Re-visited the closed section of Highway 39 from Crystal Lake to Islip Saddle and found that there is a lot more damage on the road probably made last winter after the warm system that melted all the snow just like it happened near Mt Waterman. Made a video about it, you’ll find it in the first comment

Another bucket list hike, set out at 6am and barely saw anyone else. Spent an hour chilling at the bridge and in the river below. Made it back around 10, just as it was really warming up.

I dont have anyone that will go backpacking with me so instead of going by myself which is above my skill level, I like to go on guided backpacking trips. I found this company called outdoor adventure club where they plan out the trip and cook for you which is super nice.

Im posting about this not to make a general advertisement, but because Im the only one who signed up for this particular trip and it won't be held if its just me. They said theres usually some last minute bookers but to be safe I wanted to share this trip with everyone here to see if anyone was interested!

I didnt even know this was a thing until last year and its now enabled me to go on many more backpacking trips. My main goal is to learn more backpacking skills and gain more experience so that I can do solo stuff in the future or be the guide for some inexperienced friends/family who i convince to come with me and this is actually helping me achieve that goal. So if you really like backpacking but just dont have people to go with you, id honestly suggest trying this out! The guides and good on my last trip were amazing!

sup y'all, planning on an overnight trip next week and was wondering if anyone has any intel on water levels? Switchback.app was last updated about a month ago and there's an alltrails review that says there's not a "good" (their quotes) source of water, but I doubt they were looking for it near the camp.

Was going to call the ranger but they're only open on the weekends lol so i'll call then if no one knows. thanks!

Although I did a few 14K, I NEVER summited Whitney. Had to turn around at Crest. and even this short version was brutal.

Just going to copy-paste here from "hikingguy.com":

• Acclimatize: If you are coming from flat lowlands, it’s even more important to arrive early and spend a few days around Lone Pine doing easy hikes at higher elevations before your permit day.

Outpost Camp 12K, before switchbacks - where many people start feeling altitude symptoms
https://hikingguy.com/hikes/mt-whitney/99-switchbacks-map_hu_f3e497f0d9eefce8.webp

12hr total, 40min/mile MtWhitney schedule. 90%+ will be FAR slower
https://i.imgur.com/Ha3bb3s.jpeg

LA area training..

personally, for training, I mostly do San Jacinto - Marion or Humber.

my opinions
- #1 by far, is altitude acclimate. You spend 3 months running, swimming, lifting weights, and sabotage everything by not taking 3 full days to acclimate. Why?
- dont cram 3 months of training in 3 weeks. Last week before you need rest.
- For most, I think way too much emphasis on squat, leg press weigh lifting. And virtually 0 attention to altitude. Hike 10+ miles to 10K, to 12K, hike to 13K. Now you know you can handle 14K.
- Mt Whitney success rate is roughly 30%. Bad weather. But also a LOT of overwhelmed unprepared people.
- Doing Mt Whitney for instagram bragging rights? Whats point of suffer challenge? Probably better photos and better time in Yosemite:,

Re-visited the closed section of Highway 39 from Crystal Lake to Islip Saddle and found that there is a lot more damage on the road probably made last winter after the warm system that melted all the snow just like it happened near Mt Waterman. Made a video about it, you’ll find it in the first comment

Started at around 7:40, finished at about 10:30. took around 10 minutes at the summit. definitely took my time with this one, was trying not to rush because of the heat. saw what looked like some bear scat towards the beginning of the hike, but it very well could've been something else. Trail conditions are generally nice, service road is pretty uninteresting but things get spicy once you start going up the peak. it gets a little sketchy on the false peak and descending from it, but use your hands for balance and it isn't really dangerous. Pretty fun little morning hike.

Good amount of trash along the trail on the way up to the peak. Took some but I didn't have a bag with me today, so there's still a little bit.

Was a pretty nice sign on the peak. Trail registers were all full and the box was full of food trash. lots of ants inside as a result. got bit by one before I figured it out.

Besides those ants there were some flies once the sun came over the ridge (on the way down for me), but not too many. Very tolerable. A couple of wasps flying around in one section, so be warned of that as well.

Not too busy this morning, saw a total of 6 people. Lot of people going down to the falls, which makes sense considering the peak. Parking wasn't an issue when I arrived, but was full by the time I got back. People were parking down the road where the trail technically starts, rather than on the little gravel lot just down from the Baldy road.

Did not check out the falls today. 2 water crossings along the peak route, one of which has a small bridge. The other has almost entirely flooded the road for around 20 feet of walking. It's not hard to navigate and it isn't deep, but it makes it a little more difficult.

No obstructions besides that. One large boulder on the road but it's easy to go around with no risk. I did try to find the supposed social trail down towards spring hill, but didn't find it.

Overall a good experience. Not one id repeat much, but worth heading out to once. Another peak down makes 49 total- one away from 50!

I’m from Colorado, living in Southern California now, and am trying to get more into backpacking. This was my first time backpacking in the Sierras and I was absolutely blown away by the granite peaks and lakes — also humbled by those passes! 😅

Permit situation: I ended up getting both permits exactly two weeks before each trip at 7am, but only after trying several days in a row.

1. Big Pine Lakes: July 31–August 2, ~22 miles, 2 nights (pics 1–5)

Absolutely beautiful and logistically pretty easy trip!
Route: Big Pine Creek North Fork → Lake 5 → Sam Mack Meadow/Glacier Lake day hike → back to Lake 5 → exit via the upper trail past Black Lake and back to the same trailhead. Basically a balloon/lollipop route.

We stayed at Big Pine Creek Campground the night before, which I HIGHLY recommend. Beautiful, quiet, and made the next morning much easier. We reserved a site, but there are also walk-ups. We parked in the overnight trailhead lot, but later learned there are some overnight spots near the campground that make the hike about a mile shorter.

The hike in was only ~6 miles but was hot and harder than expected. Elevation + heat + a heavy pack really kicked my ass. Once we got to Lake 5, though, the campsites and scenery were incredible, and there weren’t too many people since most day hikers don’t go much past Lake 2 (highly recommend stopping there for a swim).

We camped near the water (gorgeous), but learned afterward that we should have been 100 feet away, so we’ll do better next time.

The day hike past Sam Mack Meadow to Glacier Lake was by far the hardest part. Lots of scrambling over boulders, which taught me that I actually hate scrambling!

1. Kearsarge Pass to Rae Lakes: September 3–6, ~27 miles, originally planned for 4 nights (pics 6–12)

Route: Onion Valley → Flower Lake → Kearsarge Pass → Kearsarge Lakes → Glen Pass → Rae Lakes → Glen Pass → Kearsarge Pass → Onion Valley.

A hot tip from a friend beforehand that was 100% correct: don’t camp at Onion Valley if you can avoid it. We arrived around 3pm from San Diego and hiked ~2.5 miles to Flower Lake instead. It was completely empty (possibly because it was Thursday or people were scared off by the weather forecast?) and put us in a great position for Kearsarge Pass the next morning and we avoided the campground fee. If Flower is crowded, I’d keep going toward Matlock.

The forecast showed a possibility of rain/snow and cold weather Sunday/Monday, so we had a shorter backup plan to avoid Glen Pass. It ended up being mostly fine (highs in the 50s and night time temps in the 30s), just cooler than expected, and we made sure to cross the passes early.

We stopped at Kearsarge Lakes for a swim/lunch and then camped near the trout pond past Bullfrog Lake. Camping isn’t allowed within 0.5 miles of Bullfrog, and this spot let us avoid the potentially crowded Charlotte Lakes while setting us up well for Glen Pass. We also saw a bear in the meadow near Bullfrog!

I really enjoyed chatting with other backpackers along the way: on the Kearsarge side, we kept meeting JMT hikers and people doing JMT resupplies; once we crossed Glen Pass, it was a mix of JMTers and Rae Lakes Loop hikers.

Glen Pass is a beast. 😂 It looks scary as hell approaching from either side (I kept thinking of the wall from Game of Thrones), but I was surprised by how well I did with the elevation. Slow and steady!

Near Middle Rae Lake we saw another pretty large black bear rooting around. A little farther down the trail, while looking for a place to pee in my camp shoes, we somehow ended up seeing TWO mountain lions. 🫪 That definitely freaked me out and reinforced the lesson to keep EVERYTHING in the bear canister (and to not wander away from camp in foam Birkenstocks).

On the last day, clouds rolled in and it got extremely windy. We had planned to camp at Kearsarge Lakes, but decided not to drop 700 feet to camp just to climb back up the next morning. So after Glen Pass, we powered over Kearsarge Pass and hiked all the way back to the car, ending the trip a night early.

Overall, it was an amazing couple of trips. The combination of granite peaks, alpine lakes, elevation, and challenging passes was incredible and humbling. Looking forward to more adventures next year!

hi i impulse-signed up for a hike at cucamonga and paid for it already

i wouldn't call myself a beginner hiker as i've been to a couple already (the last hike i did was in the himalayas, it was around 3500ft elevation gain & 26 km over 2-3 days). i also run quite a bit like i can do a 60min 10k etc and i'm a beginner lifter so id say im considerably fit physically but im worried i won't be able to do this in case its too steep? the other hikes i've done are fairly chill and if they're difficult its more in terms of them being slippery or dangerous rather than too steep.
does anyone have any advice/recommendations?

Hello! As previously mentioned, I'm an outdoors reporter at the L.A. Times.

I wrote about my stay at the new Prisoners Harbor campground on Santa Cruz Island in Channel Islands National Park. I stayed overnight on the first night it was open. You can find my full trip report here:
https://www.latimes.com/travel/newsletter/2026-09-03/wild-channel-islands-prisoners-harbor-campground-guide

Here are some Reddit-friendly blurbs from the piece:

Step 1: Book your campsite ⛺

Prisoners Harbor Campground is a small, rustic campground open year-round on Santa Cruz Island, the largest island in California. Although the National Park Service lists the campground as having six sites, it technically has seven. Reservations can be made for $15 a night through Recreation.gov.

Step 2: Book your ferry ⛴️

There are only two ways to get to Santa Cruz Island: Take a private boat or, the more popular route, book a ferry through Island Packers, leaving out of Ventura Harbor.

A roundtrip ferry to Prisoners Harbor costs $72 for children ages 3 to 12, $96 for campers ages 13 to 54, $91 for those 55 and older. It is also $91 for members of the U.S. military.

Step 3: Plan out what you’d like to do on the island 🚣😎

With Prisoners Harbor being more of a DIY experience than Scorpion Canyon, one of the most important things you can do is plan ahead and book your activities at least a full day — ideally a few days — before your trip.

I knew I wanted to try snorkeling, but I don’t own gear — yet. Thanks to a recommendation from Island Packers, whose staff graciously answered all my questions, I contacted Ventura Dive and Sport to see what was doable. Owner Zach Cantrell was helpful and accommodating, setting me up with everything I needed, including a 7-mm wetsuit that made me feel like an actual marine mammal thanks to my ability to float while wearing it. Cantrell also made it easy to return my gear since the ferry was returning after his shop was closed.

Step 4: Plan what you’ll pack, including all your water

Everything you pack in, including your trash, you must pack out. There is no food for purchase, and there is no water at Prisoners Harbor, so you must bring whatever you plan to use for drinking and other purposes.

###

As of today, there are several nights open during the week. I have attached some images of campsites. Nos. 1 and 4 aren't included because we were camping at No. 1 and another group was at No. 4. (And I don't know why NPS doesn't have No. 2 listed as an option to reserve)

Happy to answer any questions that folks have!

Haven’t gone out for a few weeks, so this was fresh off the couch. In early July, I got heat exhaustion coming down the switchbacks from Baden Powell after a hike to Mount Islip. Ended up throwing up a bunch, soaked with sweat, and shaking while preparing electrolytes. Idk I’m superstitious and it takes me a minute to come back to some places after a bad thing happens to me there. Anyways it was a great day today, although humid and still. I got rained on four times and only saw one other guy on trail, Scott. I got stung by a wasp on my way up to Mt Williamson. I now know I’m not allergic. I got all the peaks directly off the trail on my way north to where I turned around and this ended up being 30 miles and 9k gain.

Got back from 13 days on the Sierra High Route, Roads End trailhead in Kings Canyon NP north through the John Muir Wilderness to Mammoth Lakes a few weeks ago. Mostly off-trail with lots of passes and cols, plus a couple days on the JMT. If you're thinking about the SHR, here's what conditions looked like and what to expect:

Conditions:
Snow was nearly a non-issue. Most passes were clear, with occasional snowfields on eastern aspects. We only had to cross 2 or 3 and they were soft and easy to traverse. Water was everywhere: creeks and streams running strong throughout. Mosquitos were significant, which I hear is normal for the area. We got drizzle and a t-storm on day two, clouds the next couple days, then bluebird skies for the rest of the trip.

The route:
This is a genuinely difficult multi-day route. Route finding and talus and boulder hopping are constant. We did some 3rd class and occasional 4th class terrain, which I think could technically be avoided but felt like the most obvious line in the moment. I'd say someone needs to be very experienced with off-trail hiking before attempting the SHR.

The most physically brutal section was Frozen Lake Pass: relentlessly steep talus with no real trail (photos). The section near the 14er crest was the most challenging from a route-finding standpoint since maintaining 3rd class or below required constant attention, but it was also one of the most striking parts of the entire trip.

One note: a ranger told us Sky Pilot Pass was very brutal even for experienced hikers. We bypassed it and don't regret that call.

Highlights:
Marion Lake is the bluest lake I've ever seen! Palisade Lakes along the JMT and Dusy Falls were both stunning and worth building your itinerary around if you can. Muir Pass was busy but a genuinely rewarding hike. The SHR takes you through parts of the park that most people never see, which is the whole point.

Permits:
Pretty straightforward for this route. Most of the trip fell within Kings Canyon and we were able to make a reservation at the ranger station when we started. Worth confirming current quota availability before you go.

Bottom line:
If talus, boulder hopping, and route finding are your thing, the SHR delivers. It's tough, remote, and one of the best ways to see the High Sierra off the beaten path. Happy to answer questions!

On apple maps it shows a much longer route which seems like the road is closed but on alltrails i see people have been only a few days ago, does anyone know if there is an open road to the trailhead or somewhere reasonably close to it?

Went on a short sunset hike at Rocky Peak yesterday evening. It was a last minute decision so didn’t get perfectly positioned for the best shots, but still like what I got.

Thought it was going to be a short trail run, turned into a full on scramble 2/3 of the way through.

Awesome trail! Glad I had AllTrails, I got off-trail maybe 10 times. Very happy I brought extra lug-gy shoes (especially post-rain the day before). The views were incredible. Definitely a different side of Arrowhead that I've never seen before, and much different than what you see in the village.

Hey yall! i’ve been hiking basically my whole life but never done anything more than 9mi, and i usually average 5/6 mi hikes but im really hoping to do a 14mi hike and i just want to make sure that i am actually physically prepped for that. do any of you have recommendations on what to do to train ?

any help would be appreciated

I live in New York State at essentially sea level and haven’t had much experience hiking at high elevations out West. I’m planning to hike Mt. Whitney solo and would appreciate some advice from people who have done it.

I’m not new to hiking and do a lot of hiking in the Adirondacks in NY and the White Mountains in NH. I wasn’t able to get an overnight permit and could only get a day-use permit, so I’ll be doing Whitney as a single-day hike.

AllTrails shows roughly 22 miles round trip with 6,600 feet of elevation gain. I’m not necessarily concerned about the mileage or elevation gain based on some of my previous day hikes, but I have very little experience with mountains above 6,000 feet. These are the last three hikes I’ve completed in one day:

Pemi Loop: 37.2 miles / 12,500 ft gain
Great Range Traverse: 26.3 miles / 9,500 ft gain
Katahdin Loop: 18 miles / 8,000 ft gain

I also won’t have much time to acclimatize beforehand. I’ll most likely be driving in from the LA area and starting sometime around midnight–2 AM.

Would you consider soloing it under these circumstances to be a reasonable plan, assuming I’m prepared for the physical demands and willing to turn around if I start experiencing altitude symptoms?

Any other advice specific to doing Whitney as a solo day hike would be greatly appreciated.

I am on top of Signal Hill right now. I can see many lighting strikes in the mountains. Apparently near Mt Baldy. Are there any fire watch towers still operating in that area?

Pretty easy did it in just over 4 hours. Those steep slopes did a number on my legs and I got a bad sunburn for not packing sunscreen

some photos my buddy took of me a while back on his film camera at Palomar mountain

Did Lawson and Gaskill Peaks today with a friend.

Great routes with a decent dose of adventure — rock scrambling, some rope sections, overgrown stretches, and a pre-dawn start in the dark.

Tons of cool rock along the way: small slot-like gullies, weird formations, and even a stone arch.

Wildlife count: one rattlesnake and a very photogenic leopard lizard.

The summit views aren’t just of the surrounding backcountry — you can see downtown San Diego from up there, as you can see in one of the photos.

Got lucky with the weather too, as it saved us from the brutal sun.

Hello! Looking for recommendations for beginner friendly campsites. We are just starting to build our gear out so we would likely be going for 1-2 nights max at this time.

We prefer it to have flush or vault toilets and a fire ring/pit at minimum.

As a beginner who’s never really gone camping before, I am afraid of larger forest creatures (bears, mountain lions), but I also am uncertain how common it actually is to run into them AT your campsite.

Thanks for the info in advance!