Road Trip: Part 1 – Cathedral Peak Trail and Seven Falls on my way to Pinnacles NP

The plan was traveling up the coast and to add in a hike or two on my way up to Pinnacles National Park about 6 hrs drive from my home. I decided I would stop in Santa Barbara for my first hike of the trip. After 4 hours of driving through some fun traffic in LA and Oxnard, I finally arrived at the Inspiration Point trailhead. I had not hiked any of these trails and there are several here. I made my way up the road, about 1/4 mile from where I had to park, toward the Inspiration Point Trailhead. It would be  a late start as I needed to park .25 mile from the trailhead, along a pullout on the road. After hiking for about 15 minutes, the sun began to come out, warming things up fast as the craggy pinnacles and Cathedral Peak emerged off in the distance.

A forgotten desert peak

Indianhead Peak is a desert peak in every sense of the word. It is a place you go to get away from it all, going off the beaten path, and hopefully not get lost in the process. Lost and forgotten, are themes that re-occur throughout this adventure. What is lost is found. All is not lost. Most importantly, all make it back to the trailhead. There is a reason few people hike to Indianhead Peak. There is not actually even a trail. That is the first part of the story...of 8.4 miles with 3700 feet of gain, with 2700 feet of the gain, over the course of a mile. This one is steep in every sense imaginable.

Etiwanda Falls and Preserve

It'a mid February and I am driving north from Orange County toward the LA mountains to hike to Etiwanda Falls. There has been an abundance of snow covering  the high peaks of the Angeles Forest, a mere hour drive from my home.  How it Got its Name In 1882 early settlers of the area named… Continue reading Etiwanda Falls and Preserve

Yosemite Waterfalls

Yosemite is a breathtaking place, made famous by people like John Muir, and documented for all the world to see by photographers such as Ansel Adams. You will want to get your camera ready, and have an extra phone battery. The journey into Yosemite begins at Tunnel View. Today we were chasing waterfalls, enjoying Yosemite in the summertime.

Tokopah Falls

I visited Sequoia Park in July of 2023, and travelled on several scenic trails, staying at Lodgepole Campground. The trailhead to Tokopah Falls begins at Lodgepole Campground in Sequoia National Park, just after crossing over the Kaweah River Bridge towards the rear of the campground.