This Labor Day weekend I’ll be living the Hiking Lady motto of “Let the Adventuring Begin!”
I’m headed to South Lake, in California’s Sierra Nevadas about 20 miles southwest of the town of Bishop. I was there last year, and loved it so much that I’m going back!
Hurd Peak rising above South Lake, California Sierra Nevada Mountains
Since many of you asked about it on Facebook, I’ve posted the trail map I created using my National Geographic Sierra Nevadas Trail Explorers program.
Starting at the Bishop Pass Trailhead at South Lake, then headed to Chocolate Peak
(You can click on the image above to download a more detailed version)
I can’t wait!!
Where in the world did I take this picture? The views are breathtaking, and the hike was quite pleasant because of the cool ocean breezes…
Guess where this is!
Leave your guess in the comments below, and the first person who gets it right will get a free packet of Starbucks new instant coffee VIA (1 serving only!), which will be convenient on your next hiking or camping trip!
Snowshoeing in the San Bernardino Mountains, Southern CA
Despite its reputation of sunny days and balmy weather, Southern California has a lot of great places to enjoy winter activities, including snowshoeing!
Snowshoeing is how I like to hike in the winter. Taken at a slow pace, it is a wonderful way to enjoy a day in the mountains. At a faster pace, it is an amazing workout, and still lots of fun!
Want to know about some places to snowshoe in Southern CA? Here’s my list. Do you have more to add?
I just finished reading the online version of this weekend’s New York Times travel section, and what did I see, but another fantastic article about K2. Many think that Everest is the most dangerous mountain in the world, and after reading Ed Viesturs’ book K2: Life and Death on the World’s Most Dangerous Mountain, I sure learned how intimidating and deadly K2 really is.
I highly recommend you read the New York Times article. Why? Because it is a great reminder how alpine hiking is dangerous, and we all need to be aware of the challenges associated with climbing at altitude. The article captures the struggles of just getting to Base Camp! After hiking to the peak of Mt. Whitney last year, I have set my sights on some other challenging peaks. Not K2 or Everest, but the respective Base Camps seem reasonable (with extreme caution!) 
The author of the article, Graham Bowley, traveled to K2 last June with his cousin. Their goal – to reach Base Camp and learn more for Bowley’s upcoming book called “No Way Down”. But despite their experience and research on the place, the author and his cousin still had to be helicoptered out because of altitude sickness.
Ed Viesturs does a good job in his book relaying the challenges and struggles of achieving the peak (and returning alive), but this article puts it all in perspective for someone like me whose big aspiration would be to go to Base Camp, not the top. Even then there are risks we all need to be aware of, and this article is a great reminder.
The NY Times article on K2 (plus slideshow).
Want to learn more about K2:
Here are two K2 books I’ve read and recommend – Three Cups of Tea and Ed Viesturs’ book K2: Life and Death on the World’s Most Dangerous Mountain
Have you ever thought about hiking the Appalachian Trail? I sure have!
A close hiking friend of mine insisted that I borrow her copy, and I swear I couldn’t put this book down. Obviously I am a fan of most books about hiking, but this one is truly special – Bill Bryson weaves into his humorous story loads of history and science, all while sharing the details of his adventure.
Read my full review of A Walk in the Woods here.
