From the category archives:

The Great Outdoors

Desert Wildflower Video

March 10, 2010

I’m a little sorry to keep harping on Anza-Borrego here, but I really want to let LA hikers know about this little gem to our southeast. Also, the wildflowers are probably going to be pretty amazing this year, and it’s worth a trip to see them.
Here’s a PBS video on the current bloom and [...]

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Anza-Borrego Expects “Riot of Colorful Blossoms”

March 9, 2010

Yeah. RIOT OF COLORFUL BLOSSOMS.
That’s the phrase used by the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Wildflower Report (PDF) for this week. And worry not, fellow procrastinators – because of the recent cooler temperatures, they now expect peak bloom to be the second or third week of March – so there’s still time to [...]

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Plan for Wildflower Season

March 1, 2010

With a healthy dose of rain over the past few months (and a little bit more expected soon), the 2010 wildflower season is expected to be a great one – and it’s never too early to start planning those flower-peeping treks.
In Southern California, the desert wildflower blooms start in the southern end of the [...]

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Don’t Forget – Anza-Borrego Event at A16 Tonight

February 24, 2010

I’m still neck-deep in New Zealand photos, and it will be a little while before I can give a full update, but I just wanted to remind everyone about the free Anza-Borrego event at the West LA Adventure 16 tonight at 7PM.
The night will start with a wine and cheese happy half-hour, then show three [...]

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Amazing Snowshoeing Photos

January 29, 2010

If you’ve heard me rattling on and on about how you should give snowshoeing a shot, and were wondering what all the fuss was about, you need look no further than this incredible set of photos taken by Keegan Uhl in Icehouse Canyon last week.
Looking through that gallery, you will instantly want to run to [...]

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24 Pack of Insta-Fire for $1.99

January 28, 2010

I have a confession to make – I suck at making campfires.
Not to say that I can’t light them, just that it usually involves an above-average amount of muttering and cursing in the wilderness, and no one really likes that.
Whether you’re still working on your survival skills like me, or you’re headed to [...]

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One More Storm

January 25, 2010

In case you didn’t get a chance to enjoy our snow-covered mountain views this weekend, it looks like one last storm is due to move into the L.A. area tomorrow.
The storm may start as early as tonight, and linger through Wednesday morning. The mountains around Mount Baldy are predicting 9 to 16 inches of [...]

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Post-Rain Sandstone Peak

January 25, 2010

Based on the responses on Twitter and Facebook, it seems like a lot of people got outside this weekend to enjoy our incredible weather.
I met up with Kolby and Team WWED? at Sandstone Peak, and it was well worth the drive – the skies were clear and water was everywhere. Thankfully, my boots held [...]

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New Snowshoes from Outdoor Retailer

January 22, 2010

In case you haven’t looked outside this week, we’re currently in SoCal Monsoon Season, which means flooded streets and parking garages for us here in the city, but tons of fresh snowpack up in the mountains. Once the weather clears up a bit, it might be the perfect time to try your foot [...]

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San Diego Hiker’s Botany Lessons

January 21, 2010

Over at San Diego Hiker, they’ve started doing a series of botanical posts called “What is THAT?”
It’s a series of concise, helpful entries on common trail plants we hikers will come across in Southern California, and so far they’ve written entries on California Buckwheat, Ceanothus, and Sage (which is especially handy if the dog [...]

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