Beautiful Day Hike

Great winter trip to Southern Sierra Nevada mountains in the Lake Isabella, CA region.  700 miles driven, sixty miles of hiking (including a few miles of snowshoe), and day after day of sunshine! Northbound on Pacific Crest Trail. Hwy 178 near Ridgecrest, CA.  Joshua tree "forest" in foreground. Northbound on Pacific Crest Trail. Hwy 178 near Ridgecrest, CA. 

Near Mojave, CA.

Northbound in Owens Peak Wilderness. Near Ridgecrest, CA.   Switchbacks behind me through the snow.

Near Ridgecrest, CA. 

Near Weldon, CA.

From MountaIn Mesa, CA. 

Near Lake Isabella, CA.

Sequoia NF. Just north of Kernville, CA.

Morning calm. Wofford Heights, CA.

Above Hungry Gulch Campground and Lake Isabella. Near Wofford Heights, CA. 

Off Hwy 155. Above Wofford Heights, CA.  View towards Greenhorn Summit.  

Near Greenhorn Summit. Sequoia NF. Above Wofford Heights, CA.

Old stock trail. Sequoia NF, near Kernville, CA.

View of Paiute Mtn. From Lightner's Flat. Breckenridge Rd, near Lake Isabella. 

Pacific Crest Trail Southbound, at Kelso Valley Road.

Near Lake Isabella, CA. 

Beautiful Sierra Nevada views, at Alta Sierra ski area!  Sequoia NF, near Wofford Heights, CA.

Walker Pass, CA 178. 

State Park near Trenton, GA. Heavy rain the last two days has the waterfalls roaring!

East Ridge trail. Near Montreat, NC. Mt. Mitchell (6600') in the distant background.

Asheville, NC. Landscape design by Olmsted. 

The river is pounding!  Little River Canyon National Preserve, near Mentone, AL. 3" of rain Monday night. 

Great trip to California!  Had to dodge power shutoffs due to wind and fire danger, but overall I was fine.  1200 miles driven in 9 days, plus 60 more miles on foot.  Perfect weather and a great time with my dear friend David!

Kaiser Wilderness. Sierra NF, near Huntington Lake, CA.

Potter Creek Pass. Looking out upon San Joaquin River watershed. Sierra NF. Near Shaver Lake, CA. 

Sierra NF, near Oakhurst, CA. 

Beyond Burst Rock. Gianelli TH, Stanislaus NF. Yosemite to right in view.

And boy, am I glad I came back! Beautiful, calm, warm evening. Unsurpassed views of the Stanislaus and N Fork Tuolumne watersheds.  Stanislaus NF, near Pinecrest, CA.

Lyons Dam Trail. Stanislaus NF, near Sierra Village, CA.

Exploring rocks to left of trail.  Sonora Peak at ~ 11,500'. Stanislaus NF. Between Bridgeport and Pinecrest, CA.