Had a rare day off several weeks ago with no real plans, so I called up my friend, Karl of Alpha Roaming, to see what kind of mischief he was stirring up for the day. We decided to go chase some plane crashes near El Corte Madera Open Space Preserve.
Sometimes you plan on a really long day out. And sometimes those plans get cut short because you’re captivated by the beauty around you. That’s what happened to me this weekend. I set out to climb up Horsetail Falls into Desolation Wilderness backcountry and out to Lake Aloha, but I was cut short by Ropi Lake.
The Forest of Nisene Marks in Aptos, CA is one of those little known gems in the Bay Area. Trails wind through the Santa Cruz Mountains under second-growth redwoods.
I set off to explore Five Finger Falls here after hearing many great things about it. The trail was long and semi-strenuous. I started at the Porter Famil Picnic Area and headed up the Aptos Creek Fire Road for a little over a mile. From there, there was a sign to Aptos Creek Trail out to Five Finger Falls.
A few weeks ago the boyfriend and I hiked up the Bayview trail and peered down onto Eagle Lake. The next day, we decided to hike to Eagle Lake and peer up to where we were standing before.
This is a fairly mellow 2.5 miler out and back hike with views of Upper Eagle Falls, granite walls, and a clear blue Eagle Lake.
The boyfriend and I set off this past weekend to conquer Pyramid Peak again, this time in more wintry conditions. Not really sure what to expect, we equipped ourselves with snowshoes and an ice axe. In a worst case scenario, we’d need them. In a best case scenario, we could practice some mountaineering skills and get a good workout in with the additional weight.