Hiking Lady » Hiking Trails & Trips

Southern California Snowshoeing Spots

Hiking Lady — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:19:31 +0000

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?

A great New York Times Article about K2!

Hiking Lady — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 03:35:44 +0000

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

Hiking the Appalachian Trail?

Hiking Lady — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 10:20:10 +0000

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.

Hiking Trails: Ronald W. Caspers Wilderness Park, Orange County, CA

Hiking Lady — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 03:08:06 +0000

If you’re looking for some Orange County, CA hiking trails, the Caspers Wilderness Park should be on your list. It is the largest park established in Orange County, CA and has many trails to explore with views of the Cleveland National Forest. With 8,000 acres, you’ll have plenty to explore! To the north it is bordered by the Audubon Society’s Starr Ranch Sanctuary.

Summer shade at Caspers Wilderness Park, Orange County, CA

I recently visited the park in the mid-summer, so undoubtedly it was a sunny, but very hot hike. There is not a lot of shade on the trails, but when you find them the beautiful groves of Coastal Live Oaks and California Sycamores are a welcome respite from the hot sun.

My favorite part is the wildlife! Check out my picture of a baby horned lizard that I saw along the side of the trail:

A Baby Horned Lizard, Caspers Wilderness Park

Need More Information?

Caspers Wilderness Park
33401 Ortega Hwy. (P. O. Box 395)
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
(949) 923-2210
casperspark@ocparks.com