l

THE RANGES OF SUMMERS TRAILS

Aloha Lake

It has been a real privilege to travel and enjoy this county’s mountains. Here are the ones that I have experienced:

  • Sierra Nevada Mountains
  • Cascade Range
  • Rocky Mountains
  • Wind River Range
  • Absoroka Mountains
  • Smoky Mountains
  • Blue Ridge Mountains
  • San Gabriel Mountains
  • San Rafael Mountains
  • National Forests and Wilderness Areas in 21 states

In the past decade alone, I've hiked well over a hundred trails in the Sierra Nevada and its foothills. After more than a thousand miles of on-trail footwork, I have some favorites that I have to share. After all, many of them were suggested by fellow hikers who shared them with me. Look here for a description of the hikes and directions to the trailhead.

Sierra Nevada - WESTERN FOOTHILLS

There are several trails that I hike and wrote about in 60 Hikes within 60 Miles – Sacramento which are among my favorites. These Gold Country trails have historic artifacts and are thick with mining debris, but several historic trails have fallen into disuse and completely disappeared amid the thick undergrowth.

Sierra Nevada - LAKE TAHOE BASIN

These are some of the most beautiful and spectacular trails in the West. It is a region of fantastic geologic activity. There are several trails in the Desolation Wilderness that wind along glacially altered landscapes. You can lookout from atop Mount Rose, an ancient volcano, onto Slide Mountain where recent landslides display the impact of a still-rising mountain range. Make the climb up Mount Tallac where your vista looks down on the glacially-formed Fallen Leaf Lake. Its defining lateral moraine is right next to Lake Tahoe, the country’s largest Alpine lake, which was created by faulting processes. After the snows melt, wildflowers blast out of the soggy ground in a display of color and fragrance that is not found outside of remote mountain meadows like these.

Look here soon for trailhead coordinates and a brief description of some of my favorite trails. For a detailed description of more hikes, trailhead coordinates, and directions to the trailhead pick up a copy of my newest guidebook, Five Star Trails around Lake Tahoe, at your favorite outdoor or book store.