Show threadValerie NortonApr 28

[3/3] Day 3 backpacking Yolla Bolly: Finishing the circuit with two more named peaks to tag on the way. First Blue Slide by the side of the trail just before everything got dicey. Second Horsehead Mountain where three forests and three major watersheds meet.

More info here: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2026/03/shell-mountain-blue-slide-and-horsehead.html

#California #TrinityCounty #MendocinoNationalForest #ShastaTrinityNationalForest #TrinityNationalForest #SixRiversNationalForest #YollaBollyMiddleEelWilerness
#hiking #nature #landscape #outside #mountains #peakbagging #backpacking #hike #blogpost

Show threadValerie NortonApr 28

[2/3] Day 2 backpacking Yolla Bolly: Headed up to Buck Ridge and up the yolla bolly (snowy mountains, well, mountain) of Shell Mountain. They really should all be yolla bolly at the moment.

More is here: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2026/03/shell-mountain-buck-ridge-and-shell.html

#California #TrinityCounty #MendocinoNationalForest #TrinityNationalForest #ShastaTrinityNationalForest #YollaBollyMiddleEelWilderness
#hiking #nature #landscape #mountains #peakbagging #backpacking

Valerie NortonApr 28

[1/3] Yolla Bolly! This time backpacking the area of Shell Mountain for three days, although the plan kept morphing.

The first day, we didn't get far. We didn't get to the trailhead for the downed trees and we didn't get to the planned camp for the fact the newly selected trail connecting to the planned trail didn't actually exist.

The details are here: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2026/03/shell-mountain-north-fork-middle-eel.html

#California #MendocinoNationalForest #SixRiversNationalForest #TrinityCounty #YollaBollyMiddleEelWilderness
#hiking #nature #landscape #outside #mountains #backpacking

Valerie NortonApr 8

Got in a little bit of snowshoeing on a day hike out to see the canyon along Swift Creek, a popular Trinity Alps Wilderness location in the summer, and finally check around an old cabin.

For all the details, check here: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2026/01/swift-creek-snow-survey.html

#California #ShastaNationalForest #ShastaTrinityNationalForest #TrinityAlpsWilderness #TrinityCounty
#waterfall #nature #landscape #hike #travel #outside #dayhike #mountains #snowshoeing #snow #canyon #river #water

Show threadValerie NortonMar 22

The 3rd and last day backpacking around Mount Eddy, we explored the local area a little more before hiking out via the Pacific Crest Trail, the more common route. I liked Deadfall Lake Trail better.

For more, check https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2025/12/eddy-pacific-crest-trail.html

#California #TrinityCounty #ShastaNationalForest #ShastaTrinityNationalForest #PacificCrestTrail #PCT #DeadfallLakes
#hiking #nature #landscape #travel #hike #outside #mountains #backpacking

Show threadValerie NortonMar 22

The 2nd day backpacking around Mount Eddy, we headed up to the top of Mount Eddy itself, then wandered the trails south toward Toad Lake before returning north to our camp.

For more, check https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2025/12/eddy-mount-eddy-and-toad-lake.html

#California #ShastaTrinityNationalForest #ShastaNationalForest #TrinityCounty #SiskiyouCounty #MountEddy #DeadfallLakes #ToadLake #PacificCrestTrail #PCT
#hiking #nature #landscape #travel #hike #outside #mountains#peakbagging #blogpost

Valerie NortonMar 22

One last trip to finish off 2025. Headed up Mount Eddy, tallest peak of the coastal ranges, in the rather mild weather of early December. The first day was checking out all the Deadfall Lakes before selecting a camp site for the next two nights.

For more, check here: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2025/12/eddy-deadfall-lakes.html

#California #TrinityCounty #ShastaNationalForest #ShastaTrinityNationalForest #DeadfallLakes
#hiking #nature #landscape #travel #hike #outside #backpacking #blogpost

Show threadValerie NortonJan 18

The third and final day backpacking was a finish up under sunnier climes.

For more info, visit this link: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2025/09/three-bears-big-bear-lake.html

#California #TrinityCounty #ShastaTrinityNationalForest #TrinityAlpsWilderness #ShastaNationalForest #ShastaTrinityNF
#hiking #nature #landscape #travel #hike #outside #mountains #backpacking #blogpost

Show threadValerie NortonJan 18

The second day backpacking was an off trail extravaganza since the trail only goes to Big Bear Lake and we were out to see Little Bear Lake too. It was all granite and water and trees and a little brush.

For more info, visit: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2025/09/three-bears-little-bear.html

#California #ShastaTrinityNationalForest #ShastaNationalForest #ShastaTrinityNF #TrinityCounty #TrinityAlpsWilderness
#hiking #nature #landscape #travel #hike #outside #backpacking #mountains #lakes

Valerie NortonJan 18

We went off to experience the Bear Lakes! The first day was striving up the long uphill towards darkness and strife. Sort of. It was soggy anyway.

For more info, go here: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2025/09/three-bears-bear-creek.html

#California #TrinityCounty #ShastaNationalForest #ShastaTrinityNationalForest #ShastaTrinityNF
#hiking #hikingCalifornia #nature #landscape #travel #hike #outside #mountains