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Adventures Backpacking

Friday Nights are for Backpacking

Backpacking Point Reyes Glen Camp

If you’ve got a car, good company, and some time to kill, camping in the Bay Area is just a stone’s throw away. Saturday night campsites are generally booked months in advance. Weeknights? You’ll have a better chance. I was stuck in the Bay Area one Saturday for a Chainsmokers concert. A quick browse on recreation.gov showed a Friday night Glen Camp site at Point Reyes National Seashore. I whipped out my credit card with lightning speeds, and within seconds, a campsite nestled in the woods was mine.

Paulina Dao
Paulina Dao
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Adventures Hiking

Hiking Sugarloaf Mountain

Hiking Sugarloaf Mountain, San Mateo, CA

Three day weekends are not for sitting around. With the constant downpour California has been receiving, there was no place dry this past weekend within a reasonable driving distance. Josh and I got out on Sunday for a little bit, and suddenly, I remembered what it was like to be outside and not sloth-y. Josh had school on Monday so I was stuck at home sans car. Try as I might, I laid in bed, watched TV, made biscuits… but by the time noon rolled around, cabin fever had hit. It was time to get out of the house. Luckily, there’s a good number of parks within walking and biking distance of where I live. I put on all the waterproof stuff I own and headed out into the downpour to Laurelwood Park.

Paulina Dao
Paulina Dao
635 0
Adventures Hiking

Hiking Purisima Creek Redwoods

Hiking Purisima Creek Redwoods February 2017

It’s basically been raining in the Bay Area for the last 2 months. Save for a couple patches of sunlight here and there, I’m beginning to think I live in the Pacific Northwest. The gloomy weather has made outdoor climbing more or less nonexistent. Our favorite local crag, Castle Rock, is soaked. Yosemite Valley and Bishop have mostly been under snow, or just too wet to climb. Most of my free time has been spent training or hibernating or some combination of the two. Finally, this past weekend, we decided to get out and stretch our legs; rain or shine. Our pick was Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve just south of Half Moon Bay.

Paulina Dao
Paulina Dao
645 0
Adventures Hiking

Hiking Berry Creek Falls

Hiking Berry Creek Falls Big Basin

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve posted anything local. It’s also been a hot minute since the last time I went on a real hike that didn’t involve carrying a crash pad or a rope. With a supposed bad weather window everywhere within a reasonable driving distance, we opted to stay at home to attempt some Sierra peak bagging training. (Read: hiking and putting in miles cause it’s been forever and a day since my feet have actually hit the ground) I opted for my local favorite at Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Berry Creek Falls.

Paulina Dao
Paulina Dao
484 1
Adventures Backpacking

Snowshoe to Huntoon Point

Snowshoe to Huntoon Point

If there’s one thing Washington’s Mt. Baker is famous for, it’s snow. In 2006, Baker set the world record for annual snowfall with nearly 96 feet of powder. Every winter, the mountain’s northeastern slopes are alive with powderhounds seeking out first tracks both inbounds and out. The best way to experience this iconic PNW volcano is to snowshoe or ski tour up to Artist and Huntoon Points for an overnight adventure.

Nick Lake
Nick Lake
712 0
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