When the winter rains fall heavy in California, our beautiful state flower explodes with a super bloom as we pass into spring. We’ve received well above average rainfall in 2019, which has caused a poppy super bloom unlike any in recent memory. This weekend, we made a drive down to Lake Elsinore and enjoyed one of the most beautiful landscapes I’ve ever laid eyes on.
The hike to Murray Hill climbs 2500ft on a 7.5-mile round trip journey with beautiful views of San Jacinto Peak, seasonal wildflowers, the occasional bighorn sheep, and views of the greater Palm Springs area. The hike begins on the Garstin Trail near the Indian Canyons Golf Resort, and then heads east to link up with the Clara Burgess Trail before reaching Murray Hill.
The Rokinon 24mm f/2.8 is a super light and ultra compact full frame lens for Sony’s e-mount cameras. The Rokinon 24mm comes in at just 4.7oz (133g), and is small enough to tuck away in the pockets of my pants or jacket. At $399.99, this is one of the cheaper e-mount full frame lenses you can buy.
The John Muir Trail covers 211 miles through the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range in California. In this guide, I’ve put together everything you’ll need to plan your own hike, including tips on permits, gear, food, training, and logistics.
Valley of Fire is a State Park in Nevada located 50 miles northeast of Las Vegas. The park encompasses 40,000 acres filled with red sandstone, grey and tan limestone, petrified wood, 2,000 year old petroglyphs, bighorn sheep, and more. Valley of Fire is located just off of I-15 making it the perfect short stop on road trips through the American Southwest.
Buying gifts for photographers and photo enthusiasts can be a real challenge, especially if you’re not familiar with the world of photography. Many shoppers will start looking at camera bodies and lenses, but almost every photographer will already have these items in their kit. For this guide, I’m going to provide a list of useful accessories and add-ons that every photographer is sure to find useful.
A hike of Little Lakes Valley via Mosquito Flat makes for a quintessential Eastern Sierra outdoor experience. This 8.5-mile out-and-back hike passes by six alpine lakes and provides side trail options to quite a few more. Hikers will pass under the 13,000+ ft mountain peaks of Bear Creek Spire, Mt. Dade, Mt. Abbot, and Mt. Mills.
Patriarch Grove rests at an elevation above 11,000ft, and requires 13 miles of driving on an unpaved dirt road. There are two .5 mile hikes at Patriarch Grove, the Timberland Ancients Trail and the Cottonwood Basin Overlook Trail. In this guide, I’ll provide directions, photos, maps, and instructions on combining these two hikes for a 1-mile figure eight loop.
The Discovery Trail is a short 1-mile loop hike that gains a mere 276 ft of elevation within the Ancient Bristlecone Forest. Although this hike is short, it can still be a challenge since it begins at an elevation above 10,000ft. The trailhead for the Discovery Trail is located at Schulman Grove, right outside the Ancient Bristlecone Forest visitor center. In this guide, you’ll find driving directions, maps, instructions, and photos.
Julia, Owen, and I weren’t quite ready to stop walking after completing the Camino Portuguese, but didn’t have the time to spend three more days on the trail. We decided to take a day trip to Finisterre and Muxia instead. This turned out to be a phenomenal day trip and the perfect ending to our Camino Portuguese adventure.