Entries filed under 'Mount Whitney'

Training for a Big Hike? REI Outdoor School Can Help

Are you fairly new to hiking but with a big hiking goal in your future? In Southern California, lots of hikers dream of summiting Mount Whitney (14,496'), the highest point in the lower 48 states. So many, in fact, that the REI Outdoor School created a popular series of "Whitney Training Hikes" to help hikers improve their odds of success. I tagged along on last Saturday's REI Outdoor School hike of San Gorgonio Peak (11,502'), the highest peak in Southern California. The summit trail along ...

Posted by Steve T on July 6, 2012 7:25 PM & Tagged Hiking, Mount Whitney, REI Outdoor School and San Gorgonio Peak | permalink | Comments



My 30-Year Plan to Hike the John Muir Trail

How long does it take to plan a hike on California's John Muir Trail? In my case, it took 30 years and some serious life changes. I hope that you don't wait that long to take a dream trip; maybe my story below will inspire you to go for it! It started one morning, 3 years ago, when I woke up creaking as usual. My back hurt, my ankles were sore and my head was throbbing; nothing all that different than the morning before.   I was in the middle of a full-blown midlife crisis, out of shape, at ...

Posted by Curt Cragg on March 27, 2012 4:22 PM & Tagged Hiking, John Muir Trail, Mount Whitney and fitness | permalink | Comments



Part 2: Finally Hiking the John Muir Trail at Age 50

My hike of California's 211-mile John Muir Trail was a long time coming. Some 30 years long, in fact, thanks to the life changes I shared in my previous REI Blog post. Rewind to when I started backpacking in the late 1970s: Back then, my hiking boots weighed more than a modern ultra-lighter's entire load. My camera used a thing called "film." There was no such thing as the "internet," and an apple was simply a fruit that you ate daily to keep the doctor away. My last experience hauling a ...

Posted by Curt Cragg on March 23, 2012 3:04 PM & Tagged Hiking, John Muir Trail, Mount Whitney, Yosemite and backpacking | permalink | Comments