Hike 41 – Haines Canyon to Sister Elsie Trail

A late afternoon hike leads to a unexpected new view of the valley.
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Dusk over Tujunga, CA.

I hadn’t explored much of the western-facing foothills of the Angeles National Forest and was looking for something new. Then I read about Haines Canyon from Casey over at modernhiker.com. The strenuous hike up to the top of Mount Lukens didn’t interest me as much as the small section of the route called Sister Elsie Trail. Unlike the wide fire road that is Haines Canyon “trail,” Sister Elsie is a single-track rugged trail through coastal oaks, healthy sycamores, and a little stream.

I had a nice time hiking both Haines Canyon and Sister Elsie trails. I wish I had started earlier though: I was racing against the sun and didn’t care to do a night hike today, especially up a canyon I had not been before. Regretfully*, I turned around just a mile or so up Sister Elsie Trail, hiking back down, towards the sunset. Before exiting the canyon, I unexpectedly took a detour up to the top of a small hill north of the catch basin and caught the last of the sunlight setting over Tujunga, the Verdugo Mountains, and the expansive San Fernando Valley. I stayed into dusk and watched the city lights twinkle below and a few stars appear above. Despite my late start and disappointment on not making it all the way up Sister Elsie Trail, it was a nice afternoon of hiking.

Thoughts about the hike:

  1. I finally found a pair of boots that work for me: Columbia
  2. *The Station Fire, one of the worst wildfires in California’s recorded history, has caused significant damage in Haines Canyon. Just three weeks after my hike (August 31, 2009), fires roared through the canyon, destroying most of the wildlife captured in the photos below. The area is closed to visitors until at least the Spring of 2011. Hopefully, with a little time, patience, and luck, we’ll be able to hike in Haines Canyon again.
  3. Parking on the street is illegal above 10439 Haines Canyon Avenue
  4. .

Resources:

  1. Google Maps – Haines Canyon Avenue
  2. Modern Hiker – Hiking Mount Lukens via Haines Canyon
  3. Revisiting Haines Canyon after the Station Fire (Jan 2010)

Hike #41 Trip GPS Stats:

  • Date of hike: August 9th, 2009
  • Location: Tujunga, California
  • Length: 3.9 miles
  • Duration: 2 hours, 24 minutes
  • Average speed: ±1.6 mph
  • Altitude at start: 1,119 feet
  • Altitude min.max: 1,122/1,092 feet

This map was made with the data my GPS captured on the hike.
For a more detailed trip report map, check this out.

Video:

Photos:

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Haines Canyon Dam

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Heading up Haines Canyon "Trail" - a wide fire road.

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Passed a big darkling beetle on the path. He asked to borrow my cell phone.

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I have never seen so much poison oak! Luckily, it was a few feet off the trail.

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Haines Canyon was full of California Buckwheat.

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Not sure what these are, but the seeds rattled a bit when the wind blew through them.

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A view down Haines Canyon from Sister Elsie Trail

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While Haines Canyon Trail had quite a few human footprints, the lesser-used Sister Elsie Trail had quite a few deer tracks, like this one pictured above.

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An old cement water reservoir guards one side of the canyon.

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These types of yucca has many common names: Spanish Boyonet, Our Lord's Candle, foothill yucca... but I'm going with the name friend and fellow hiker, Shawnté, has nicknamed them: Stabby little asshole plants.

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The smiling man in the rocks.

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My last view up Haines Canyon before calling it a day.

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Sunset over the San Fernando Valley from the mouth of Haines Canyon.

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Hike 40 – Eaton Canyon (II)

A repeat hike with a few new surprises.

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Hike #40 in Eaton Canyon with Melanie

I first explored Eaton Canyon back in July (hike #22) on a busy holiday weekend. I was curious on how crowded the trail would be on a weekday morning, so I met my friend Melanie and we headed up the trail. This was the fifth hike Melanie has joined me on.  I can always count on her for a great weekday morning expedition!

We arrived at the trailhead at 8:30am. As suspected, the trail wasn’t as crowded as it was on July 3rd. We passed only about 20-25 people as we headed up the wash and into the canyon. One hiker we saw leaving had a bag full of trash, showing that there are both people that care a lot about this canyon as well as those who don’t care at all. Strangely enough, the last time I saw a hiker carrying out a bag of trash was on this very trail.

There was some sort of embankment repair work being done near the mouth of the canyon, by the bridge. A bulldozer and dump truck worked together, sharing the fire road with hikers. The noise of the heavy machinery faded quickly as we entered the canyon.

When Melanie and I arrived at the Eaton Canyon waterfall, no one else was there! How unusual! We had the falls to ourselves for just a few minutes before three groups totaling eight people arrived. Oh well, it was nice while it lasted.

Thoughts about the hike:

  1. Viewing and heading nature in the morning before going to work is a better way to start the day than a cup of joe. We saw and heard my favorite hiking bird, the canyon wren, whos song sounds a lot like laughter.
  2. A little brown bat flew above our heads and around the canyon before coming to rest on a rock. It seemed a bit unusual to me for a bat to be out during the day. Since they are nocturnal feeders, it may very well have had rabies.

Resources: & GPS Stats: See: hike #22

Photos:

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The lighting in the canyon was magical.

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This type of robber fly is genetically disguised as a bumblebee. The wolf dressed in sheep's clothing burglarizes hives and steals food/young without the real bees discovering the thief in their midst!

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Melanie & I at the waterfall (left)

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A brown bat on the canyon wall. It most likely had rabies.

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A warning one should take seriously.

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Hike 39 – Bill Cull & Waterfall Trail

First trip to Monrovia Canyon Park.

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Hike #39 in Monrovia Canyon Waterfall with Sam & Indy

I had found out about Monrovia Canyon Park on the Internet. You’d think that, since I live just a dozen miles from it, I would have heard about the wilderness park from friends or other hikers, but it has gone undetected by me for seven years. This is not to say the park is unknown to everyone. From what I’ve read online, the city-run park is very popular with locals. Who wouldn’t want to start the day by hiking an easy trail running next to a babbling stream and ending at a waterfall?

I hiked with Sam and Indy, the dog she was sitting. Sam and I last hiked together a month ago, on Telescope Peak (Hike #21). We began the hike up the Bill Cull Trail at 9am on a Saturday. I expected that we would see a lot of people today, but the weather was a bit gray and the canyon was misty, which was enough to keep the trails unpopulated. We saw just a handful of people.

Thoughts about the hike:

  1. It costs $5 per vehicle to enter the park. Some people get around this fee by parking outside the entrance and walking (about a 1/2 mile) into the park. The park keeps strict hours – 8am to 5pm daily – so make sure you leave before 5pm or you might find your car locked in overnight.
  2. The trails in the area are well marked, but there’s a free map at the entrance booth that I recommend picking up on your way in.

Resources:

  1. Dan’s Hiking Pages – Monrovia Canyon Falls
  2. Monrovia Canyon Park: Unofficial website

Hike #39 Trip GPS Stats:

  • Date of hike: August 1st, 2009
  • Location: Monrovia, California
  • Length: 3.1 miles
  • Duration: 1 hours, 59 minutes
  • Average speed: ±2 mph
  • Altitude at start: 1,024 feet
  • Altitude min.max: 1,024/1,762 feet

This map was made with the data my GPS captured on the hike.
For a more detailed trip report map, check this out.

Photos:

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A wood seat now a permanent addition to this oak tree.

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One of a few signs to help you stay to the trail (not that the trail is difficult to follow).

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Crooked River

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Samantha and a happy Indy.

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Monrovia Canyon Waterfall with Sam & Indy

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Hike 38 – Crooked River Trail, Smith Rock SP

Ever heard of this place? Neither had I!

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If you were living in Oregon in the 1950s, you probably never heard much about Smith Rock. My Dad was born and raised in Bend, a stone’s throw from the rocky landscape reminiscent of the Grand canyon, and even he didn’t hear much of the place other than being a beautiful formation of rocks. It wasn’t even a blip on the tourism radar back then. But in the late 1980s, local rock climber Alan Watts and others put the place on the map by establishing some of the most difficult climbing routes in the world. It is now considered the birthplace of American sport climbing with thousands of routes – including more than 1,000 bolted lines – in the 651 acres of land.

The state park offers more than just hard-core climbing. There are miles of trails running through the area, offering some spectacular views of the central Cascades. For hike #38, my parents and I headed north from Bend to check out the “geologic wonderland.”

We arrived just after sunrise and thought we had most of the park to ourselves, but after a closer look at the rocky crags jutting out of the ground, we noticed a few rock climbers. The goal for the morning was to hike the River Trail, which hugs the appropriately-named Crooked River. When we reached the Mesa Verde Trail, my parents would head back the way we came and meet me back at the car. I would continue up the steep trail, over Misery Ridge, and down the other side to the river and back up “The Chute” to the parking lot.

The morning was cool and still. The sun slowly rose and made the rocks glow like a campfire in reds, yellows and oranges. The river flowed gently, reflecting the monolithic rocks in its deep waters. Rock climbers have made thousands of routes on these rocks, with names like The Christian Bros., The Dihedrals, The Morning Glory Wall, and Monkey Face. The latter is one of the more famous of the routes, with a very distinct shape that goes well with its name.

The nature of the area was outstanding. On the course of the hike, I counted over a dozen deer sightings – including a few bucks. I witnessed a coyote chasing a young faun, who got away with a few heart-racing pronks along the grass-covered river valley. Western skink lizards darted under rocks and cottontail rabbits hopped into brush as I trekked passed.

I felt sad leaving the beautiful river trail and up the Mesa Verde Trail, but I exchanged the serenity of the river’s edge with the majesty of the views. In less than a mile, I would climb over 1,000 vertical feet. It’s no wonder they call it Misery Ridge! During the switchback hell, I stopped frequently to check out the views. Below the river snaked along the base of the towering rocks. The high desert spread out before me – the air so clear I could see all the way to the snow-capped Cascades. When I wasn’t looking at the view, I was admiring the fearless climbers on Monkey Face. A group of teens from Wyoming had traveled out here to climb the world-famous rock. I continued onto the summit (3,360 feet) and lost my breath at the view. I stood close to the edge of a rocky ledge for just long enough to picture what it would feel like to fall 3,000 feet to the river far below.

I made my way down Misery Ridge Trail to rejoin my parents at the trailhead. My thoughts were filled with all the beauty I have seen over the last week in Oregon. This was my final hike of my trip. I had hiked nine times – over 30 trail miles – in the last six days. It felt good to get so much hiking in, especially with my parents. There are so many ways we could have spent our time together, but hiking seemed the most appropriate. A few hours before my plane flew me home to Southern California, we went to REI where my parents excitedly bought trekking poles. It brings a smile to my face when I think of them on the trail in the coming years.

Thoughts about the hike:

  1. There are small shacks below the rocks supplied with emergency rescue supplies in case a climber takes a fall. Unfortunately, there are many fatal falls in this park, which is home of the first 5.14 (read: REALLY hard) climbing route in the US.
  2. Unless the rocky spires are between you and the sun, there’s very little shade in this park.

Resources:

  1. Oregon.gov : Smith Rock State Park
  2. Smith Rock State Park – Wikipedia
  3. Youtube: Rock Climbing in Smith Rock State Park

Hike #38 Trip GPS Stats:

  • Date of hike: June 25th, 2009
  • Location: Smith Rock State Park, Terrebonne, Oregon
  • Length: 4.3 miles
  • Duration: 4 hours, 18 minutes
  • Average speed: ±1 mph
  • Altitude at start: 2,822 feet
  • Altitude min.max: 2,664/3,360 feet

This map was made with the data my GPS captured on the hike.
For a more detailed trip report map, check this out.

Photos:

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Monolithic rocks of Smith Rocks State Park

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Crooked River

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Dad stops to look at a really big rock in the river.

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Stained stones

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Well groomed River Trail

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Bucks!

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Another buck!

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See the waterfall?

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I love how the water glows with the reflection of the rocks.

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Wildflowers along the trail

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Rock spires

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View from the Mesa Verde Trail facing northwest.

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Monkey Face with climbers

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The clouds make it appear that the monkey is smoking

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I'll stick to hiking, thankyouverymuch.

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View from Misery Ridge facing northwest with Mt. Jefferson in the background.

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Coming down Misery Trail on the east side of the ridge.

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The River Trail starts at the footbridge (lower left) and wraps around the rocks clockwise.

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Mom & Dad after our last day of hiking.

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Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag

As promised in my resolutions, I’ve opened thehikeguy.com! The purpose of the site is to promote the hiking lifestyle through example (both my own and others), to provide tips on how to hike from the very basic level all the way up, and to help others learn the importance of respectfully exploring our natural areas.

Won’t you peek in for a visit?

thehikeguy.com

San Gabriel Valley Tribune Article

I was interviewed by the San Gabriel Valley Tribune the other day. This was the resulting article. Enjoy!
(You can read the online version here if you prefer).

article

My 2010 Resolutions

2009 was quite a benchmark year for me. I completed my May resolution of hiking 100 times before the end of the year. In doing so, I hiked 417 trail miles and lost 25 pounds. When I tell people about the accomplishment, many follow up with, “So what’s next? What are you going to do in 2010?” I honestly answered that I didn’t know. I mean, how do you follow up on something so great? Go to Disneyland? More importantly, should I follow up with something else? Why risk the chance of failure on a new project?

These questions have been bouncing around in my head for weeks and I believe I found the answers I was looking for. I’m ready to take the leap into not one but three goals this year.

Goal #1 – Become a member of a Search & Rescue team.

It wasn’t too long into my 100 hikes project that I looked for ways to use my skills and love of nature to volunteer in my community. There are a surprising amount of ways to volunteer in Southern California, but I found a strong pull towards the San Dimas Mountain Rescue Team. I went through their application process, had an interview with management, and waited for a response. As fate would have it, on December 30th, as I returned home from my 100th hike, an acceptance letter was in my mailbox!

So on January 9th, I begin trekking down a 2+ year path towards the goal of joining the search & rescue team.

Goal #2 – Hike 500 miles in 2010.

Last year I hiked more miles in seven months than I had done in all my previous years added up. 417 miles of trails. This year, I want to do more. Given that the San Dimas Mountaineering Academy will own most of my Saturdays until this fall, I think that I can find the drive & perseverance necessary to hike an average of 10 miles a week, every week, for the entire year. Yes, this is much more hiking than with the 100 hikes project – but I believe this is an attainable goal.

Here’s my own version of the legal fine print:

  1. A “hike” must be mostly off of paved surfaces. There will be no “hikes” to the grocery store. The only exception is if a “trail” is a paved footpath or road closed to through traffic (example: Mount Wilson Toll Road).
  2. A weekend hike must be at least 3 miles long in order for the mileage to apply to this goal. We weekday hike must be at least 2 miles long.
  3. The hike must be documented online in the form of photos and/or video. Distances will be measured by my GPS (if possible) or by estimations based on maps.

But documenting 500 miles on 100hikes.com doesn’t sound right, so I’m proud to announce the creation of thehikeguy.com. The site’s purpose will be to promote the hiking lifestyle through example (both my own and others), to provide tips on how to hike, from the very basic level all the way up, and to help others learn the importance of respectfully exploring our natural areas.
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Goal #3 – To hike with 150 people

Specifically, 150 people who haven’t been on a hike for a while… or ever. I want to show others what I’ve come to respect so much. To share the trail with those who might not have ever been on one. Hopefully, our outing will be the first of many. Of course, I’ll always enjoy hiking with those who already share my respect for the trail.

More details of these three goals will be posted soon. I look forward to sharing the process with you over the next 12 months!

Hike 37 – Wizard Island, Crater Lake NP

An incredible hike on a volcano within a volcano.

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DO NOT ADJUST YOUR SCREEN. THAT'S NOT TIDYBOWL CLEANER!

One of the greatest things about Bend, Oregon is the amount of activities one can do within a short drive of town. All of the hikes my parents and I have done in the last six days (hikes #30-36) were within an hour’s drive from town. On my sixth day visiting my home state, my parents and I took a drive 3 hours south to spend the day at Crater Lake National Park, the only National Park in the state. With just a day to see the large park, we would have to plan our trip wisely. After scanning the web for hike options at the park, one stuck out more than the rest, quite literally. There is one major land mass poking out of the deep-blue lake: Wizard Island.

We arrived into Crater Lake NP via the north entrance around 8:45am. You’d think that this would give us a full day to explore many of the sights of the park, eh? Yeah, I though so too, but not the case. Not only is the park massive – 286 square miles, the lake is just 20.4 square miles of that – but there are very few roads within the park. Wouldn’t you know it, we arrived on a day where they were working on the main road running the perimeter of the lake. These delays caused us to rush and plan out our time to the minute, two things I hate to do while traveling.

When we reached the rim of the lake, we stopped to check out the view. My parents and I don’t recall if I had ever been here before, even though I was born and raised in Oregon, but ooking out over the lake with its famous deep shimmering blue water, I think I would have remembered if I was here before: the sight was not one I would have forgotten! You can see for 100 miles from the highest vantage points in the park.

We stopped into the small ticket booth at Cleetwood Cove to purchase our tickets to Wizard Island. Boats leave about once an hour, but only a couple allow for a long enough stay to explore the small island. Reservations can be made in advance for half the tickets and the other half are on a “first come first served” basis. After purchasing our tickets for a noon departure, we had just enough time to rush over to Rim Village to buy some picnic supplies before rushing back to catch the boat. I’m sue without the construction work on the road, we would have had plenty of time to hang out at the small village and browse the gift shop, but with 20+ minute delays, we were cutting it close. But getting to the boat was more than just a park and a short walk. I could have made the hike down to the dock and back a hike unto itself. One must hike down the steep, 11%-grade Cleetwood Cove Trail, dropping 650 feet in elevation in less than a mile. The trail isn’t for everyone: going down isn’t too hard, but the trip back up can be difficult for those that aren’t in great shape.

We made it down to the Cleetwood Cove dock with enough time to make a little lunch and dip our feet in the ice-cold water. It was mesmerizing to see the rocks below the dock so well. The lake is not only one of the deepest in the world, but one of the clearest as well. Measurements taken using a Secchi disk revealed that one could peer 173 feet (52.8 meters) into the lake.

We departed from the cove at noon in a full boat. There were visitors from around the world on board, something I enjoy seeing when visiting national parks. The 45-minute boat ride included a ranger-guided tour. The ranger couldn’t have been more than 24 years of age, but he was very knowledgeable about the lake and it’s history. We arrived at the Wizard Island dock around 12:45pm.

On the island, the 42 passengers didn’t waist any time getting off the boat and on their way. The last boat of the day would be back to pick us up at 3:30pm and there wasn’t as moment to spare. Some brought fishing poles and headed out to the nearby cove to see how many they could reel in (no permits necessary, no catch limits). Others headed up to the top of the island. More than a few spent their time near the dock, either reading a book or swimming. Mom & Dad decided to stay at the shoreline. They have done seven hikes with me in the past five days and it has started to wear them down. I delayed my start up to the summit. I wanted to let the other hikers get up the trail a bit before I started, allowing me to hike with my thoughts. The plan worked and I found myself seemingly alone on the island. I sat down on a log and enjoyed the tranquility, writing in my hiking journal and listening to the birds and the wind.  Last year, 415,686 people visited this park, and yet I feel like the last man on the planet sitting here.

I didn’t more than 2-3 people on the trail until I got to the top of the 750-foot cinder cone. I couldn’t have planned it better with all of the fifteen or so summit hikers heading down just as I arrived. I stood on the top, looking down into the “Witch’s Cauldron” – the caldera of this small volcano on the lake. The view of the surrounding lake and the sheer cliffs holding the lake were exhilarating! And to have the view all to myself for at least 30 minutes was heavenly.

After taking a handful of pictures and some video (see below), I headed back down to the cove. Our boat arrived just minutes after my return and when everyone was accounted for, we departed. The boat ride back to Cleetwood Cove took about 70 minutes and included a full tour of the southern and eastern coastlines of the lake. We saw waterfalls in Chaski Bay, circled Phantom Ship, a small rocky island that looks a little like a sailing ship, and saw Pumice Castle and Sentinel Rock, among other geological formations. We sat on top of the deepest point of the lake – where the land is about 1,932 feet below the water’s surface – before heading back to Cleetwood Cove.

Many of the passengers in our boat struggled up the 1-mile trail to their vehicles. I admit, it was pretty grueling for me as well – but I felt in really good shape and kept a good pace the entire way up. My parents didn’t do a bad job either, but they were a hurtin’. My dad’s knee started to bother him and he had to stop frequently. Could this be the last hike they do with me for 100hikes? We’ll see…

Thoughts about the hike:

  1. The boats on Crater Lake only run during the summer months (mid-July to mid-September). The tickets cost us $20 a piece, but don’t be surprised if they raised the price yet again when you go.
  2. The animals on Wizard Island have been separated from the rest of the world for centuries. The garter snakes on the island have adapted to their surroundings and lost their stripes!
  3. We brought walkie-talkies with us on this trip. They came in very useful when exploring Wizard Island.

Resources:

  1. Crater Lake National Park, By the Numbers
  2. nps.gov – Crater Lake National Park

Hike #37 Trip GPS Stats:

  • Date of hike: July 23th, 2009
  • Location: Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
  • Length: 5.1 miles (minus the boat ride)
  • Duration: 6 hours
  • Average speed: n/a
  • Altitude at start: 6,850 feet
  • Altitude min.max: 6,176/6,850 feet

This map was made with the data my GPS captured on the hike.
For a more detailed trip report map, check this out.

Video:

Photos:

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Never underestimate the mosquitoes of Oregon. This one kissed me long enough to leave this nickel-sized bite on my cheek.

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Wizard Island inside of Crater Lake.

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The hike down to Cleetwood Cove, the only boat dock on the lake.

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Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States at an average of 1,148 feet deep (1,932 at it's deepest spot). This extreme depth and how the sunlight interacts with the water is what causes the unique color of blue.

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Mt. Scott, the highest peak in the park at 8,929 feet, seems to peek over the caldera's edge in the distance. From the rim of the caldera to the lake's surface is an average of 1,000 feet.

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Having a little picnic on the dock of Cleetwood Cove. Dad has his feet in the frigid water.

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Lots of great wildflowers in bloom - but many were wilted due to the warm weather.

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One of the privately-owned, ranger-guided boats of Crater Lake, departing Cleetwood Cove every hour or so.

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A golden-mantled ground squirrel of Wizard Island

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More wildflowers

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I love the contrast between the neon-green of the moss on the trees and the deep blue of the lake.

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Hiking on volcanic territory

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The signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) of Crater Lake

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Still snow and it's the middle of July! On average, Crater Lake NP gets 44 feet of snow a year, making it one of the snowiest places in the world.

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Phantom Ship, a unique rocky island on Crater Lake.

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The island has seven different types of trees.

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Hiking back up the Cleetwood Cove Trail

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Out boat, anchored in Cleetwood Cove.

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Check out the subtle changes of color in the water during the sunset!

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Sunset over the park.

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Celebrating our hike with drinks on the patio of the Crater Lake Lodge. Wizard Island in the background.

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A Special Message

Progress Report (January 1st)

I am proud to report that I have hiked one hundred times!

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All one hundred hikes portrayed by one hundred images.

The experience of this project was more than I could ever have fathomed. So much about how I see myself and the world has changed over the course of 240 days. For one, my appreciation for the outdoors has grown considerably. Hiking and the outdoors has been ingrained into who I am and it has helped to define the goals I have for the future. (More on that later).

But let me back up. In fact, let me back up quite a bit. I might have completed the hiking aspect of this project, but the project is far from complete. As of now, I have only blogged about 36 hikes. The last hike I posted was done way back on July 22nd! That means I have 63 hikes to tell you about, and I must say, I am really excited to share with you my outdoor experiences. I have yet to tell you about my hikes in Utah, where I did one of the most dangerous hikes in America, according to Backpacker Magazine. I have yet to tell you about my search for the largest Joshua Tree in the world, or a long-forgotten aspen grove deep in the San Bernardino Mountains. Or the amazing hikes I did in Chile, where I climbed an snow-covered active volcano, or Bolivia, where I explored the ancient ruins of a civilization that disappeared long ago. Yes, the destination has been reached, but it is the journey that has to be told.

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View from Echo Mountain on hike #100. December 30th, 2009.

So, for those of you who like graphs and numbers, here’s the details of all 100 hikes.

I hiked about 417.4 miles to get me to 100 hikes. Here’s a breakdown of my mileage. (Click on a bar to find out more info):

Here’s some numbers to ponder:

  • Number of hikes completed: 100
  • Number of days into project: 239
  • Number of miles hiked: 417.4 miles
  • Longest hike: 15.9 miles (Hike #48 – San Gorgonio Mountain)
  • Hardest hike: Hike #21 (Telescope Peak, Death Valley)
  • Furthest hike from home: Hike #86 (Villarrica, Chile – 5,864 miles from Arcadia, CA)

If you hike with me, you become a prestigious respected member of the “100 Hikes Club.” Quite a few people joined me for my final hikes – 20 on the last one alone!

  • Number of members: 77 (and three dogs)
  • Top 6 ranking members:
    • Dad (9 hikes: #30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 & 38)
    • Melanie (8 hikes: #5, 13, 26, 29, 40, 74, 99 & 100)
    • Mom (7 hikes: #30, 31, 33, 34, 36, 37 & 38)

    Three-way tie for 4th:

    • Samantha (5 hikes: #18, 21, 39, 42 & 100)
    • Bob (5 hikes: #28, 72, 73, 75, & 100)
    • Chris (5 hikes: #6, 21, 42, 44 & 63)

I’d like to thank the entire 100 Hikes Club for all of their support, in alphabetical order: Aaron & his Mom, Alma, Ari, Art, Becquie, Brooklyn, Cairo, Casey, Dea, Domenic, Elizabeth, Gregory, Emily, Hernan, Hobie, Jamie, Josh, Kasey, Kristen & her dog Heidi, Leo, Leonar, Lori, Lynda & her dog Volt, Mark, MaryEllen, Max The Wonder Dog, Michael G., Michael W., Mike, The Mystery Hiker, Nikki, Peter, Sharon, Shawn, Shawnté, Siena, Steve & Tony. Thank you all for getting out on the trail with me!

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