From the category archives:

The Great Outdoors

Mountain Lion Encounter at Mill Creek

August 20, 2010

The crew at SoCalHikes is not to be messed with. They scramble up abandoned trails, punish their skin by bushwhacking through Spanish bayonets, and encounter THREE mountain lions and live to tell about it. The hiker known as Pitownpi was hiking by himself in Mill Creek in the San Bernardinos last week when he came [...]

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Lightest Airmat Makes Its Debut

August 19, 2010

At the Outdoor Retailer show, Klymit unveiled its new air mat – the Inertia X Frame Sleeping Pad. The company claims this new future-device weighs just 9.1 ounces and packs down to the size of a soda can. It also looks CRAZY. I’m jealous of the backcountry types who can sleep on stuff like this. [...]

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Perseid “Fail” is Still Pretty Cool

August 16, 2010

Vimeo user ph dee went out into Anza-Borrego Desert State Park last week to try to get some time-lapse photos of the Perseid meteor shower, but was upset that the skies were mostly just cluttered with airplanes. However, I think you’ll agree that his beautiful night sky footage is very much NOT the fail he [...]

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Settle in for the Perseids

August 12, 2010

Well, it’s getting close to the end of summer, which means it’s time for that annual celestial show – the Perseid Meteor Showers. This year, Sky and Telescope magazine is predicting an even more spectacular show for North America, as the meteor showers also happen to coincide with a new moon – an event that [...]

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Charity Hike Success

July 6, 2010

On Saturday, July 3rd, a small but hearty group of hikers joined me at ChantryManker Flats to hike to the summit of Mount Baldy – the highest point in Los Angeles County. As you know from my frequent announcements, we did this trail to raise money for the American Foundation for Children with AIDS as [...]

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New Mountain Lion Kittens in the Santa Monicas

June 23, 2010

The Santa Monica Mountains are home to some great local hiking, but we also share this territory with some of the most urban mountain lions in the country. Since 2002, researchers have been tracking and monitoring 19 mountain lions in the mountains, and over the past month they were witness to the birth of three [...]

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Hiking the Devil’s Postpile

June 8, 2010

An under 6-mile trail in Devil’s Postpile National Monument. This is spectacular Sierra scenery all around, with the Wild and Scenic San Joaquin River, several waterfalls, and the Postpile itself – an exquisite example of columnnar basalt. While the Monument itself is small, it is nestled within the Inyo National Forest, with plenty of opportunities [...]

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Join Team Modern Hiker for a Charity Hike!

June 5, 2010

Today, I am proud to announce that Modern Hiker will be leading a fundraising group hike for Climb Up So Kids Can Grow Up‘s nationwide Climb Up the 50 event. Climb Up So Kids Can Grow Up is a set of outdoorsy charity events organized by the American Foundation for Children with AIDS, a nonprofit [...]

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Hiking Cathedral Lakes – Yosemite National Park

May 20, 2010

A 7 mile out-and-back on the John Muir Trail to a set of glacial lakes in the Yosemite Wilderness. This northern hike near Tuolumne Meadows offers some relatively easy hiking away from the crowds, with some fantastic scenery not usually associated with Yosemite National Park. No views of Half Dome or tourists biking along paved [...]

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Hiking Mount Lee to the Hollywood Sign

May 18, 2010

Get up close and personal with two of L.A.’s landmarks on this moderate 6.5 mile out-and-back in Griffith Park — the iconic Hollywood Sign AND the Batcave from the 60′s TV series “Batman.” This dog-friendly route is popular with local hikers, fitness buffs, and equestrians, and is a good way to tack a local workout [...]

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