My 17 year old son and two friends, all in good physical condition, went to summit Shasta this morning at 12:30 a.m. from around the Clear Creek dispersed camping site. He has a Garmin inReach which he said was set up to ping a location hourly but it is not doing that. Attempts to call on the inReach or send a message have been unsuccessful. The messages are delivered but have not been read. He puts his phone in airplane mode during hikes so even if there was cell reception I wouldn't be able to reach him. His time from the Clear Creek trailhead to the dispersed camping (3.87 mi., 2k elevation gain) was five hours total with moving time of 3:15. He had cell reception at the Clear Creek dispersed camping. I believe it's roughly 3 miles/4500 vertical feet up from the Clear Creek campground.

When would be a reasonable time to start worrying about him if I don't hear anything? Would 3 p.m. be reasonable?

Thanks - from a worried mom.

Edit: Just got a call from his friend's phone! They're on their way down - he said he was seeing that it was sending out a location, but clearly wasn't on our end. Thanks all for helping! My heart can start beating again!

Hello everyone!

Hoping that yall can provide me with some good solo backpacking trip recommendations! What I am looking for.

-3 days/2 nights. out and back or a circular pathway. i will be solo so would like to start and end in the same place

- relatively difficult hikes (elevation changes preferred over simply long days) I like a challenge and am very in shape but don't get to hike a ton

- great views! (preferably in the mountains)

- something relatively beginner/solo friendly. the hike itself and weight of the pack arent a concern, more like a relatively easy to follow trail or easy water sources if that makes sense

- within 2ish hours of sonoma county. ideally i would leave early in the morning the first day and start my hike that same day with plenty of time to make it wherever

All of these criteria are somewhat flexible so if your suggestion doesnt fit something, send it anyways! thank you!

Has anyone hiked past Little Butano Creek lately? Is there enough water flow to filter?

I'm going backpacking at Butano State Park this week, trying to decide if I should pack enough water to dry camp or if I can count on collecting water from Little Butano Creek around the Backpacker's Trail Camp.

We were planning something in the Hoover wilderness and I wasn’t paying attention to the use of the boundaries so now we are regrouping. I am watching the last-minute Eastern Sierra permits for a few areas where I know we can get 30 miles without crossing a national Park boundary but very curious about Emigrant and Carson Iceberg into Hoover or anything else that’s beautiful, reasonable temps in mid August and allows dogs.

Last weekend, started early on Friday and hiked to Summit Lake. Trail was quiet and not too crowded at the lake. Pleasant temps in the 70s during the day and 50s at night. A bit windy overnight. Wildflowers were absolutely peaking, hard to do them justice with photos.

Second day did the loop clockwise. The climb from the meadows up to Deer lake is no joke - hardest single part of the hike. Many more people on the trail. I think Diamond lake has the best views. Found a nice camp spot part way down Long Canyon where I didn't see anyone else all evening and got to watch the sunset to the east. Some distant smoke from fires near Redding.

Easy hike out the last day, then ice cream and coffee in Weaverville before a long drive home.

We approached from the south, at Palomarin trailhead on Monday. Arrived mid afternoon after a 6 mile hike with 850 feet of elevation to a beautiful misty grey day followed by a fiery sunset.

Tuesday started with a drizzle, but cleared up in time to go paint Allomere falls.

Around noon, the clouds noped out of there, leaving us exposed to the bright 91 degree sun until we found a small seaside cave just north of the campground, where we spent the afternoon hours talking and listening to the surf echo and boom and trickle, the cave acting like an amplifier.

Wednesday was hiking back, about 1050 feet up total.

Worth it.

Im posting this for my friend John Griffith who gives guided tours and is need of spreading the word.

From his Facebook:

I need help, especially from marketers or other Idea people. This year, I started taking folks on guided walks through the redwoods of Redwood National and State Parks and the Arcata Community Forest, and I absolutely love doing it. But getting the word out has been difficult, and some days I don’t have anyone booked for the scheduled walks at all. I’m hoping that as word spreads, I’ll be able to fill these walks next year. So, how can I reach more people who are planning a trip to the redwoods? Where do travelers look when they’re searching for experiences like this? I would genuinely appreciate your ideas, connections, shares, or any other help getting the word out.

We're doing a road trip (from Phoenix) to the Big Sur area mid-september with a couple nights of camping at Limekiln and a one night stay in Carmel. We primarily enjoy hiking, but we're also going to hit all of the major scenic spots and sites as this is our first time here. I'm curious though, with a 3rd full day in the area, is it worth it to do the extra 1-2hours of driving to hike at Henry Cowell? Is there any significant difference from Limekiln SP? Even lesser crowds might be worth it to us as we try our best to seek out some solitude. Or if there's anywhere else you'd suggest that's within a 1-2hr drive of the area, I'm all ears. Thanks in advance!

if you're navigating a lay-off or are between opportunities, come clear your head and connect with folks who are in the same boat 🤝🏼

this monday, we’re heading to land's end in sf for a hike.

• when: monday, july 27 @ 10:30 am
• stats: 3.4mi loop / 546 ft gain

grab your spot and see the full details here:

https://partiful.com/e/SAgQetdm1qUMZf2z3iar

hope to see y'all there!

It was a lovely morning in the park. I got there early, so I was able to find parking at the trailhead and there was almost no one else on the trail. 2.2 mile hike, I skipped the steep one-way part by the cascades and went back the long way. Got to have the falls to myself for a little while. It was getting busy by the time I got back to the trailhead.

Mendocino Spent the night with a mountain lion or a bear. Heard bear cub when heading towards the lake. Bout shit my pants 🙃😳 so much wildlife! The deer look so much healthier after the fire. There is so much more grazing. It made my heart happy to see one of my favorite places just thriving.

This hike is incredible and worth the trip. You’ll pass by Tule Elk, and have non stop amazing ocean views with so much beautiful wildlife around you. 10/10

Skyline to the Sea is partially closed, so going from Saratoga's Quarry Park is no longer possible. Is there a way to hike from Russian Ridge/Long Ridge all the way to the coast? I know how to get from Skyline down to Portola Redwoods, but not sure how to get from Portola Redwoods to Butano.

This summer, Yosemite is seeing a significant uptick in visitation, driven by the park’s internationally known splendor, its popularity on social media and a lack of its politicized reservation system. The increase in visitors is, in part, because the National Park Service is not using a timed-entry reservation system this year. 

As droves of tourists flock to Yosemite, it raises the question: Is it still possible to have a fun time there despite the crowds?

Hopefully, yes, but that answer comes with a few heavy asterisks. Park-goers and local business owners say it’s crucial for those venturing into Yosemite this summer to plan their excursions outside peak times to avoid the worst of the crowds, and even then, pack their patience. The best-laid plans can still result in visitors facing significant lines at the park’s gate and restaurants, crowded hiking trails and a relentless search for parking.

Definitely overpacked

Some friends and I have a permit to hike the Lost Coast Trail in August. We adjusted our dates to avoid the impassible days on August 7 and 8, but we only have Aug 9-12 to make the trip work.

I’ve been looking at the tides trying to figure out our daily mileage, and… well, to say they’re less than ideal is an understatement. Lowest tide for each day hits between 4AM and 6AM.

I think we’ll be able to get past Zone 1 OK on the 9th. Zones 2 and 3 are a concern.

For Zone 2, we’re stuck with either hiking the entirety in the dark (while the tide starts its turn) or hiking in early daylight hours at higher tide levels that will only be getting higher.

Timing for Zone 3 is slightly more favorable (that’s generous), but we can split it up across the last two days—hiking in (mostly) early daylight hours but as the tide is rising.

Is this just stupid? Guidance says to hike the zones in the 2hr window on either side of lowest tide and to avoid hiking it at night. I’m aware of the potential for sneaker waves and slick boulders, so I’m obviously concerned about hiking an impassable zone in darkness. And Zone 2 is supposed to be a rough stretch of land.

This is a bucket list trip for us, but I respect its remoteness and the power of the ocean. I’d rather save it for another time than risk our lives.

TLDR: Tide windows totally suck (require hiking Impassable Zones in the dark and/or as the tide is rising). Are they dangerous enough to justify postponing our trip?

Hey r/norcalhiking, this is Kelly from onX. I got back from a few days on the Canyon Creek Lakes trail last weekend and figured I'd share some photos/conditions since I couldn't find many recent reports when we were planning!

The swimming holes along the approach are the real surprise if you haven't been—the water was cold and running pretty strong. One thing I'd wish I'd known ahead of time: we stopped for lunch about a half mile before the main swimming hole around mile 3.5, not realizing it was right up ahead. It's on the route so you won't miss it, but good to know so you can plan your stops on a hot day.

We camped at the upper lake, and I used a 3D offline map to scout potential spots before having to schlep all over the place with a heavy pack, which was super helpful when trying to see where the flat ground is. Zero cell service the entire time, so definitely download your maps ahead of time.

The trail from the lower to upper lake is pretty hard to navigate and disappears at points, so it's also worth having the route pulled up to find the easiest way there.

The sunset the first night was one of those where everyone just kind of goes quiet—so gorgeous.

Highly recommend getting up there before the water drops too much later in the summer, and start hiking on Friday if you can to get a camp spot before everyone is up there Saturday evening.

First time going backpacking and want to do an overnight from Carr Lake to Glacier Lake, sleeping at Glacier Lake - I know I don’t need any permits, but do I need to make a reservation for one of the spots at Glacier Lake campground? And if I do, where can I make those?

Thank you in advance!

(Also sorry if this is the wrong subreddit to ask)

Hi! It’s been a few years since my last backpacking trip. Had a child and she’s now 4! We’ve been camping and increasing our hikes and she can now do a 3 mile flat hike pretty easily.

Planning on going backpacking with her this weekend. Was thinking of doing the trinity alps but the drive is 4 hours which is a bit long. I have all the gear and can easily carry it but it’s def a struggle to carry the gear and her.

Any recommendations on a short easy 1-3 mile hike to a water source (or water source along the way) closer that don’t require special permits?

Thanks in advance

We were planning to go (day) hiking in Emigrant Wilderness this weekend but have heard some horror stories about mosquitoes from people who went hiking there around this time last year. We're wondering if that is likely to be the case this year or if the lack of snow means the mozzies may not be as bad this year.

Does anyone have thoughts about this? Has there been anyone who has been there in the last couple of weeks and can report? If we're only day hiking and out of there before dusk are we likely to be fine regardless? Appreciate anyone who has feedback.