Upcoming 2013 Trips

So its been awhile since I have updated this blog.  I have been slowly getting back out on the trail after the short days and the long cold nights have hindered my time on the trail.  I left a few posts back talking about all the plans the new year had to offer.  Here are where all the plans stand as of now;

First up on the list of adventures is possibly making the summit of Mt. Baldy this weekend!  While I have already done this hike last year, it will be early in the hiking season to attempt this 4200' Elevation gain.  I am excited and I know that I can do it, it's just a question of if I take my full pack or opt for the simple hydration pack.

My hiking group and I have Submitted applications for the Mt. Whitney Lottery so we are all anxious to hear back from that sometime this week.  We chose dates heavy on the Monday's and Sundays hoping that we will have a better shot to get our preferred date.  Our group chose to attempt it in 2 nights so this is going to be a 4 day adventure; one day at Horseshoe meadows, the next day at trail camp, summit the following day and spend the last night at trail camp, then return to the car and home the next day.  I have found a great deal of  information and useful trip reports along with a live webcam of Mt. Whitney at Whitneyzone.com

Coming the 2nd week in April will be our Zion National Park trip.  We have campground reservations for the 12-15 and in that time we are going to hike angels landing, maybe take a trip up the 15 to Bryce National Park, and then camp the last night and head home!

Our entire hiking season is basically geared around training for Mt. Whitney.  To name a few of the hikes that are going to hit, San Jacinto, San Gregonio, White Mt.

Winter 2012 and 2013 Trip ideas

So now that summer of 2012 is coming to an end and the hiking season is slowly edging away I am starting to mentally plan out where the next adventure will take us.

Some places that I have in mind for the remainder of this year are Redwood Nation Forest to see the Giant Redwood trees.  These trees are some of the tallest on earth and so large that you can even drive through some of them!

Redwood National Forest would offer camping and easy day hiking to see some of the trees and wonderful Northern California scenery.

For the early part of 2013 I would like to visit Zion National Park.  Zion offers a vast wilderness to explore and a 4  or 5 day backpacking trip I think would be in order.  That would allow our group to see the narrows (pictured Below) and Angels landing (also pictured below) as well as an escape surrounded by majestic sandstone and vast expanses.

The Narrows in Zion National Park

Angels Landing in Zion

 For the summer of 2013 I plan to make it to the summit of Mt. Whitney again!  I will have to apply in the lottery during February but even if I dont get selected I can always get canceled permits or look online for cancellations.

The later part of 2013 I want to hike the Grand Canyon or maybe attempt Mt. Whitney in the winter time.  Hopefully there will be lots of camping and hiking opportunities the rest of this year and through 2013!

Feel free to share some places that you plan to go or would like to go in the comment section!