For #MountainMonday I have this excellent view from the summit of Pyramid Peak, photographed during a recent hike in the Santa Rosa Mountains of Anza Borrego Desert State Park.
That was ~8.5 miles/13.7 km out and back with a total elevation gain of 3045 feet/928 meters according to my fitness tracker... calves are still aching today... π
#Desert #Hiking #Mountains #LandscapePhotography #AnzaBorrego #PeakBagging #SanDiego #PeakBagger #SouthernCalifornia
Day 2 had the one peak to bag with its Buena Vista as well as some beautiful lakes to stop by: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2025/08/buena-yosemite-buena-vista-lake-and.html
#YosemiteNationalPark #California #MariposaCounty #MaderaCounty #YosemiteWilderness
#hiking #backpacking #nature #landscape #travel #hike #outside #Yosemite #peakBagging #peakbagger
Day 3 was moving day and had lots of free time, so I got to hike the Wilderness high point, which happens to be the Mendocino National Forest high point too!
More here: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2025/06/south-yolla-bolly-mount-linn.html
#California #TehamaCounty #MendocinoNationalForest #YollaBollyMiddleEelWilderness
#hiking #nature #landscape #travel #hike #outside #backpacking #peakbagging #peakbagger #volunteering #NRT #BigfootTrail
Day 4 was for returning, but there was enough time for one more peak and a visit to the triple point. Water from there variously goes into the Smith River (via middle fork), the Illinois River (via east fork), and Klamath River (via Clear Creek).
The details: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2025/06/preston-youngs-peak.html
#California #KlamathNationalForest #SiskiyouWilderness #SiskiyouNationalForest #RogueRiverSiskiyouNationalForest #SiskiyouCounty #DelNorteCounty #SmithRiverNationalRecreationArea
#hiking #nature #landscape #travel #hike #outside #backpacking #peakBagging #peakbagger
Day 3 had thoughts of some diversions, then different, better, actual diversions while making some of the return. The higher, but not highest, peak was bagged.
The details: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2025/05/preston-el-capitan.html
#California #KlamathNationalForest #SiskiyouWilderness #SiskiyouCounty #ElCapitan #notThatOne
#hiking #nature #landscape #travel #hike #outside #backpacking #peakbagging #peakbagger
Next, the hike:
https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2025/05/black-rock-mountain-lookout.html
which visited the old Guard Station location and then climbed to the fire lookout location. Only one is still standing and none were entered.
#California #TrinityCounty #TehamaCounty #ShastaTrinityNationalForest #YollaBollyMiddleEelWilderness
#hiking #dayhike #ShastaTrinityNF #TrinityNF #YollaBolly #fireLookout #nature #wilderness #publicLands #TrinityNationalForest #landscape #hike #travel #outside #peakbagger #peakbagging
Although a little busy on a weekend day and a little bit on road, this was a surprisingly nice hike to a peak and old lookout site where the view really opened out.
Details all here: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2024/10/monument-peak-and-eagle-rock-lookout.html
#California #TrinityCounty #ShastaTrinityNationalForest #MonumentPeak
#hiking #dayhike #ShastaTrinityNF #nature #landscape #travel #hike #outside #mountains #peakbagging #TrinityNationalForest #firelookout #ruins #peakbagger
Here's the easy way to get up Hayfork Bally, if you don't want the 8.5 mile lesser maintained trail and Jeep road route:
https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2024/10/hayfork-bally-lookout-and-high-point.html
#California #ShastaTrinityNationalForest #TrinityCounty #HayforkBally
#hiking #nature #landscape #travel #hike #outside #dayhike #mountains #peakbagging #peakbagger #peak #lookout #firelookout #TrinityNationalForest #Hayfork #PNW
Just a quick bit of peak bagging, looking for a lookout:
https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2024/09/limedyke-mountain.html
#USA #California #ShastaTrinityNF #TrinityCounty #LimedykeMountain
Alexander S. Kunz
Valerie Norton
Polf Foge
