Tom Courtney's Blog (54)

Desolation Wilderness is a land of spectacular beauty.  Soaring peaks of granite, honeycombed with scores of lakes, it towers over the southwest corner of Lake Tahoe.  This High Sierra Nevada, 7 mile round-trip hike takes you to Lake Aloha and the heart of Desolation Wilderness.

Leave Hwy. 50 at Echo summit…

At a communal dinner, the night before we are to set out, our host asks us to each say why we are walking el Camino de Santiago. Everyone has a reason, usually a life change – recovering from a recent divorce, mourning the loss of a loved one, frustration with a job and the need for change, trying to figure out what to do with one’s…

Take an easy three day, 28-mile hike along this beautiful stretch of Southern California Coast from Oceanside to La Jolla.  You will join scores of beach lovers on lively, popular strands, then hike long, quiet, and secluded beaches.  Along the way, you’ll visit fun seaside towns with great dining and entertainment.…

The Mendocino Coast is a land of extraordinary beauty.  Take a romantic two-day, 14.1 mile hike, and explore the lush forests of the coastal range and the headlands on the edge of the rugged, wild Pacific.  Along the way, you’ll visit interesting coastal villages, stay in charming inns, and enjoy sumptuous cuisine.…

Morgan Territory Regional Preserve is a land of rolling hills, forested valleys, beautiful vistas, and in the spring, a magical wildflower wonderland.

The 5,000 acre park connects…

Our trail snakes along Dante’s Ridge following the crest of the Black Mountains.  Death Valley is a land of contrast.  It is hot in the valleys below but pleasant up here in the mountains.

Many people drive to Dante’s View (5,475 ft.), and some take a short hike, walking south from the parking area to…

There are few better ways to nourish the spirit than to stroll a hidden beach while the powerful Pacific pounds offshore outcroppings, sending cascades high into the air.  And there are few better places to savor this experience than California’s spectacular Sonoma County Coast.  Take the Kortum Trail as it snakes for five miles along coastal…

If you are in the Tahoe-Reno Area and looking for a great place to cross-country ski or snowshoe, it’s hard to beat Tahoe Meadows.  Park your car and head out on a long gradual descent through the wide valley.  You can follow trails made by others or blaze your own, exploring the meadows or the surrounding mountains.…

Hundreds of northern elephant seals line Año Nuevo Beach – babies crying, mothers snorting, giant males roaring and defending their territory.  Mostly they are resting between birthing, nursing, mating and fighting, densely splayed along the sandy peninsula.…

We glide effortlessly, cross-country skiing in Calaveras Big Trees State Park.  Branches sag, heavy with snow.  The air is crisp, and woods quiet.  After leaving the visitor center parking lot, it took only ten minutes before we were alone.  There is solitude and a deep connection…

Add Bryce Canyon National Park to your bucket list for spectacular winter beauty, hiking, skiing, and snowshoeing. We visited in late December.  A blanket of snow brought a peacefulness that was a contrast to the busy summer season.  The crowds had thinned, the air was clear, and views…

It is dusk, and the pale December sun dips toward Mt. Diablo.  A guttural, trumpeting call comes from a group of sandhill cranes.  They glide in V-formation, long necks extended, legs stretched behind.  Descending to the harvested cornfield, they slow and break formation.  An abrupt turn, wings flapping to slow down, feet hit the ground with two awkward steps, wings fold, and they join hundreds of compatriots for the night.…

The Marin Coast Walkabout is a 4-day hike from Marin Headlands to Point Reyes National Seashore.  There has been a major trail change on Day Three – from Stinson Beach to Bolinas.  The route starts out unchanged, leaving Stinson, climbing to Bolinas Ridge and hiking the Coastal Trail to Bolinas-Fairfax Road.  Bourne Trail is now neglected and overgrown.  Here are two alternative routes.

First Alternative:  Cross Bolinas-Fairfax Road and hike Bolinas Ridge Trail.  It starts in…

This one day, 23.8 mile “bridge hike” connects two multi-day walkabouts. There are no inns or restaurants, but the inn-to-inn hiker is rewarded with the longest stretch of accessible uninterrupted, undeveloped shoreline for over 200 miles. Hike miles of plateau between coastal mountains and the sea. Walk through Camp Pendleton where you will experience an active Marine Corps base at two miles an hour. This is a challenging hike. Be sure to bring your driver’s license. They will check it as…

This easy three day, 23.5 mile walkabout starts on the beautiful island of Santa Catalina. Enjoy the slow pace of island life. Explore Catalina’s shoreline by kayak, and hike its rugged mountains. Then take the ferry to Long Beach and hike three days to Newport Beach, strolling on classic Southern California surfing and swimming beaches. Along the way, sample the delights of interesting seaside towns – good food, fun bars, live

music, and unique inns.…

This moderate three-day, 38 mile adventure hikes a Pacific shoreline that varies from wide Southern California swimming beaches, to paths along coastal bluffs, to boulder hopping under steep cliffs where few hikers venture. It passes through sections of deep urban development as well as untouched wilderness where your only company will be sea mammals and shore birds. Along the way you’ll visit delightful beach towns, a luxurious resort, and the beautiful island of Santa Catalina.…

The Santa Monica Mountains soar to the sky.  The wild beauty of the Pacific and its shoreline fills the senses.  Hike rocky shores below steep cliffs, unpopulated secluded beaches, and popular Southern California strands on this 3-day, 32-mile Walkabout. 

Start this Walkabout at Leo Carrillo State Beach near…

The American River starts high in the peaks of the Sierra Nevada. It winds and crashes through deep canyons down to the foothills where it eventually is tamed to form Folsom Lake. Released again, it flows wide and powerful to meet the Sacramento River. The discovery of gold on the American in 1848 brought a stampede of thousands to mine its banks and create a new…

The guidebooks warn of the fierce weather in Galicia.  Storms blow in from the Atlantic bringing wind, cold, rain, and snow.  But, the weather for us, in late October, is ideal for hiking - crisp, cool mornings; warm, sunny afternoons.  In fact, I had only taken my rain jacket out twice during the six week pilgrimage because of slight drizzle.  Now, with the short autumn days, the leaves of oaks, maples, and chestnuts are turning yellow and orange.…

Leaving the plains of north-central Spain, the pilgrim climbs and decends through the mountains of eastern Leon and into Galicia.  As each day passes and the Atlantic Coast draws nearer,  the terrain becomes more lush and verdant.  Ascending out of Rabanal for 1,000 feet, we reached the highest peak on the Camino, Cruz de Ferr, at 4,938 feet.  The trail passes through dense forests of oak, eucalyptus, birch, chestnut, and pine. Climbing out of Villafranca, the trail ascends 1,200 feet, drops…