Twig Adventures

Tag: California

2025 Sierra High Route Days 7-9: Past the Ritter Range to Reds Meadow / Bishop

Arizona Trail

Day 7: Back on the SHR, Sunday, Sep 7th, 2025, 0700-1800.15.5 mi to Bench Canyon, elevation 9,670′. It was a really slow start this morning, given my huge day before, plus 2 late nights of hiking in a row. The first thing I noticed was the smell of smoke, then was pretty astonished to see the sky, or rather the lack there of. A heavy layer of smoke filled the valley overnight. When planning this next leg in Tuolumne Meadows 2 days prior, I’d contemplated saving Half Dome for this morning. Thank goodness I pushed hard and made it to the top the day before! I did get some cool pictures of the eerie red sunrise over Merced lake in[…]

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2025 Sierra High Route Day 6: A Side Trip To Half Dome

Pacific Crest Trail

Saturday, Sep 6th, 2025, 0640-2030.28.5 mi to top of Half Dome, then backtrack to Echo Creek, elevation 7,040′. I had a lot of miles and goals planned for this day, so I got cracking at it early and as fast as I could. Basically, this entire day was a side trip to Half Dome, planned spur of the moment and having nothing to do with the SHR. But it was a hoot and well worth the 26 extra miles. I woke to my coldest morning yet, with a thermometer reading of 32 F. As soon as I entered some meadows, the temperature dropped even more and frost coated the grass. I warmed up going over Tuolumne Pass after just a[…]

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2025 Sierra High Route Days 0-5: Sonora Pass to Tuolumne Meadows

Pacific Crest Trail

Days 0, August 25-31st: I skipped the PCT NoCal section since I already hiked most of it a 2nd time in 2023 (along with the Oregon Coast Trail, part of the Bigfoot Trail, and entire Tahoe Rim Trail). I spent nearly a week with trail friends Scott and Alan, both of whom helped me out tremendously on past hikes of the Pacific Coast Bigfoot Crest Rim Trail and Desert Winter Thru-hike. I stayed with Alan in Sacramento for about 4 days. He was so kind to host me, let me borrow his bear canister for the Sierra and provide his address for a box of supplies I shipped from home. I received paper maps of the high routes, new Salomon[…]

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Pacific Crest Trail 2025, Round 2

Desert Winter Thru Hike, Pacific Crest Trail

This summer I hope to complete the remaining 3 sections that I have left in hiking the PCT a 2nd time. This has been a goal since my first thru-hike in 2018. Initially, I envisioned that I would thru-hike the entire trail again, but over time, the goal morphed into completing the trail as a series of section hikes. This was mainly because in 2023, I hiked nearly all of the Northern California section as a way of connecting the Oregon Coast and Bigfoot Trails to the Tahoe Rim Trail. After that stint, I couldn’t really see myself hiking NoCal a 3rd time (it’s my least favorite section), thus my focus shifted to just completing the remaining sections in the[…]

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DWTH, SDTCT & PCT Desert Section Summary & Stats

Desert Winter Thru Hike, Pacific Crest Trail

Like my 2023 PCBCRT hike, my Desert Winter Thru Hike ended up being the sum of multiple parts, a conglomeration of 3 different long-distance trails/routes. It’s difficult to summarize such a segmented journey, so I’ve attempted to break some of the data into distinct parts to cover each trail, but also lumped some of the information together. At the core, I’m proud to say that I hiked from the outskirts of Tucson, connecting footsteps from the Arizona Trail to the Pacific Crest Trail, plus also my footsteps along the PCT to the San Diego Trans County Trail, and all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Note that I didn’t hike continuously from east to west, which allowed for a complete[…]

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DWTH PCT Days 26-39: Acton to Kennedy Meadows South

Desert Winter Thru Hike, Pacific Crest Trail

This is the continuation of my Desert PCT section hike, the final post of 3, notes for each day… Day 26, Sunday, April 20th, 1000-2000 13 miles to just outside Agua Dulce, Mm 457.4,  2250/1570, Elevation 2950′ Leisurely morning, took it slow packing. Visited other grocery store in town, higher-end but fair prices and quality stuff. Discount bin had good bars and PB. Large sandwich to go was bomb! Ate half and packed out other half. Met friendly guy and asked him for a ride out of town. Miykael was guitarist playing classic rock, tight red pants, yellow high tops, and rod Stewart shirt. I love all these characters I meet hitching! He’d just bought a newish van to travel and[…]

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DWTH PCT Days 14-25: Whitewater Preserve to Acton

Desert Winter Thru Hike, Pacific Crest Trail

This is the continuation of my Desert PCT section hike, notes for each day… Day 14, Tuesday, April 8th, 0700-1900 22 miles, Whitewater Preserve to Mission Springs Trail Camp, Mm 240, 6700/1120 down. Elevation 7900′. Camp so awesome. Rocks falling all night. Western screech owl. Bighorns peering over ledge in morning, played Bocce ball using boulders and tents. Passed day hikers, perhaps even some migrants along river in morning, then Ludo, French guy I’d been hopscotching for several days. Climb over small pass from Whitewater valley to Mission Creek. Then fun began hiking up the large wash, trail segments washed away from 2023 Hurricane Hillary for long stretches. Just like hiking the DWTH, so I was right at home. Others not[…]

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DWTH PCT Days 1-13: Mexico Border/Campo to Whitewater Preserve

Desert Winter Thru Hike, Pacific Crest Trail

I’ll start by explaining that this PCT section hike was somewhat spontaneous and unplanned. Which is not to say that it wasn’t in the back of my mind for many months, well before I even started the Desert Winter Thru-Hike in January. The deal was that if I made it all the way to San Diego and still felt good, I’d continue on with the PCT. My main objective was to connect my footsteps from the SDTCT to my DWTH finish at Whitewater preserve, about 155 miles in total. Ultimately, this concluded a continuous footpath from the outskirts of Tucson, AZ to San Diego, CA, a distance of nearly 1100 miles. My 2nd objective was to complete another section of[…]

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DWTH SDTCT Day 9: The Finish Line at Torrey Pines

Desert Winter Thru Hike

Monday, March 24th, 2025, 0700-1400Penasquitos canyon open space to Torrey Pines, mm154 End SDTCT, then 6 bonus miles along the beach to La Jolla, Elevation 0′21 miles. I was up bright and early to finally finish this hike. It took me awhile to realize the very cool theme of my start and end points: they all had something to do with plants. Saguaro National Park and Joshua Tree National Park were the official termini of the DWTH, and then I added Torrey Pines State Park to the mix. The other theme had been to connect the AZT to the PCT, which I’d already accomplished. But I hadn’t yet connected my footsteps all the way to the ocean, since I’d skipped[…]

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DWTH SDTCT Day 8: Urban Thru-hiking

Desert Winter Thru Hike

Sunday, March 23rd, 2025, 0700-1840San Vicente area to Penasquitos canyon open space, mm140.5, Elevation 380′21 miles. My semi-urban campsite was a little too wild, as some animals were fighting in the bushes overnight, probably racoons. Still, it was a great spot. I woke to a very foggy, wet morning. My tent was soaked, but at least I didn’t have to resort to cowboy camping, thus getting my quilt wet. I figure I’m more discreet inside my camo tent anyway, as long as there’s space enough to pitch it. It’s like a hunting blind. The fog also served to further conceal my escape from my site, not that anybody was around to see me go. I followed the paved road a[…]

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