As the afternoon light began to fade we opted to take another hike but remain in the immediate area. I suggested that we back track to a fork in the path I had seen earlier that lead to a bluff overlook trail. We gathered our packs and were soon hiking once more. I must reiterate that I had seen elephant seals just off the shoreline where we rested, however once we reached the viewpoint I was astonished to find dozens of them, popping their heads up out of the water, then diving back down to feed I assumed. I’ve never seen such large seals, nor have I seen them in such large numbers. We were surprised to find the entire...
That's right. Man Camp. Last weekend my friends decided they needed to get out of the office and dash off into the wild unknown, well unknown to us at least. So I booked a campsite at a place called Montana De Oro State Park. We left LA late on a Saturday morning. We planned to leave at the ungodly hour of 4AM to chase the sunrise, but Friday nights have a way of thwarting productive Saturday mornings. Alas, we found ourselves victims of the latter. Hydrating immediately after waking, I grabbed my bag and threw my camping gear into the car. I left my house to meet up with my friend Nico. We loaded up my car with his gear and...
The California Central Coast is one of my favorite areas to visit and I go a few times a year. Here's what I recommend in order of the way you'll see it if you take Pacific Coast Highway (South to North): San Simeon Hearst Castle - This is in San Simeon about 20 miles south of Big Sur. It's worth the stop to see the beautiful grounds and Grecco-Roman pool. It was home to America's first billionaire, William Randolph Hearst, who built his castle on the crest of a mountain that overlooks rolling hills and beach below. Elephant Seal Vista - A seal is large, but an elephant is much bigger. An elephant seal is ENORMOUS. There's a natural breeding area on the beaches in...
FIRST RULE OF TRAIL CLUB: GROW A TRAIL BEARD Oh what? You have a fucking epic beard already?? Fuck yeah. You're set. Since you're already channeling your inner John Muir, the visionary who wandered the vastness of Yosemite eventually helping to make it into a National Park, you'll want to look into staying in the backcountry. There's a list of backcountry camping areas listed on the Yosemite National Park website, but first you'll need a permit. You can get that here. If you don't have a permit, they won't let you in and the last thing you want is to hike 10 miles and be turned away. Aren't you glad I told you? You're welcome. The next thing you should...
