Sorry — things will be quiet here for the next week. I’m going to try to hike about a 60 mile section of the Pacific Crest Trail through the Southern Sierra. Should be a big adventure…I’ve never attempted a hike of this duration. The logistics (esp. food) have been driving me crazy. I’ll let you know how it goes when I get back next Sat. Have a great week!

As mentioned in my Trails.com Review, one of the perks I got from signing up for Trails.com’s free 2-week trial was two free issues of Backpacker Magazine.

Both issues arrived as promised, allowing me to take a look at Backpacker after several years’ hiatus (I was a subscriber a while back).

What strikes me right away is how big an influence technology has on the outdoor industry today—and on consumers.

Backpacker Magazine occasionally resembles an issue of PC World, thanks to the infusion of GPS and other tech devices that people are now carrying with them when they venture into the backcountry.

Editorially, I find Backpacker a tad bland and also busy. The magazine doesn’t seem to have settled on a single, effective look or feel. Like many magazines in this genre, Backpacker can at times resemble not so much a feature publication as one big advertisement.

On the positive side, the sheer quantity of content in Backpacker is impressive. The editors do pack a lot of tidbits into the pages. I’d prefer fewer subjects covered in greater detail (especially regarding gear reviews), but I did appreciate the wide range of topics.

After mulling it over for a while, I decided to go ahead and subscribe. What pushed me over the edge were two feature articles which I thought were quite good: detailed, in-depth, and interesting. That was enough to make me sign up for a year. If Backpacker can continue delivering high-quality feature content, I’ll be happy.

Sounds like it was a wild weekend in the Whitney Portal region, with heavy storms closing the portal road (due to mudslides) and even Highway 395 (which remains closed at Independence - detour available).

Posters on the Whitney Portal Store Forums have a thread going which talks about the conditions. Sounds like a lot of people got blasted by intense thunderstorms. If you’re planning a Whitney climb this week, be sure to check the board for current conditions. And if you see thunderstorms developing rapidly, get off the ridgelines and head for safer ground.

If you’ve searched the web for information on a trail or peak, chances are you’ve come across a listing from Trails.com, a subscription-only website offering trail information and topo maps.

For $49.00 per year, Trails.com claims to give you unlimited access to over 40,000 trail guides and topo maps for the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

Generally I prefer my websites free, so I always ignored Trails’ ubiquitous listings—though I often wondered what their content was like.

Recently, Trails.com absorbed my favorite online map service, Topozone.com. That plus Trails’ 14 day free trial offer prompted me to take a look at their service. The verdict? Trails.com offers a depth and breadth of coverage that is considerably more than I was expecting. Is it worth $49 a year? Read on (more…)

SMS Leader Alvin Walter sent me a few photos from his trip up the Sierra’s Rock Creek drainage over Memorial Weekend.

Alvin encountered ‘full winter conditions’ with up to a foot and a half of new powder.

Looking at all that gorgeous snow, all I can think is, where were you three months ago!

Sounds like those of you who braved the mixed forecast over the weekend got some excellent late-season skiing.

Farther south, people are reporting about a foot of new snow above 10,000′ in the Whitney Region.

With the switchbacks above Trail Camp completely covered, that’s going to be more than enough to abort summit bids for most parties. So, for the time being, expect challenging conditions if you have hiking or climbing plans in the Sierra.

As for skiing, it’s hard to say what you’ll find over the next few weeks. With such a wide variety of conditions across the range, from sun cups to ice to bare rock, that foot or so of new snow has a lot of work to do to make for sustainable skiing—especially when you factor in an unfiltered June sun. It may be that Memorial Day was the last big hurrah for Sierra Skiing. Or maybe there are a few fine stashes still waiting to be found.

For my last major hike of the 2007 season, I wanted to do something special. I got the chance this month to do a rare hike with my brother in Arizona. This is definitely one of those off-the-map specials: a rim-to-river scramble deep in the remote, rugged wilderness of the eastern Grand Canyon.

During the landmark 1869 Powell expedition through the Grand Canyon, Walter Powell (brother of John Wesley) scrambled up from the confluence of the Little Colorado and Colorado Rivers to the Canyon’s rim, some 3400 vertical feet above.

While it is likely native peoples used this route to access the river before Walter Powell, his is the first recorded passage, and thus the way is known as the Walter Powell Route.

I have to say, after seeing the Grand Canyon, I think I need to get back to my home state of Arizona a little more often. This was truly a memorable hike: savage, challenging, and more spectacular than I can possibly describe.

One of the more popular trip reports over this summer has been my Mount Langley Loop hike, a summer climb up Langley’s East-Southeast Ridge and down Army Pass to Cottonwood Lakes.

Unfortunately, I never finished converting the report to my site’s newer format (with expandable photos), so things looked a little out of sorts. I’ve finally updated the pages—better late than never—as part of a furious site housekeeping run I’ve been on the past few weeks. Hopefully, I’ll have everything in top shape for the upcoming Winter season.

In the mean time, if you haven’t read the Langley climb, now is a good time. Despite last week’s snow storm, this hike should stay in condition through October. Or at least until the next blizzard arrives.

Also freshly updated is my long-lost Tuttle Creek Shakedown trip. I can’t help but recall this one fondly, as the (many!) mistakes I made on this tour paved the way for future winter camping and skiing successes on Mounts Langley, Williamson, and Shasta in short order.

Funny thing about this one is how few photos I took. Things were going so poorly in the Tuttle Drainage (and it was so cold) I didn’t stop for the usual photo ops. This made the trip report a little more challenging than usual to put together, but I managed to borrow a few images from later Tuttle visits, and I must say I’m happy with the result.

For all you city dwellers out there, here’s a fine Southern California day hike: Sandstone Peak via the Mishe Mokwa trail.

Sandstone Peak is the highest point in the Santa Monica Mountains (about an hour north of the city). You won’t get altitude sickness at the top, but you will find exceptional views of the nearby Pacific Ocean and Los Angeles Basin. Despite the quick drive, the region is surprisingly remote, and the geology quite interesting. Just beware the heat—it is Summer, so avoid hiking at midday.

I’d hoped to ski the Mountaineer’s Route this year, but the South Sierra winter did not cooperate—as many of you know firsthand.

Still, it had been a while since I’d climbed Mount Whitney, so I decided to return for a summer climb. Thanks to the poor snowfall of winter and spring, the Mountaineer’s Route is currently as snow-free as I’ve ever seen it. That significantly reduces the route’s challenges, making for a (relatively) easier, safer climb—particularly on Whitney’s north face.

If you are considering climbing the Mountaineer’s Route, I heartily recommend it. The route is spectacular. Be aware, however, that hiking conditions are currently unusually favorable on the mountain. Under more normal circumstances, the Mountaineer’s Route can well be a technical endeavor requiring ice axe and crampons, and the skills to use both safely.

Of the view atop Southern California’s San Jacinto Peak, elevation 10,804′, John Muir reportedly said, ‘it is the most sublime spectacle to behold upon this Earth.’

Having driven by Palm Springs and the San Jacinto Mountains many times myself, I’ve often wondered if the heat got to Muir that day. Last weekend, I got the chance to find out: my brother and I climbed Mt. San Jacinto.