Super bloom at Lake Elsinore, California

A super bloom is a sudden outbreak of wildflowers that exceeds a regular spring bloom. After the heavy rain and colder weather this winter in Southern California, enough water was locked in the soil for dormant wildflower seeds to sprout and produce colorful wildflowers. Desert wildflowers usually bloom only for a short period of time, […]

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Araby Trail: wildflowers, and a storm brewing

It’s not a secret that Araby Trail is my favorite hiking trail in Palm Springs. I use it as a workout trail, a show-my-friends-the-town-from-above trail, get-out-of-the-house-trail, and just-enjoy-the-outdoors trail. Today I wanted to see whether the recent severe rain falls (that closed several of the man streets in Palm Springs) did any damage to the […]

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Best of 2017

2017 wasn’t unkind to me. I had quite a few (mini) adventures and loved most of the year. Trying to pick a few “bests” and “favorites” wasn’t quite as easy as I expected. But here it goes: Best unplanned adventure – a friend and I were waiting for the Lowest Glow on Earth balloon festival […]

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Hiker’s Coffee Hour – 10/13/17 edition

Grab a cup of coffee, sit down comfortably and read the stories of hikers, some who hiked all or part of the Pacific Crest Trail, some who hiked the Appalachian Trail, many who hiked local trails. Their stories and experiences are fun – and sometimes scary – to follow. Relax, sit back and read: Following […]

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12 Tips for staying hydrated during your hike

hiking hydration

With the fall weather bringing temperatures down, the hiking season has started again here in Southern California. After a fairly long summer break – about 5 months for me – I have to re-learn the tricks of hiking safely. I noticed after my last hike that shortly after the hike I felt fatigued and a […]

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