Big Pine Lakes Hike Hiking North Fork Trail Temple Crag

Hiking To Big Pine Lakes via The North Fork Trail

The hike to Big Pine Lakes via the North Fork Trail is a great way to see the beauty on display in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Starting at the Big Pine Creek Campground, this trail passes by Mt. Alice, before entering the John Muir Trail Wilderness of Inyo National Forest. There are 7 Big Pine Lakes numbered sequentially. For this hike, we only visited the first three, as snow and ice were blocking the trail for lakes 4-7.  The first three lakes are known to be the most scenic, as they sit with the majestic Temple Crag in the background. 

La Sportiva Bushido Gear Review Shoe Trail Running Hiking Backpacking

Gear Review: La Sportiva Bushido

The La Sportiva Bushido is an aggressively built shoe that’s equipped to handle the toughest of trails. The low-volume upper allows for very precise foot placement with zero slop or movement. The 6mm drop midsole is stable and handles very well with a heavy pack. The FriXion Red outsole provides phenomenal traction on a wide variety of surfaces, and although the outsole pattern isn’t the most aggressive, it provides more than adequate grip when things get sloppy.  

Hiking Mono Lake South Tufa Trail

Hiking The Mono Lake South Tufa Trail

Mono Lake is a large and shallow salt water lake just east of Yosemite National Park on HWY 395. Mono Lake is best known for it’s sweeping views of the Sierra Nevada mountains and it’s iconic tufas. One of the best places to see tufas along the shores of Mono Lake, is on the South Tufa Trail. 

Hiking Cucamonga Peak via Icehouse Canyon Trail

Hiking Cucamonga Peak via Icehouse Canyon Trail

Cucamonga Peak via the Icehouse Canyon Trail is a 12 mile out-and-back hike that gains 4,339ft with a max elevation of 8,858ft. Located in the Cucamonga Wilderness of the San Bernardino National Forest, Cucamonga Peak sits in the front range of the San Gabriel Mountains. Although Mt. Baldy is the most well known peak in the San Gabriels, Cucamonga Peak is known for commanding the best views.

Gear review Nike Wildhorse 4

Gear Review: The Nike Wildhorse 4, Is It Better Than The Wildhorse 3?

The Wildhorse 4 is a trail shoe from Nike offering loads of comfort, protection, and performance. At just over 13oz (12.5 US), the Wildhorse 4 manages to stay light for the amount of trail protection it offers. Built on an 8mm drop platform and having a last with a wide toebox, this shoe has a stable ride, and is one of the only non-zero drop offerings with enough splay room upfront. For the Wildhorse 4, my standard size 12.5 fit true to size.

Gear Review Ultimate Direction Fastpack 35 and 45 Backpacking Hiking

Gear Review: Ultimate Direction Fastpack 35 and 45

A few years ago, Ultimate Direction changed that by combining running vest comfort with backpacking capacity for their Fastpack 20 and 30. Ultimate Direction is best know for their running vests and hydration products that are used by some of the world’s elite ultra runners.  This year, Ultimate Direction has released a revamped lineup of packs they’re calling the Trail Collection. This includes the Fastpack 15, 25, 35, and 45. For this review, I’ll be taking a look at the 35 and 45.

Gear Review: Sigma 19mm f/2.8 DN E-Mount Sony

Gear Review: Sigma 19mm f/2.8 DN E-Mount

The Sigma 19mm f/2.8 is an affordable wide angle prime lens that’s available for Sony E-mount cameras and micro 4/3 cameras. I will be reviewing the E-mount version of this lens. In this review, I will cover the build quality, construction, and handling of the Sigma 19mm, as well as provide sample shots from a wide range of exposure settings.

Gear Review Salomon Sense Pro Max Hiking Trail Running

Gear Review: Salomon Sense Pro Max

The Salomon Sense Pro Max is a max-cushion trail shoe from Salomon that comes in at 12.8oz (12.5) and has a 6mm drop. With 33mm of midsole stack height in the heel and 27mm in the forefoot, the Sense Pro Max provides a lot of underfoot protection. Unlike the softer max-cushion offerings from Hoka and Altra, the Sense Pro Max feels pretty firm and responsive on the trail.

Gear Review: Neewer (Meike) 35mm f/1.7 Manual Focus Prime Lens

At around $130, the Neewer 35mm is a tempting alternative to Sony’s $450 35mm offering. The two key features that account for the $300+ price difference is a lack of auto-focus and image stabilization on the Neewer 35mm. The Neewer 35mm is a lens that punches well above it’s weight though, providing impressive build quality, optics, and performance at the $130 price point.

Photos of Tour du Mont Blanc Chamonix Les Houches Courmayeur Les Chapieux

18 Photos That Will Make You Want To Hike The Tour du Mont Blanc

Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB) is one of the most popular long distance hikes in Europe.The trail encircles the Mont Blanc Massif in a 170km (106m) loop. Along the way you’ll see snow capped mountain peaks, glaciers, and pristine valleys. Here are 18 photos that I hope will make you want to hike the Tour du Mont Blanc!