Category Archives: Hiking/Backpacking

Wow, I guess it’s been a few months since my last post.  Ugh, so many posts to catch up on.  It would be so much easier to just crawl in bed….so sleepy…  NO!  I’ve got to get at least one … Continue reading →

In preparation for a 6 day backpacking trip to Olympic National Park our leader “V” scheduled a training hike at Waddell Beach near Santa Cruz to test our stamina and teach us things we’ll need to know for the trip … Continue reading →

After more than 15 years I finally had a chance to camp just up the road from Benbow Lake State Park where I used to camp with my family every summer and it was awesome! My buddy Ilya had organized … Continue reading →

This last weekend I finally went on my first snowshoeing/snowcamping trip and it was GREAT!  =) In order to prepare for the trip I headed out to REI on Thursday with Marshall to rent snowshoes and get a waterproof jacket … Continue reading →

This last weekend I had the opportunity to do a 20 mile hike with “V”, the crew and….my muppy Sierra!  Yay!  =) The day started off a little rocky with me getting lost in San Francisco and thinking Sierra and … Continue reading →

Sierra and I were really on a roll this weekend. Two awesome hikes in 3 days.  This time we went to Sunol/Ohlone park and although I had planned on doing a slightly shorter hike (~8.5 miles) I took a wrong … Continue reading →

The Outdoor Cardinals hiking group had an 18 mile hike scheduled for Morgan Territory today which sounded like a lot of fun but I was really wanting to take Sierra with me and I wasn’t sure she could do the … Continue reading →

A couple of weeks ago I went on another hike with “V” and the guys to Mt. Diablo.  Joining us were my buddies Ilya, Magda, Jackie and Craig.  The hike was 16.3 miles and started off at the Castle Rock … Continue reading →

Hurray for fall hikes! Thanks to Valerie and “V” I got to go on another great hike with the Society of Outdoor Cardinals where we traversed three really awesome regional parks including Tilden, Sibley and Redwood. The plan was to … Continue reading →

This last weekend Marshall was nice enough to take Sierra, Lotus and me to Del Valle for a nice little hike.  Fall has arrived in Del Valle and it’s absolutely beautiful.  I love it!  =) Marshall isn’t exactly the hiker … Continue reading →

Wow, so yesterday work buddies Mike, Velimir and I embarked on one of the most intense, challenging, and ultimately memorable trips I’ve ever been on.  “V” had scheduled a 20+ mile hike from Del Valle to Rose Peak and despite … Continue reading →

Woohoo, first backpacking trip of the year and it was awesome. =)  “V” was the official lead for this trip and because it was intended as an “Intro to Backpacking” he also mentored a number of us on how to … Continue reading →

About a month ago, Marshall’s best friend since grade school and best man at our wedding, Darrel, invited us to go on an 8.5 mile hike in Inverness called the Estero Trail.  That trip had to be postponed once already … Continue reading →

Oh man, I could really get used to this.  Can you believe that another 20 mile hike was scheduled for this Saturday and better than that, it was going to be led by my favorite trail guide, “V.”  Kick-ass…  =) … Continue reading →

So the original plan for this Saturday was for Marshall and I to join our friend Darrel and a couple of his buddies for a hike north of Mt. Tamalpais.  Due to the recent heavy rains, that trip was canceled … Continue reading →

After several days of rain and freezing temperatures, an impressive amount of snow had built up on the mountains around our house.  Because Marshall had to work and I was kind of bored (I didn’t want to clean the house) … Continue reading →

Man, “V” is on a roll with planning and leading totally kick-ass hikes.  =)  Last Saturday was an awesome hike to Mt. Diablo (3849′) and this Saturday we hit Sunol/Ohlone park and hiked to Rose Peak (3817′) and back for … Continue reading →

Yay, so I was able to go on another awesome hike with “V”, my buddy Mike, and 24 other people from the Society of Outdoor Cardinals (formally Stanford Outing Club) this Saturday.  =) The plan was to start at Mitchell … Continue reading →

So for the last couple of months my friend Laura has been telling me about all these awesome hikes she’s done out at Morgan Territory in Livermore.  Marshall and I had driven up there once two years ago and although … Continue reading →

So this last Saturday I got to go on another hike led by “V” and even better, Marshall joined me on the hike!  The hike was at Pinnacles National Monument about 30 miles south of Hollister and promised to be … Continue reading →

Yay!  So another Sunday, another hike with the Stanf…uh, well it’s no longer the Stanford Outing Group actually.  Apparently there was some lame reason why Stanford wouldn’t allow the club to continue as a sanctioned group so they’ve now formed … Continue reading →

Well I lucked out and was able to go for another awesome backpacking trip in Yosemite with “V” and a bunch of other cool people from the Stanford Outing group. We started out at the Soda Springs trailhead near Lembert … Continue reading →

So it’s probably been at least 17 years since I was last in Yosemite and from what I remember, I was too petrified to step outside my parents vehicle to experience it’s beauty lest I get swept away by the … Continue reading →

So this is truly awesome.  =)  As Marshall has been getting into better and better shape he’s been more receptive to going on hikes with me.  This Saturday I was extremely happy that with minimal prodding (come on, there had … Continue reading →

So as part of Marshall’s plan to lose weight and get in shape, he offered to take the dogs and me on a hike at Del Valle.  Woohoo!  =) Before we headed to the park, we stopped off at Big … Continue reading →

Yay, so I got to go on another hike with the Stanford Outing group again tonight. This time it was a trip to Mission Peak at dusk led by Silviu. =) We left the staging area at the end of … Continue reading →

So today Ksenya and I decided to do a shorter hike at Sibley Volcanic Preserve with some people from the Sierra Club’s “Inner City Outings (ICO)” group. Ksenya had heard about the ICO and was interested in volunteering to lead … Continue reading →

So last week Ksenya said she was thinking about doing this 20+ mile hike with a hiking group from Stanford. Without any hesitation I said “I’m game!”….which is why I’m now stuck on my couch with busted hips and a … Continue reading →