Get Outside and Explore
The month of October is one of my favorite times of year to hike. I would hike up to Josephine Peak (5561 feet) in early October with my two hiking buddies. The weather was a bit on the cool side in the morning, and so it would be just about perfect temps for this hike, hovering between 50 and 70 degrees that day. This peak is located within the San Gabriels, a National Monument and mountain range, located northeast of Los Angeles.
I planned to hike from Little Yosemite Valley, passing Nevada Falls and Ililouette Falls, on my way to Glacier Point. On the way up from Nevada Falls on the Clark Trail and the Panorama Trail, there was so much beauty along the climb. It grew tougher, the more the temperatures warmed.
I felt ready to hike to Half Dome solo, the silhouette of which was visible from down below at Little Yosemite Vally. But I needed to have coffee and breakfast before any decisions were made. The bugs were out and about early on. Aside from that, the river was peaceful, and serene, with a massive granite hillside towering above it.
I would be backpacking 30 miles in the Sierra in Yosemite National Park. If you're wanting to backpack in the Sierra, depending on the trailhead you wish to depart from, there can be restrictions. National Parks like Yosemite don't make it that easy to obtain permits. You must reserve them online and pick them up in person. The lines to enter the park can be very long, and it's not as straightforward as one would think. I will explain how I obtained my permit, and some tricks for getting a permit for Half Dome when you're planning on backpacking in Yosemite.
I decided to embark on a new hiking challenge, I had never before faced before, which was to hike up Mount Baldy in the snow. This was during May, in the late winter snow season. I had no idea the snow would be knee-deep in areas. I was not ready for mountaineering, but had all the right gear for a snow hike. This was a new challenge to face, and challenge was accepted. I was excited to attempt Mt Baldy in the snow, using my best judgment of course.
Serafina Hikes 