Colorado hikes predated the Web - who new back then that it would become so easy for us to share our interests with the world!  Had I been more prescient, there would be more pictures to share now.  The Half Dome pictures are scanned prints because my first ascent predated inexpensive digital cameras.  Mt. Tallac and Feather Falls pictures are native digital.  Pictures with a blue border are thumbnails.  Clicking a thumbnail will open a larger version of the picture in a new window.

Half Dome

This is an outstanding hike, second only to Long's Peak in my experience.   It combines leisurely, flat sections in the cool forest, seriously steep sections next to the waterfalls, a fair amount of rock scrambling, the famous cables, and breath-taking views.  It is also long and strenuous, so come prepared.  Click here to visit the Half Dome page.

Longs Peak

This is my all-time favorite hike!  It has to be way up there on the list of best non-technical climbs anywhere.  Because it is shorter than Half Dome, but with more elevation gain, there is not as much horizontal trail.  And the trough is most intense rock climb I've ever done.  Click here to visit the Longs Peak / Colorado page.

Mt Tallac

I've only climbed Mt Tallac once, so it is not burned into memory to the extent of Longs Peak, Half Dome, or Feather Falls.  However, I do recall that it was very enjoyable, with excellent views along the way and at the top.  At 9.5 miles round trip, it is also considerably shorter than Longs Peak and Half dome.  Click here to visit the Mt Tallac page.

Feather Falls

Hiking buddy Tom and I have completed the Feather Falls hike at least 6 times, yet I want to back every spring.  The falls are beautiful from a distance, and you can hike right up to the brink.  Stretching out on a rock in the shade, with the cool mist on your face and the sound of the falls in your ears, is like heaven of earth.  Click here to visit the Feather Falls page.