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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 and take a short drive through pine forest to Echo Lake.  Echo Chalet (www.echochalet.com, 530-659-7207) provides a boat taxi across Lower and Upper Echo Lakes.  The 15 minute boat trip costs $14 per person each way, but it cuts off 2.5 miles of hiking coming and going.  You can buy a topo map and load up with snacks for the trail at the Chalet’s store.

Sierra Spring

It was early spring in the high country, mid-June, when Heidi and I set out.  A stiff westerly wind blew down Lower Echo Lake, and the water taxi was grounded.  It was beautiful day, and the extra 5 miles felt like a bonus.  We were in no hurry.  It would stay light until after 9pm.

Leaving the chalet on the Pacific Crest Trail, cross a spillway and hike above the north shore of Lower and Upper Echo Lakes at 7,539’.  The flat, soft gravel trail is ideal for striding out.  After Upper Echo Lake, the PCT gradually ascends through open country.  The surface turns to loose rock, and you need to be more mindful of your footing.

Look back to beautiful views of Echo Lakes, deep blue and shimmering, nestled in a long valley, surrounded by snowy forested peaks.  Ancient, stately junipers with deep red bark cling to cracks in granite cliffs. 

Once again, I salute the founders of the PCT for finding the most beautiful route.

A mile after leaving Upper Echo Lake, the trail passes by Tamarack Lake at the base of Ralston Peak.  Seasonal rivers of snowmelt raged across the trail, and sometimes the trail became a stream.

Entering a forest of white fir and lodgepole pine, we hiked over patches of snow.  Early Sierra wildflowers were starting to bloom, but the most stunning was the snow plant.  It emerges from ground freshly cleared of snow, bright red with an intricate spiraling architecture. The Latin name Sarcodes Sanguinea means “bright flesh-like thing.”  It has no chlorophyll and is nourished by fungi in the soil.

Reaching 8,300’, we ran into serious snow.  When I had called Echo Chalet, they had said, yes the water taxi was running, and yes people were hiking into Lake Aloha.  They hadn’t mentioned the snow. 

For the last mile to Lake Aloha, we hiked over snow that was at times 12’ deep.  It was firm with a soft top layer, and nice hiking surface.  The boot prints of earlier hikers guided us.  We passed a small lake still half frozen.  This year, the snow should be melted from the trial in early July.

After a short descent, we reached Lake Aloha at 8,120’. It sits in a glacial basin surrounded by raw granite peaks – Mt. Price 9,975’, Mt. Agassiz 9,967’, and Pyramid Peak 9,983’.  Mother Nature has outdone herself, an immense canvas painted with a glacial brush.

  Rivers of snowmelt poured into Lake Aloha.  It is a vast lake when it fills, peppered with hundreds of granite islands.  Now, early in the season, it is a labyrinth of ponds and channels winding through fissures in the rock.  We explored for a few hours, following seasonal rivers, venturing into the lake on rocky peninsulas before heading back.

Sierra Fall

Late last August, my friend Scott and I hiked to Lake Aloha.  The water taxi was running, an exhilarating ride that saved us 2.5 miles each way.

The trail was dry and there was a feel of early autumn in the air.  Lake Aloha was weeks past its full stage.  Snowmelt had drained into Pyramid Creek, over Horsetail Falls, and joined the South Fork of the American River. 

We swam in deep pools, explored tiny islands, and dried off on smooth, sunbaked granite.  Then we headed back to catch the last call for the water taxi at 5:00.

Directions

Echo Lake is approximately 10 miles west of So. Lake Tahoe off of Hwy 50.  It is a 3-4 hour drive from the Bay Area depending on traffic.  Detailed directions.

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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 life.

For me, I had just retired and “Walkabout Northern California: Hiking Inn-to-Inn” had been published in the spring.  I decided to give myself the gift of a 500 mile trek across Northern Spain.

Our host tells us, “There are almost as many reasons for hiking the Camino as there are pilgrims,”

 The legend of the Camino began in 813 when Pelayo, a religious hermit, heard the song of angels and followed a star to an ancient Roman mausoleum where he found the remains of St. James, one of Jesus´ apostles.  His finding was confirmed by the local bishop and the Asturian King, Alfonso the Chaste.  Soon pilgrims flocked to the site as a form of penance and to earn an indulgence, a free ticket to heaven.  The pilgrimage route flourished from the 11th to 13th centuries when towns, churches, monasteries, and services for pilgrims were established.  As the centuries passed, there were times when very few made the pilgrimage.  A rebirth occurred in the second half of the 20th century, and the Camino was granted U.N. World Heritage status.  Today, thousands of pilgrims hike the Camino each year.
 
A web of trails leads to Santiago.  I chose Camino Frances, leaving from St. Jean Pied de Port in the very south of France, the heart of Basque country.  The trail crosses the Pyrenees into Spain.  On an early September morning, I set out from St. Jean climbing 1,900 feet along a one-lane, rural road, passing little farms.  Small herds of cattle, horses, and sheep graze on the grassy mountainsides.  Dense clouds form a low ceiling hiding the peaks. After a few hours, I walk into a cloud and I’m enshrouded by it - cool, moist, and quiet.  Cows suddenly appear on the road, emerging in the mist a few meters ahead.
 
There are over 300 albergues or refugios - pilgrim hostels  - along the Camino.  Arriving at Albergue Orisson, high in the mountains, I join pilgrims from all over the world, mostly from Europe, but also from New Zealand, Japan, Korea, Australia, and a few from the U.S.  It is easy to meet and get to know other pilgrims.  We share a common quest.

On the second morning, the skies clear revealing vistas of green rolling mountains reaching to the horizon.  Ascending another 2,600 feet, a gale force wind howls.  There are no farms at this altitude.  What a joy to hike in such wild country!
 
The Pyrenees have been an almost insurmountable barrier, historically protecting Spain and France from each other, but around 800 the Holy Roman Emperor, Charlemagne, led his army on this trail and invaded Spain.  Napoleon did the same 1,000 years later.
 
The trail passes into Spain.  There is no border control in modern Europe, just a simple sign. Descending steeply into the Rio Urrobi valley, I joined 100 pilgrims spending the night at the Roncesvalles Monastery.

Hiking through the foothills of the Pyrenees (Day 4)

The hike from Roncesvalles to Pamplona takes two days, climbing and descending the foothills of the Pyrenees.  Mostly, we hike on mountain paths, ascending to ridges and dropping into the valley of Rio Arga, which the trail crosses and recrosses.  Early in the morning, before dawn, I hike with the North Star to my back and Orion high overhead, passing through the “woodlands of the witches,” a dense, eerie beech forest.  During the 16th century, it is said that covens of witches practiced their rituals in this forest and that several were burned at the stake. 

Pamplona is the first big city on Camino Frances.  Originally a Roman outpost, it was founded in 75 BCE by Pompey the Great.  The old city was walled, and the Camino enters Pamplona along a 60 foot wall of massive, ancient stones and through an arched gate with a draw bridge. 

After hiking 19 miles, I am tired, but I’m quickly revived by the energy of the city.  The narrow, winding cobblestone lanes are alive with revelers on this Saturday night.  Music and people spill out of the bars and onto the street.  I check into the Jesus and Maria Albergue, shower, and head out to join the celebration.  The massive Plaza del Castillo is crowded with cafe patrons, chasing children, and promenaders.  This is my introduction to the vibrant urban Spanish culture.

The sun sets and I make the rounds of tapas bars - small plates of assorted morsels lined the counters.  A slice of toasted baguette topped with ham and a quail egg along with a plate of papas fritas.  Next stop, a glass of vino tinto with salmon sashimi on vegetable salad, and how about a slice of toast with cheese and tomato.  On the big screen our futbol team scores a goal, and we all cheer!

I stagger to bed at 11:00, exhausted, long before the celebration has started to slow down.

STOPPING AT A COUNTRY INN ON THE CAMINO (Day 5)

Pamplona is the capital of Navarra, a semi-autonomous province, the south being more Castilian, the north, Basque.  The Basque are a fiercely independent people.  Linguists tell us that the Basque language, Euskara, is one of Europe´s oldest and has no known relationship to any other language.  It is as if the Basque people have always lived on this land. 

The trail from Pamplona heads west, climbing 1,000 feet to Alto del Perdon and then descends into farm country - harvested cereal fields and vineyards heavy with deep purple grapes.  Such beautiful country!  Plowed fields of brown soil are dense with rocks, but this is a fertile land.  Autumn gardens are rich with cabbage, onions, peas, and tomatoes.  Orchards of figs, apples, and pears are heavy with fruit. 

I stop for the night in the small village of Obanos, at a casa rurales.  These are village houses and farms that offer rooms for pilgrims.  The ancient hostess escorts me to my room.  She is in a peasant dress with heavy wool socks and sandals and is almost as wide as she is tall.  Her brown face and hands are weathered, and her black hair is twisted into a tight bun at her neck.  She has a kind smile.

She speaks no English, so we depend on my rudimentary Spanish and hand gestures, laughing at our confusion. “¿Esta es un mercado para fruta?” “No, mercado, es cerrado.  Es Domingo.” Of course it is Sunday.  “No problema, gracias.” She left me and returned later with four beautiful peaches.

Her house is old.  I don’t know how many centuries.  My room is round with a smooth stone floor that slants to the center where it looks like there was once a drain.  The walls are plastered white, but sections of ancient stones are left exposed.  Rough dark wooden beams support the ceiling.  An old barrel and a wine press are housed in an alcove.  Perhaps this room was once used for pressing wine.

I have a porch with a chair and table next to the garden and the chicken coop.  That night I dine on a half a baguette from my pack and the most delicious peaches.

ENTERING RIOJA (Day 8)

The Camino traverses western Navarra Province mostly on country trails, passing through small villages, always dominated by a church, the tallest building.  Pilgrims are a major source of revenue, and many villages will offer a cafe, a fountain, and possibly a small inn and/or albergue.  The harvested grain fields of the rolling farmland yield to bountiful vineyards as the trail approaches Rioja Province, the home of some of Spain´s finest red wines.

It is easy to meet fellow pilgrims in an albergue, on the trail, or at a café.  I hike a few kilometers with a new friend, then a few by myself.  Some friendships last an hour, some continue for weeks, meeting a friend I have not seen for a few days then sharing dinner or a long stretch of the trail to catch up.

I enter the city of Logrono at the beginning of the week-long Fiesta de San Mateo, which is also the harvest festival.  After checking into an albergue, I head for the central Plaza del Mercado, and festivities are in full swing. Men and women in traditional peasant dress stomp grapes in large wooden barrels.  Fires roar in the square, roasting large cuts of lamb.  I join a long line and for 3 euros ($4), I buy a plate of lamb, bread, and a decanter of vino.  Then I join hundreds of revelers at long tables.  Before I can finish my wine, my glass is filled again from a neighbor´s bottle.

Later I find a precious seat at a sidewalk cafe along the fashionable Calle de Portales to watch the show.  Promenaders packed the street - young families with babies in strollers, elegantly dressed urban ladies in silks and scarfs, young lovers in t-shirts and jeans walking hand-in-hand.  Brass bands parade through the crowded street carrying 20 foot high papier mâché figures of animals, kings, dragons, Jesus, Mary and St. James.

I walk down to the park along Rio Ebro and rest, for the party is only beginning.  That night, every small plaza has a stage with a raucous punk band, a children´s choir, or traditional music from northern Spain.  Vendors set up shop, barbequing lamb, pork, and rabbit.

It is fortunate that our albergue closes its doors and turns off the lights at 11:00pm.  I am in bed early and ready the next morning to continue the trek to Santiago.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PILGRIM

After a few days on the Camino, the pilgrim´s life settles into an easy rhythm.  Albergues may be small with only a dozen beds or big with bunk beds for 100 in a large room.  It is wise to sleep with earplugs, or you will enjoy all the sounds of nocturnal humanity.

People begin to stir around 5:30am.  Alarms beep; pilgrims pack away sleep sacks and prepare to hit the trail.  I am usually out of bed by 6:30 and hiking by seven.  This is my favorite time of day.  It is still dark and quiet.  The village has not yet woken.  The air is crisp.  Orion and Cassiopeia shine overhead on this late September morning.  A dim glow forms on the eastern horizon, and it grows until the sun gloriously rises around 8:15.

In the distance, you might see the steeple of a church, marking a village.  Perhaps the ruins of a hilltop castle still stand guard against invasion.  You will usually find a cafe for coffee and a pastry, the typical Spanish breakfast.  They might also prepare a bocadillo (sandwich) wrapped for the road, or you can stop at a bakery and butcher on your way out of the village.  You might want to also stop at a small store for fruit and maybe chocolate.

Then on the trail again.  It is always well marked with yellow arrows and signs with stylized scallop shells, the symbol of the Camino.  The line of pilgrims spreads out, and as the day progresses, I might not see another pilgrim for a few hours.  It is autumn and numbers have dwindled from the busy summer season.  I may hike for an hour with a friend that I have made along the Camino, but I treasure hiking alone with the countryside, my thoughts, and my daydreams.

Around noon I stop in a village cafe for a hot chocolate or in the village park for lunch, resting and recovering.  Then I head out again, usually stopping in the early afternoon at an albergue, showering, washing clothes, reading, and writing.  I am averaging 13-18 miles a day. 

Bars have a perigrino menu - a first course of pasta, soup, or a large salad; a second course featuring fish in the Basque region, lamb in Rioja, blood sausage as you reach Burgos; then desert of ice cream, yogurt, flan, or fruit.  And always lots of wine.  This usually costs $9-12.

We linger over wine sharing stories from the trail or from our lives back home.  Then we drift off to our bunks, our muscles grateful to be prone, and start the adventure again before the sun rises.

BURGOS (Day13)

The ancient city of Burgos was founded in 884 as a defensive fortress for the Kingdom of Navarra against Muslims to the south.  Today´s pilgrim hikes several kilometers through stark, modern Burgos before passing through 14th century walls, under Arco de Santa Maria, and into the magical old city.  Here the streets are narrow and winding, there are few cars, but the lanes are busy with foot traffic.  People crowd the shops and sidewalk cafes.

After 13 days of hiking and 180 miles, I decided to check into the Hotel Norte y Londres, a converted 16th century palace in the heart of the old city, to stay in Burgos for an extra day.  What a delightful city!  The old quarter is on the north bank of Rio Arlanzon.  A grassy walkway runs along the river.

I spend an afternoon exploring the magnificent cathedral which dominates the skyline.  It started as a simple Romanesque church, but in 1221 the saint, King Ferdinand III, and Bishop Mauricio laid a cornerstone for a grand, gothic basilica.  It has been added to and remodeled every century since.  I walk for hours through chapels with vaulted domed ceilings; elaborate sculptures of the lives and suffering of Christ and the saints; paintings by Spanish and Flemish masters; and the tombs of heroes, bishops and benefactors.

El Cid is interred here.  His history as a soldier of fortune is a bit spotty, but he is generally regarded as an 11th century hero who liberated Valencia from the Moors.  I have vague memories of the 1961 film starring Sophia Loren and Charlton Heston.  Do I remember correctly that in the movie El Cid died from a fatal wound, but they propped his body up on his horse, and he led his troops into the final decisive battle, his cold, dead fingers clenching his sword?  History tells us he actually died comfortably in his Valencia palace in 1099.

At night, the streets of the old city are bustling with revelers visiting tapas bars.  I join them, then sleep well, ready to return to the Camino de Santiago.

THE MESETA (Day 20)

After hiking the verdant foothills of the Pyrenese and through the lush vineyards of La Rioja, the Camino enters the meseta, flat tabletop land that covers 40% of Spain.  For the next 120 miles the pilgrim ascends long mesas and descends into broad valleys.  Wheat fields stretch for as far as the eye can see, now freshly harvested in early October.  Rivers, lined with cottonwoods, meander through the plain.  Small medieval villages along the rivers break up the sameness of the terrain.

Like in so many developed countries, rural Spaniards are leaving the countryside for the cities.  This is especially true on the meseta.  The manager of the albergue in Caldadilla de la Cuesa tells me that only four children live in the village. "It is sad," she said, "This would be such a great place to grow up."  In many villages, most people I meet are elderly, walking with canes.

They say that if a pilgrim makes it as far as Burgos, (180 miles) she should be alright physically for the rest of the journey, but the meseta plays with the pilgrim´s mind.  The first part is not exactly true. Pilgrims´ feet are still breaking down after Burgos. Many must interrupt or end their journey because of blisters that won´t heal or painful, swollen ankle ligaments.  The meseta is cold and windy in the winter and brutally hot in the summer when most pilgrims make the journey.  The heat and seemingly endless monotony can drive the pilgrim to despair.

Hiking the meseta in autumn is beautiful.  Every day is sunny with temperatures in the high 70s.  Still, the meseta is challenging.  For three days the trail is totally flat, not even a small hill in sight.  It is like hiking across North Dakota.  My emotions quickly flip from, "Why did I ever want to take this long hike?" to feelings of euphoria to be so free and hiking such beautiful country.  Still, I look forward to reaching the big city ramble of Leon and the mountains of Galicia.

LEON (Day 22)

I enter the narrow, winding streets of the old city of Leon.  It is the day of the festival of San Froilan y las cantaderas, and a grand medieval faire fills the plazas with hundreds of booths selling roasted meats and octopus, pastries, sweets, jewelry, soaps, perfumes, clothes, wood carvings, and tarot readings.  People are dressed in renaissance costumes.  There are jugglers, tumblers, and drum and recorder bands performing for the thousands of people crowding the streets.

My wife, Heidi, arrives at midnight after a journey of four flights and 32 hours from our home in the San Francisco Bay Area.  After 22 days and 300 miles of hiking solo, I look forward to her joining me to hike the rest of the Camino.  I wait for her in the small plaza across from our hotel.  It is still hopping at midnight with celebrants spilling out of the bars that surround the square.

Our hotel, Hostal San Martin, is an aged stone and wood structure with a twelve foot high, heavy wooden door, undoubtedly centuries older than any building still standing back in the Bay Area.  Inside, it is modern and comfortable.  It seems a metaphor for Spain, a very modern country that has preserved its ancient architecture and heritage for tourists and its citizens to relish.

We stay in Leon for three nights, giving Heidi a chance to adjust to the new time zone and for me to rest.  Exploring the city, we walk the banks of Rio Bernesga, visit the extraordinary and ornate gothic cathedral, the fanciful Gaudi designed Casa de Botines, and Convento de San Marcos - the former mother house of the order of the Knights of Santiago, dating back to the sixteenth century.  It is now a luxury hotel but preserved like an unguarded museum with a Romanesque church, cloisters, gardens, and magnificent works of art.  We roamed its ancient corridors, opening doors, finding stone passageways and narrow stairways to explore, hoping to remember how to find our way out.

At night, the people of Leon come to the old city to play.  We join them at sidewalk tables of tapas bars and restaurants serving sumptuous grilled trout, roast lamb, and local red wines.  Leon, with a population of 130,000, is the third largest city along Camino Frances after Pamplona and Burgos.  It is the last large city we will visit until we reach Santiago.  In the morning we depart, rested and sated, eager to explore the mountains of Galicia and to hike the final 200 miles of el Camino de Santiago de Compostela.

CATHOLIC SPAIN (Day 29)

Spain has deep Roman Catholic roots, going back, legend tells us, to Christ´s apostle, St. James, Santiago.  The pilgrim passes through perhaps a half a dozen villages each day, almost all dominated by an ancient stone and wooden church.  We often stop to sit in the cool, dark sanctuaries for a moment of contemplation and to experience the beauty and devotion represented by centuries-old statues and paintings of the saints and Holy Family.  We have occasionally attended services in churches sparsely attended, and mostly by women fifty years or older.  Many services have no priest, just women reciting the rosary.

The large cities along the Camino have great cathedrals, dating back to the 13th century.  They are extraordinary, beautiful, colossal monuments glorifying the Church.  Built in an era when peasants lived in small one-story houses, the only large buildings one might ever see would be the cathedral, the castle of an aristocrat, or the bishop´s palace.  In Astorga, the grand, gothic cathedral and bishop´s palace, designed by the genius, Antoni Gaudi, at the end of the 19th century, stand side-by-side.  The palace is now a museum, and a portion of the cathedral houses another museum.  Both contain church treasures, room after room of gold and silver chalices, four-foot high processional crosses intricately crafted of silver and gold, the robes for priests and bishops sewn with pearls and golden thread.

Throughout Spanish history, the Church consistently sided with the wealthy over common people.  It supported Franco’s cruel and brutal Fascist regime, a memory fresh in the minds of many.  It is no wonder that the percentage of Spaniards who attend church is extremely low.

We hike out of Astorga, climbing the foothills of Las Montanas de Leon, for 14 miles to the beautiful village of Robanal del Camino.  Its stone houses stretch along the hamlet´s two streets.  That evening we attend a service with other pilgrims in the small Romanesque church, one small chamber formed by three semi-circular arches, with wooden pews.  Two elderly monks with pure voices transport us to another realm with an hour of Gregorian chanting in Latin.

Today is a national holiday honoring Spain´s military.  We move on to a more secular celebration at an albergue.  As we enter the courtyard, village ladies hand us cups of thick, rich chocolate to drink.  The hostel is packed with pilgrims and villagers.  Wine and beer are flowing.  A three piece band with a fiddle, banjo, and drum strikes up a tune and then plays for three hours without pause, first Spanish love songs and then American folk music straight out of the Pete Seeger songbook.  A couple of two year old girls, one dressed as a princess, start a freestyle dance.  It isn´t long before we all join them.  Twenty-something pilgrims and villagers toss back shots of a yellow brew that inspires them to spring and bound.  Then they place their hands on the hips of the person in front of them and lead us, dancing in a long line, joyously snaking through the bar and courtyard.  Later, we stagger to bed, sleeping off the evening´s religious experiences, ready to continue our pilgrimage.

ENTERING GALICIA (Day 35)

Leaving the plains of north-central Spain, we climb and descend 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 Ferro, 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 1,000, and then climbs another 2,300 feet to O’Cebreiro, entering Galicia, the final state on Camino Frances.

Small farms replace the large grain fields of the maseta, and the Camino passes through a dozen small villages each day. Barns and fields are alive with sheep, cattle, hogs, and chickens.  Farmers shepherd their flocks from field to barn and back through the village’s main cobblestone street while the chickens free range the town.  Small pastures are lined with stone walls, and virtually all structures are made of stone.  The roofs of houses and churches are now black slate, a change from the red tile roofs we have seen since the start of the Camino.

Descending into the deep valley of Rio Oribio, we visit the colossal and magnificent Benedictine monastery of Samos, one of the oldest in Spain, dating back to the 6th century.  We tour the large cloisters and gardens, the ornate 18th century church, and a small shrine room housing St. Benedict’s femur and a chalice with a thorn from Christ’s crown.  Once the home of hundreds of monks, today the massive monastery houses only 15 with just two novices trying to join the ranks.

We stay in lovely, modest pensions and hostals in farming hamlets.  At night, pilgrims gather in the one or two restaurants in the village to dine on Galician cuisine - fried octopus seasoned with paprika, fresh shrimp, pork, cheeses, pastries, and local wines.

After 100 miles of hiking since Leon, Heidi’s blisters can no longer be denied.  She has bandaged, cushioned them with gel pads and soldiered on, hoping they will cure themselves, but they persist.  We decide to stop at a clinic in Triacastela.  After a 15 minute wait, the doctor pokes her head out of her office, invites Heidi in, drains and treats the blisters, and writes the names of the bandages and medicines Heidi will need.  They emerged from the doctor’s office laughing at the challenges of communicating with limited Spanish and English.  No charge.  The American medical system has so much to learn.

Next, on to Santiago.

SANTIAGO (Day 42)

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 have 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.

We hike on narrow trails cut deep through the dense woods, sometimes fifteen feet below the forest floor.  Walls along the paths may be constructed of ancient stones or they may be solid earth held in place by deep roots.  It seems the route has been worn down by the footsteps of millions of pilgrims over 13 centuries, the boots of Roman legions before that, and the tracks of Celts going back to the Iron Age and the 8th century BCE.

Two days out from Santiago, it starts to rain.  We welcome it, enjoying a chance to wear our rain gear and hike in the wet woodlands, stopping in village cafes to warm up with hot chocolate.  Approaching Santiago on the final day, a rainbow appears, arco iris.

Entering Santiago, we pass by dozens of aged churches, arrive in the old city, check into a hotel, and visit the pilgrim office.  The officials inspects our “credential del peregrino,” the document that every pilgrim carries.  Hostals, albergues, cafes, bars, and churches along the route stamp the pilgrim´s passport.  This verifies that she has made the journey.  We are issued a scroll, a compostela, written in Latin.  Our names - Adelaidem (Heidi) and Thomam.

There are several pilgrimage routes that all end in Santiago.  A pilgrim must hike the final 100km or bike the last 200 in order to receive the compostela.  The officials tell us that it is now the slow season and only 150 pilgrims a day finish the journey.  During the summer, the number swells to 1,500.  Over the first ten months, 170,000 peregrinos completed their pilgrimage!

The next day we enter the grand cathedral for the pilgrims mass.  It is the most fun I have ever had in church.  The knave of the massive structure is formed by 14 five-story Romanesque arches, but the decor is very Baroque.  Brightly painted wooden carvings of angels, cherubs blowing trumpets, and warriors on charging steeds with lances raised, support organ pipes stretching 30 feet to the ceiling.  Behind the altar, 20 foot high angels, gilded in gold, hold up a platform with giant maidens and Roman soldiers.  St. James, Santiago, is shown in his many forms: a simple pilgrim, the Moor Slayer on horseback with sword raised, and in the center - seated on a throne bedecked with gold and jewels.  The bishop, wearing a miter, says the mass with a supporting cast of eight priest wearing white vestments and the red cross of Santiago.  A nun with the voice of an angel leads us in song.

A giant incense burner, the botofumeiro, hangs from a pulley at the ceiling by thick rope.  At the conclusion of the ceremony, a cluster of robed churchmen pull on the rope in unison while one of their members gives it great shoves.  It swings back and forth across the long transept in a grand arc sometimes lifting the rope pullers off their feet.  These guys have one the best jobs in all of Christendom.  The sweet smell of incense fills the cathedral.  Then, the pilgrims milled around greeting friends they made along the trail.

The Camino de Santiago de Compostela teaches many lessons.  This is a topic of intense interest for pilgrims along the trail.  One cannot walk the Camino and be unchanged.  I think I will be processing what I have learned for many months, but here are a few lessons.  Solitude, community, and empathy.  The pilgrim walks long days at two miles an hour with endless hours of contemplation, but the shared experience and quest creates a deep community and caring for your fellow pilgrims.  There is great joy in the simplicity of the pilgrim´s life.  You are carrying all your possessions, and you don´t want to add any more.  So, the pilgrim is divorced from the market economy.  She is single-tasking, rising in the morning and walking with only a few decisions to make - where to spend the night and to eat.  There is clarity of the day´s purpose and accomplishment.  What a change from our modern lifestyle.  What a wonderful gift.

Buen Camino!

This is a consolidation of several blogs from my pilgrimage on the Camino in autumn 2011.

Camino Resources

Here are a few resources that might be helpful for those planning to hike the Camino.  Please add some of your own.

Guides:

Brierley, John. “Camino de Santiago” www.caminoguides.com.  Brierly has guides for many of the routes to Santiago.

Raju, Alison. “The Way of Saint James – Spain”  www.cicerone.co.uk. Cicerone also has guides for cycling the Camino and for Camino del Norte.

Books:

Coelho, Paulo. “The Pilgrimage” NYC: HarperTorch, 1992.

Hitt, Jack. “Off the Road: A Modern-Day Walk Down the Pilgrim’s Route into Spain” NYC: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 1994.

Moore, Tim. “Travels with My Donkey” NYC: St. Martin’s Press, 2004.

Alcorn, Susan. “Camino Chronicle: Walking to Santiago” Oakland: Shephard Canyon Books, 2006.

Kurlansky, Mark. “The Basque History of the World” NYC: Penguin Books, 1999.

Movies:

“The Way” Director: Emilio Estevez, Starring: Martin Sheen, Emilio Estevez, Deborah Kara Unger.

“Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago”   Director: Lydia Smith.

Websites:

www.caminoadventures.com. Sign up for a regular email newsletter.

http://johnniewalker-santiago.blogspot.com/. A wealth of information on the Camino.

www.thecaminoexperience.com. Help for first timers.

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.

Our hike starts on Oceanside City Beach where surfers, boogie boarders, distance swimmers, sun bathers, Frisbee throwers, power and dog walkers gather – a people watching feast.  Soon you leave the crowds and have the beach almost to yourself.  Hike along the ocean’s edge, and enjoy a bit of solitude and the beauty of the mighty Pacific.

The first day’s hike (7.7 miles) ends at Carlsbad, the second day (11.9 miles) at Del Mar.  Both towns have several options for inns, eateries, and watering holes.  Many of the inns will be happy to provide you with beach chairs, umbrellas, towels, and boogie boards.

Day 3 (8.4 miles) hikes through amazing Torrey Pines State Park, where 300 foot cliffs rise from the beach, topped by stately trees.  Torrey pines are the rarest pine tree in the new world.  Stroll through the forest, then hike one of the most isolated and serene beaches on the Southern California coast.  Millions live nearby, but one must be a hiker to enjoy this splendor.

Continue south to hike the start of La Jolla Peninsula, a rugged coastline with sheer cliffs, pocket coves, and inviting beaches.  As you enter La Jolla, you are greeted by the barks of sea lions from the rocks below.  Stay an extra day and rent a kayak, paddle board, or snorkeling equipment and explore the clear waters of La Jolla Bay.  It is a great way to end a three-day immersion in the lifestyle and beauty of the Southern California Coast.

The Oceanside to La Jolla Walkabout is one of the multi-day hikes found in “Walkabout Malibu to Mexico: Hiking Inn-to-Inn on the Southern California Coast.”  

It can also be purchased as an individual guide.

$6.99

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.

Our hike starts in Albion and heads north, ending in the town of Mendocino.  The Albion River Inn is one of our favorite places to stay on the California Coast.  It perches on cliffs overlooking a narrow bay, the mouth of Albion River, and the vast Pacific stretching to the horizon.  Their restaurant is fantastic.  They will serve you a delicious complimentary breakfast before you strike out.

The first day’s hike is an 8.3 mile ramble to Little River.  There is no trail along the coast for this section, so our route takes a quiet country road and ascends to the first coastal ridge.  Here we enter an eerie and rare Mendocino pygmy forest with hundred year old cypress standing only two feet tall and five foot high full-grown redwoods.  The terrain and foliage quickly changes as we descend into the lush redwood forests of Van Damme State Park.  Hike back to the coast on the trail along Little River as it meanders through the woods.  You’ll reach the town of Little River where there are several inns and B&Bs. 

Day 2 (5.8 miles) hikes along one of the most spectacularly beautiful coastlines in California – steep cliffs dropping to the sea, offshore outcroppings relentlessly pounded by the powerful Pacific, a verdant coastal terrace, and mountains dense with Sitka spruce, Douglas fir, and redwoods.  Keep an eye out for harbor seals, pods of dolphins, and migrating whales.

Stroll into Mendocino by walking the bridge over Big River.  You may want to stay a few days to enjoy the many pleasures that Mendocino has to offer – fine dining, taverns, inns, and beautiful hikes along the headlands – and to savor the memory of an adventure on the Mendocino Coast, hiking inn-to-inn.

The Mendocino Coast Walkabout is one of a dozen inn-to-inn hikes found in “Walkabout Northern California: Hiking Inn to Inn.”  It can also be purchased as an individual guide.

$6.99

“In my room, the world is beyond my understanding,

But when I walk I see that it consists of three or four hills and a cloud”
- Wallace Stevens

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 Mt. Diablo State Park, Round Valley Regional Preserve, and Los Vaqueros Watershed, creating an extensive network of hiking trails.  Yet it is one of the more seldom visited parks in the East Bay Regional Park System.

Summer heat turns the hills brown, but they are restored to brilliant green by winter rains.  In the spring, when the soil is moist and temperatures climb to the 70s, wildflowers emerge and grace the hills in great swaths of yellows, oranges, and blues.  We took this 5.5 mile hike in late March, just as the wildflower show was starting.  It peaks in April and should continue into May.

Our hike starts at the main entrance, Morgan Territory Road Staging Area.  The parking area had only two other cars.  You can grab a trail map as you enter or get a map online. 

Take the lower trail from the east side of the parking area and hike toward a small pond.  On the day of our journey, a pair of mallards paddled in the open water, redwing blackbirds trilled from shoreline reeds, and thousands of pollywogs swam in the shallows.

Turn left on Coyote Trail and enter a forest of oak, buckeye, and big-leaf maple.  The trail gradually descends along an unnamed seasonal creek that grows and cascades as small streams join it, draining the surrounding hills.

After 1.4 miles, you emerge from the woods into the open hills.  Turn right on Stone Corral Trail.  Now, the wildflowers get serious.  The park hosts 90 species.  We hiked past wild hillside gardens of yellow buttercups, red Indian paintbrush, blue-eyed grass, unfolding fiddlenecks, orange California poppies, deep blue lupine, and dozens of species we could not name.

Stone Corral Trail gradually winds and climbs the hills for 0.7 miles.  Raptors circled overhead.  The many ground squirrels scurrying among rock outcroppings look like a tasty meal.  Mt. Diablo (3,818 feet) suddenly comes into view to the northwest, a double pyramid towering over the countryside. 

Turn left on Volvon Loop, which circles Bob Walker Ridge.  On a clear day, you can see Mt. St. Helena 70 miles to the north.  Carquines Strait and the broad Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta spreads out below you.  The snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountains shine brightly, 150 miles to the east.

Turn left on Volvon Trail, and hike for two miles back to your car.  Gradually descend through open hills and groves of blue oaks, 50 feet high and wide with spring leaves on a beautiful tangle of branches.  Manzanitas stand 20 feet high with gnarled trunks and smooth reddish brown skin.  Finish the hike with a stroll through a field dense with bright yellow buttercups.

Morgan Territory is a little bit off the beaten path but easy to reach.  Come in the spring and relish a wildflower spectacle.

Directions

From the south – Take N. Livermore Avenue north from Highway 580 in Livermore.  Turn left on Manning when N. Livermore ends.  Turn right on Morgan Territory Road.  The road narrows to a winding single lane for the final four miles.  Morgan Territory Road Staging Area, the park entrance, is on the right.  It is 9.7 miles from 580 to the staging area.

From the north – Take Clayton Road from Concord to Clayton where it becomes Marsh Creek Road.  Turn right on Morgan Territory Road three miles from Clayton.  The staging area is 9.4 winding miles from Marsh Creek Road.

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 viewpoints along the ridge.  Our trail heads north and climbs for a half mile to Dante’s Peak (5,704 ft.).  A handful of adventurers continue another half mile to a viewpoint.  After that, you can expect to have the trail pretty much to yourselves.  We hiked out 3.5 miles and saw only two other hikers.

The ridge trail is not formally named or maintained, but it is easy to follow and a joy to hike.  It roller coasters along the ridge.  To the west, the view drops steeply to Badwater Basin, 282 feet below sea level.  Then the Panamint Range soars abruptly to Telescope Peak (11,043 ft.), the tallest mountain in Death Valley National Park.  To the southwest stands Mt. Whitney at 14,505 feet.  The distance between the lowest spot in North America and the highest peak in the lower 48 states is a mere ninety miles. To the east, the Black Mountains descend to the broad Greenwater Valley.  Greenwater Range borders the valley, and in the distance stands the tall desert peaks of Nevada.

It was early March.  Wildflowers ran riot at the low elevations, and the high mountains were snowcapped, glistening in the mid-day sun.  The thermometer hit 90 degrees in valleys below, but on the ridge trail it was in the low 70s, and a gentle breeze refreshed us.  Even in the summer, this trail will give you a blessed relief from the scorching lowlands of Death Valley.

It is more than a mile down to Badwater Basin, greater than the depth of the Grand Canyon.  Death Valley is the driest place in North America, averaging only 2 inches of annual rainfall.  The meager runoff flows from the mountains into the basin and evaporates, leaving a salt flat.  More recent flows form amazing patterns of new clean crystals, white sediment against the older, grayer basin floor.  The remnants of evaporated rivers leave bright white snaking patterns leading to dried pools.

The trail is mostly sand and gravel with a few rocky outcroppings.  It rises and falls along the ridgeline with a couple of long descents.  At 2.7 miles, it changes to rocky terrain and starts to climb.  Our pace slowed, and we kept our eyes peeled, watching for cairns that mark the trail as it winds through the boulders.  At this point, there were very few boot prints on the trail.

Reaching the foot of Mt. Perry at 3.5 miles, our time was running out, and we reluctantly turned back.  The return journey was even more beautiful as the shadows lengthened in the late afternoon.  There are so many great trails in Death Valley National Park.  Add this on to your list.  It is truly spectacular.

Safety

This may not be your trail if you suffer from vertigo.  Wear good hiking boots.  We appreciated our hiking poles.  Always bring plenty of water on a Death Valley hike.                                                                      

Directions

Drive Highway 190 southeast from Furnace Creek for 11 miles to the turnoff to Dante’s View.  The Dante’s View road winds through the desert for eight miles and then climbs another six to the Dante’s View parking area.  The ridge trail starts at the north end.

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 bluffs.

     We set out on a sunny February afternoon at the southern end of the Kortum, seven miles north of Bodega Bay, at the Wright’s Beach turnoff.  The trail heads north from the bluff-top parking lot and meanders along the coastal terrace.  Willow and blackberries crowd watercourses that drain the hills.  Spring will bring natural gardens of California poppies, irises, seaside daisies, yarrow, buckwheat, and lupine. 

     After a mile we reached the Carlevaro Way access road where the trail turns to the coastal cliffs.  We stopped at the first promontory to take in one of the most stunning coastlines in California.  Steep cliffs plunge to pocket beaches.  Coastal shallows are crowded with rock outcroppings and sea stacks relentlessly battered by crashing waves.

     The trail reaches the Shell Beach access road at 2.5 miles.  Take a side trip to the beach or continue north through tall grasses and marshland.  A boardwalk traverses the wettest sections.

     The Kortum turns inland and starts a gradual ascent around the 3.5 mile mark.  We reached a pass and stopped to take in breathtaking views of the coastline and the surrounding lush and verdant hills.  This section of the coast is protected as part of Sonoma Coast State Beach, stretching 17 miles from Bodega Head to four miles north of Jenner. 

     Descending to the Blind Beach parking lot, we saw that the tide was low.  That allowed us to hike down to the beach and along the shore to Goat Rock at 5.0 miles.  The official Kortum Trail continues along the bluffs from the Blind Beach parking lot, paralleling Highway 1 and Goat Rock Rd.

     Goat Rock is a massive monolith connected to the shore by a narrow isthmus.  We continued another half mile along steep Goat Rock Beach to the mouth of the Russian River across from Jenner. 

     Harbor seals played in the surf where the river meets the sea.  Dozen lounged on the beach, joined by brown pelicans.  This narrow beach becomes a nursery from March to July where hundreds of harbor seals come to give birth and nurse their young.  Signs and volunteers warn visitors to stay back at least 50 yards in order to not disturb the mothers and babies.

     Hiking back to our car, the cliffs glowed in the setting sun.  Our pace slowed.  It had taken us five leisurely hours to traipse the 11 mile journey, but we were in no hurry to leave this beautiful coast.

Best Times to Visit

Any time of year is good.  Choose a sunny day.  Check the weather report for winter rains or summer fog and wind.

Directions

Kortum Trail starts at the bluff parking lot above Wright’s Beach and travels north.  Take California Highway 1 north from Bodega Bay for seven miles or five miles south from Jenner.  The trail can also be accessed north of Wright’s Beach at Carlevaro Way or the Shell Beach parking lot.

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.

          We set out on a sunny afternoon with temperatures in the mid-30s.  It had been two days since the last storm.  The boughs of the pine forests that line the meadow were heavily laden with snow, and there was foot of light powder.  Conditions were perfect!

          We followed a trial down valley for a half mile, and then turned west into the woods, ascending, zig-zagging through the trees for another mile and a half.  Reaching the crest at 9,225 feet, Lake Tahoe emerged below us, deep blue, surrounded by snowy peaks.  There are few more beautiful sights in all of California.

          This spot is called Chickadee Ridge.  There is a small bird feeder, and dozens of chickadees flited from tree branch to feeder.  They are tiny gray birds with white cheeks and a black crown and bib.  Fearless and curious about us, they flew over to land on our caps and shoulders.

          The descent to the meadow was sheer joy.  Breaking trail, the deep powder made it easy to snake between the trees, effortlessly gliding through the woods.  We took our time, enjoying the still beauty of the winter forest.

Directions

Tahoe Meadows, at 8,500 feet, is on the southeast flank of Mt. Rose.  From Lake Tahoe’s Incline Village, drive east on Mt. Rose Highway (Hwy. 431) for 6.5 miles.  From Reno, drive west on Highway 431 for 17.2 miles from the Highway 395 junction.  You will see a long parking area by the side of the highway.  Snowmobiles are limited to the north side.  Tahoe Meadows is on the south.

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.

On a clear January morning, Ed, our volunteer guide, led us through sand dunes and thickets of willows.  He directed us on a winding path, giving wide birth to scattered single males. 

Cresting a dune, we starred in awe.  Scores of the pinnipeds lay fifteen feet below us.  Enormous males, 14-16 feet long, weighing two and a half tons, lay among their harems.  Their large, pendulous proboscis resembles an elephant’s trunk and gives the species its name. 

A male bachelor came too close, and the alpha bull reared and roared.  He lumbered toward his opponent, and the offending bachelor quickly retreated.  A mother cried, warning her pup to get out of the way to avoid being crushed.

Ed led us to another dune where a sandy peninsula stretched to the sea.  We looked down on an incredible wildlife scene, one of the largest breeding colonies of elephant seals in the world.

When to Go

Winter is the best time to visit, from mid-December to early March.  The males arrive in December, and bloody, violent fights for territory and dominance begin.  The winners, alpha bulls, gather the arriving females into harems of around 50 but some up to 100.  This is a rewarding but exhausting job.  A male will live for around 14 years, but it is rare for an alpha bull to maintain his dominance for more than one year.

          Within a few days of arrival, the females give birth to a single pup that weighs about 75 pounds. The pups nurse for less than a month and grow to 250-300 pounds!  The females mate several times with the alpha bull.  A bachelor might also sneak in for a quick mating.

          A month after giving birth, the females abruptly leave, deserting their pups.  By mid-march, almost all the adults have set out to sea.  The pups stay at Año Nuevo for another month, molting, losing their black fur for a silver coat.  They venture into the shallows to practice swimming and diving.  By the end of April, they leave, heading out into the Pacific to hunt for food.

An Incredible History

Valued for their blubber, which was used to make lamp oil, the northern elephant seal was hunted to the brink of extinction.  By the 1890s, only around 40 were known to still exist, breeding on Guadalupe Island off the coast of Baja.  Mexico and the U.S. outlawed hunting the seals in the 1920s.  Their recovery has been spectacular.  Today, their estimated numbers have climbed to 124,000.

          The first modern-day elephant seals arrived on Año Nuevo Island in 1955, and the first pup was born in 1961.  Today, more than 3,000 come to the island and mainland annually.

Where do they go?

Leaving their breeding grounds, the males strike out on one of the longest migrations of any marine mammal, a 7,500 mile journey.  Swimming north to Alaska and the Aleutians, they gorge on small sharks, octopus, skates, and eels.  They return to Año Nuevo for a month between May and September to molt, shedding patches of fur and skin, for a new coat.  Then they head back to sea to bulk up for the next mating season.

          Females migrate off the continental shelf to the deep Pacific where they feed on fish and squid.  Sharks, especially great whites, are the greatest threat, so they dive to depths the sharks cannot reach, sometimes more than a mile!  They return to Año Nuevo to molt for a month between April and June.

Tours and Cost

During the prime season, from December 15 to March 31, visitors must join a naturalist-guided walk.  They last two and a half hours and hike three miles.  The cost is $7 plus a state park parking fee.  For reservations, call 800-444-4445 or go to Anonuevo.reserveamerica.com.

Directions

Año Nuevo State Park is on Highway 1.  Drive 35 miles south from Half Moon Bay or 20 miles north from Santa Cruz.

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 with nature that comes easily when you venture into a snowy forest.

Winter Activities

The park is in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.  It has two cross-country skiing and snowshoe trails.  The 3.5-mile Parkway Loop Ski Trail climbs though forests of ponderosa pines, sugar pines, and incense cedars dotted with sequoias to an overlook of the Sierra.  The 1.5-mile North Grove Ski Trail loops through a world famous redwood grove.

          It had been three days since the last snowfall when we set out.  The Parkway Trail was a bit chewed up by snowshoes but its long gradual hills were a joy to ski.  The trail through the North Grove was trampled solid by hikers, so we walked.  It is awe-inspiring to traipse among the redwoods, when the forest has a deep blanket of snow.  If you catch it during or soon after a snowfall, you can experience the towering giants on skis.

          Sledding is also popular, and families were frolicking on long runs near the visitor center.  Check on snow conditions by calling the visitor center (209)795-3840 or (209)795-7980.

The Sequoias

California’s giant sequoias are the largest trees on earth, ranging over a narrow, 206-mile band of the western slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains between 4,000-8,400 feet.  There are 75 distinct groves, and two of them reside within the park.

          Early pioneer journals mention sightings of enormous trees, but they first came to the public’s attention in 1852.  Tracking a wounded grizzly, Augustus T Dowd wandered deep into the woods when he came upon a forest of colossal trees, much larger than any he had ever seen.  After the hunt, he brought others to see the giants, and the word spread.  The forest that Augustus stumbled upon is now the North Grove of Calaveras Big Trees State Park.

Equipment and Rentals

You can rent skis and snowshoes in Arnold, just 4 miles west of the park on Highway 4, at Sierra Nevada Adventure Company (209)795-9310 or Ebbetts Pass Sporting Goods (209)795-1686. Walking the park’s trails can be slippery, but attaching traction devices to your boots gives a firm grip on ice and snow.  They can be purchased at sporting goods stores.  We use ICEtrekkers.  Some other brands are Yaktrax, Kahtoola, or STABILicers.  

Places to Stay

There are four cabins for rent within the park starting at $165.  A Google search will turn up several inns in Arnold and lots of VRBO options.  Angels Camp is 25 miles from the park on Highway 4 and also has lots of lodging options.

Directions

To reach Calaveras Big Trees State Park, drive 35 minutes east on Highway 4 from Angels Camp.  The park is four miles beyond Arnold and 2.5 - 3 hours from the Bay Area.  For road conditions, call 1-800-427-7623.

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 stretched for 100 miles.

Hoodoos

Ancient rivers eroded the edge of Southern Utah’s Table Cliff Plateau forming pinnacles, spires and fins called hoodoos.  They are the “Legend People” of Piute lore, turned to stone by Coyote.  Walk the Rim Trail or drive the park’s road, stopping at overlooks.  The views are breathtaking and ever-changing, a photographers dream.

Hiking

Winter hiking on steep trails can be dangerous, but attaching traction devices to your boots gives you a firm grip on snow or ice.  You can buy them at sporting goods stores or at the park’s visitor center.  We use ICEtrekkers.  Some other brands are Yaktrax, Kahtoola, or STABILicers.   

On a bright, sunny day we descended into Bryce Amphitheater from Sunset Point on popular Navajo Loop Trail.  Reaching the canyon floor, we took the 3.7 mile Peekaboo Loop.  The snow was deep, but others had broken trail.  Hiking through forests of pinyon pines, fancifully shaped hoodoos towered around us.  We only saw only two other hikers on Peekaboo.

We returned to the rim on Queens Garden Trail.  This section has some of the most fantastic and whimsical formations.  We hiked through tunnels carved in the soft rock and assigned names to the hoodoos. “That one looks like a woman on a horse.” “There’s Abraham Lincoln!” A short side trail leads to a spot where if you use your imagination, you can see Queen Victoria overlooking her court.  Many of the courtiers wore tall white hats of snow.

Reaching the rim at Sunrise Point, we strolled the half mile back to our car.  The sun was dipping low in the west, casting long shadows from the hoodoos, such an eerie and beautiful sight, a great way to end our six-mile hike.

Winter Sports

Within the park, there are many cross-country ski routes above the rim.  Just outside the park, Ruby’s Inn offers 30km of groomed trails and ski rentals.

 Ruby’s also rents snowshoes for inside or outside the park.  Day time ranger-led snowshoe hikes start from the visitor center, and full-moon hikes are offered from November to March.  Snowshoes and poles are provided free of charge.  Call the visitor Center, 435-834-4747 for information and reservations.

Ruby’s also has a skating rink and rentals.

Where to Stay

Lodge at Bryce Canyon is the only lodging within the park.  It was built in 1925, but 2015-16 is the first time it will stay open all winter.  Rooms start at $121.

Ruby’s Inn is just outside the park.  Bryce View Lodge is across the street from Ruby’s.  Rooms for both start at $70.

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.

This scene is repeated, one group after another, on Staten Island in Cosumnes River Preserve.  They join thousands of other birds to settle in for the night.  We feel like we’ve stepped back in time to when humans were a minor species, and the skies of California’s Central Valley were darkened with flocks of migrating birds.

Just north of Stockton, the preserve is a short drive from most of the Bay Area or Sacramento, and it’s a nice place to take a break when you’re driving Highway 5.  Outdoor writer, Tom Stienstra, reports that an average of five million ducks and 1.5 million shorebirds migrate through or over-winter on California's Pacific Flyway. The ponds, marshes, river, and fields of Cosumnes are a major stopping point.

But sandhill cranes are the stars.  They stand five feet tall on legs that bend backward at the knee. Their plumage is gray with a red crown of featherless skin that turns bright when they are excited.  With long, stately necks and a seven foot wingspan, they have a dignified, ancient appearance.  Their roots are prehistoric, with fossil records dating back 2.5 million years.

A mated pair begins a courting ritual – circling, leaping with wings spread, calling in a complex duet.  They stretch their necks, toss heads back, and fling sticks and grass in the air – a joyous bonding dance.

Exploring the Cosumnes River Preserve

Hiking

Bird watching is not the only fun activity in the preserve.  Stop by the Visitor Center for a trail map.  You can stretch your legs and hike three miles on the River Walk Trail as it snakes through oak forests, open fields, on levees, and along the Cosumnes River.  Meander on the one-mile Lost Slough Wetlands walking through marshlands and ponds.  The ½ mile Boardwalk Trail winds deep into ponds for an up-close look at ducks, geese, herons, egrets, and dozens of other species.

Kayaking

Cosumnes River is the last undammed river flowing out of the Western Sierra.  It joins Mokelumne River in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, just downstream from the preserve.

            We put in on Middle Slough, near the Visitor Center, and paddled our inflatable double kayak through riparian forests.  Red-tailed hawks circled overhead.  A great egret with flowing white plumage waded near the shore.  She stopped, leaning forward.  Then lightning-quick, she pierced the shallows with her long beak and snatched a wriggling fish. Gulp.  After gliding a ½ mile of still water on the slough, we came to the river and explored the main channel and backwaters for a few hours.

Bring the Kids

Families with young children and toddlers in strollers were enjoying the preserve on the day of our visit.  The kids delighted in spotting rabbits and ground squirrels.  They shared in the excitement of watching hundreds of birds get spooked, suddenly take off, and circle overhead, or of seeing a skein of Canada geese glide in for a splashy landing on a pond.

Best Times to Visit

Millions of birds migrate on the pacific Flyway from fall through spring.  When winter storms hit Northern California, waterfowl head for the Central Valley and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.  The greater sandhill cranes arrive in October and over-winter on the preserve.  Lesser sandhill cranes pass through on their way to Mexico from their breeding grounds in Siberia, Alaska and Canada.  The best time to see cranes is around dawn and dusk.  Drive Staten Island Rd., pullover, get out, and watch a spectacular show as hundreds fly out of the fields in the morning and return late in the day.

Getting There

The Visitor Center, 13501 Franklin Blvd., Galt, CA.  is approximately 25 miles north of Stockton. 

Driving north on Highway 5: Take exit 493, and drive north on Thorton Rd. to Franklin Blvd.  Continue on Franklin.  Look for the Visitor Center sign

Driving south on Highway 5: Take exit 498, turn left (east) on Twin Cities Rd, right on Franklin Blvd.  Look for the Visitor Center sign.

The Visitor Center will provide you with directions to great viewing sites including Staten Island Rd and Woodbridge Ecological Reserve.

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 serene redwoods, emerges into an open manzanita and oak forest, then back to redwoods.  Continuing along the rolling ridgeline, the forests alternate for 3.5 miles until McCurdy Trail.  Descend McCurdy for 1.7 miles to Highway 1.  This is not a well maintained trail, but it is popular with mountain bikers who keep it from becoming overgrown.  Initially it is steep, but it soon enters the forest and becomes more gradual.  Leaving the forest, hike the final mile through beautiful, rolling grasslands, descending into the wooded Olema Valley.  You are walking down to the San Andreas Fault.

Turn left on Highway 1 for a brief walk on the shoulder.  Turn right on Horseshoe Hill Road, a quiet forested country lane passing by small homesteads.  Turn right on Olema Bolinas Road, and hike the walking path along the road into Bolinas.

Second Alternative:  Descend from the ridge on Bolinas-Fairfax Road.  We try to avoid walking on roads, but this one is very pretty with little traffic.  It winds through the forest with periodic windows that open to Bolinas Lagoon and the Pacific.  Hike the road for 4.3 miles to Highway 1.  Cross the highway and walk the path along Olema Bolinas Road into Bolinas.

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. Click here to purchase the Santa Catalina to Newport Beach inn to inn vacation guide.

“A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on
arriving.”
- Lao-tzu, Tao Te Ching

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. Click here to purchase the Santa Monica to Santa Catalina guide.

“Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the
mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and
teach some of us more than we can ever learn from
books.”
- John Lubbock, The Use of Life

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 Ventura/L.A. County line.  Day 1 (7.9 miles) hikes a series of state and county beaches separated by rocky points that may require some bouldering or a hike along the bluffs.  Except for the forces of erosion and a few human staircases, this protected shoreline has remained unchanged since this land was Chumash.

Flocks of shorebirds stop on their migration along the Pacific Flyway.  Pelican, gulls, and shore birds feed in the bountiful waters.  Harbor seals and sea lions rest on rocky outcroppings.  A school of dolphins may glide by, just beyond the surf, black dorsal fins cresting with each breath.

End the first day at Zuma County Beach.  Take a swim, and enjoy the people-watching.  Then check into the Malibu Country Inn, a refurbished classic 1950s style SoCal motel.  Your room may have a private deck and even a fireplace.

Day 2 (11.4 miles) hikes to Malibu.  Leaving Zuma, you ascend Pt. Dume, a towering ancient volcanic cone, 200 feet high, rising abruptly at the ocean’s edge.  A state nature preserve, this is a great place to pause and watch for gray whales as they migrate between warm Baja mating and calving lagoons and the rich feeding waters of the arctic sea.

There are challenging stretches when you will need to leave the shore to hike coastal bluffs or through the neighborhoods.  Our guide describes when to set out so you can hike around rocky points at low tide.  Round Malibu Point and stroll Surfrider Beach.  Explore the preserved coastal wetlands of Malibu Lagoon.  Pelicans, cormorants, ducks, coots, and night herons relax in the calm waters.

Set out on the graceful arc of Carbon Beach on Day 3 (12.4 miles).  Hike shore and sidewalk before reaching expansive state Beaches – Will Rogers and Santa Monica.  The Ferris wheel on Santa Monica Pier comes into view.  Hike along the water’s edge or stroll the South Bay Bicycle Trail.  Either way is a celebration of Southern California beach life – surfing, volleyball, swimming, sunbathing, Frisbees, rollerblading, kites, bikes, and dogs  End your day in Santa Monica.  Check out the tacky pleasures of the pier and the plentiful bars and restaurants on Third Street Promenade.

Enjoy fun inns and great dining.  This shoreline is wild, challenging, and beautiful - a treasure of bountiful sea life, rugged coastline, exquisite beaches and towering mountains.  Leave the car behind, and take a Walkabout on the Malibu Coast.

The Malibu Coast Walkabout is one of the multi-day hikes found in “Walkabout Malibu to Mexico: Hiking Inn-to-Inn on the southern California Coast.”  It can also be purchased as an individual guide.

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 California.

This 66-mile, four-day walkabout starts in the foothill town of Auburn and descends downstream, along the river. (The first two days of this walkabout make for a fun weekend inn-to-inn hike.) Along the way you will visit a country B&B, inns on the river bank, and a luxurious resort and spa. Hike back in time through the old towns of Auburn, Folsom, and Sacramento and enjoy saloons, a brew pub, live music, and some excellent restaurants. Walk in the footsteps of the pioneers, hiking inn-to-inn through the Sierra foothills along the American River.

We are rapidly descending into the spring and we are leaving our snowy region far
behind; everything is getting green; butterflies are swarming; numerous bugs are
creeping out, wakened from their winter’s sleep, and the forest flowers are coming
into bloom.
      ~ John C. Fremont, March 1, 1844 journal entry along the American River

$6.99

Visit the Walkabout store to learn more about this and other guides to hiking from inn-to-inn through the wilds of California.

One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.
        ~Henry Miller

With 71,000 acres of coastal hills, dense forests, pristine beaches, and 140 miles of hiking trails, Pt. Reyes National Seashore is a walkabout paradise. It is only an hour and a half north of San Francisco by car or bus. This walkabout explores the central portion of the park. You’ll stay at lovely inns in Olema and Pt. Reyes Station and a hostel set deep in the park where you can commune with deer, bobcat, and other residents of this enchanted wilderness.

This is an easy 24.8 mile walkabout over three hiking days. Stay an extra day or two and explore the esteros and miles of beautiful beaches. Enjoy hiking from inn-to-inn on the wild coast of California.

$6.99

Visit the Walkabout store to purchase this guide, Walkabout Northern California - the book, or other inn to inn hiking vacation guides.

“Find joy in the sky, in the trees, in the flowers,
There are flowers everywhere, For those who want to see them.”

- Henri Matisse

Hike the coastal bluffs and forests of America’s western edge, some of the most beautiful country in California.  This moderate 41-mile, 4-day Walkabout starts in Marin Headlands, just 10 minutes from the Golden Gate Bridge, and hikes to Point Reyes National Seashore.

The first two days are an easy stroll, perfect for a weekend adventure.  Day 1 (7miles) traverses coastal hills and cliffs above the Pacific to Muir Beach. Settle in at the Pelican Inn. Modeled after a 16^th century English country public house, you can enjoy its convivial pub and restaurant, while transported to a bygone era.  Or savor a stay at the serene Green Gulch Zen Farm and ascend to a higher plane while dining on delicious vegetarian fare.

Climb the flank of Mt. Tam on Day 2 (6.8miles).  Then descend through a redwood forest to Stinson Beach.  Explore the many delights of this charming seaside village – restaurants, bars, shops, and miles of State Beach.

Walk to fun and friendly Bolinas on Day 3 (13.5 miles) by hiking up Willow Camp Trail.  Below you, views unfold of the small boats of the fishing fleet; freighters sailing in and out of the Gate; and on a clear day, the Farallon Islands jutting out of the Pacific, 27 miles off shore.

The final leg of the journey (14 miles) travels through 4 miles of ranchland before entering Point Reyes National Seashore.  Hike the spine of the coastal range through spruce, bay, and fir forest before descending into Olema Valley.  Savor your final miles hiking Rift Zone Trail into Olema, where a handful of B&Bs await you.  You have hiked through some of the most spectacular wilderness in California while enjoying enchanting coastal hamlets, elegant inns, and wonderful dining - hiking inn-to-inn on the Marin Coast.

The Marin Coast Walkabout is one of a dozen inn-to-inn hikes found in “Walkabout Northern California: Hiking Inn to Inn.”  It can also be purchased as an individual guide.

$6.99

“Why not walk in the direction of life, enjoying peace in each moment with every step? There is no need to struggle. Enjoy each step. We have already arrived.”

-Thich Nhat Hanh

This is a challenging 41.6 mile hike that crosses the Sierra Nevada from east to west. It passes through some of the most breathtaking parts of these majestic mountains, traveling along the trail of the pony express and in the footsteps of adventurers who once sought fortune in the gold rush of the mid-1800s.

There are three days of hiking, each ending at a beautiful mountain resort. Take an extra rest day or two, and enjoy the good food, peaceful settings and a relaxing sauna. The hike crosses Carson Pass and West Pass. The longest day is nineteen miles. The trek is perhaps made easier knowing that earlier travelers on this route were hauling all their worldly possessions over the passes by wagon. Walk back into history and across the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

$6.99

“You can’t see anything from a car, you have got to get out of the god-damned contraption and walk…”
-Edward Abbey