#peakbagger — Public Fediverse posts

We had a rest day, or more accurately a free day, in the middle of the week. I headed out to tag the Bigfoot Trail before some peakbagging and got three takers for the escapade. We went up Sugarloaf Mountain, pondered Minnie Lake, then even more climbing to Solomon Peak.

For more information, check here https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2026/06/last-camp-sugarloaf-mountain-minnie.html

#California #TehamaCounty #TrinityCounty #MendocinoNationalForest #YollaBollyMiddleEelWilderness
#hiking #backpacking #nature #landscape #travel #hike #outside #mountains #peakBagging #peakbagger #BigfootTrail

[1/3] Once more into the Trinity Alps Wilderness, this time to wander among many cabins. The 1st day of the 3 day loop started with flowers on the way to long sections of ridge walking. It featured many birds and burned areas to complete the day where a fire lookout once stood at the top of Cabin Peak. Except the day wasn't quite done because we did still need to get back to camp.

For more details, check here: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2026/05/cabins-limestone-ridge-and-cabin-peak.html

#California #SiskiyouCounty #TrinityCounty #KlamathNationalForest #TrinityNationalForest #ShastaTrinityNationalForest #TrinityAlpsWilderness
#hiking #backpacking #nature #landscape #travel #hike #outside #mountains #peakbagging #firelookout #peakbagger

In the West Salmon Mountains of Trinity Alps Wilderness, day 2 followed better trail, as we headed up to Horse Ridge Trail along Horse Trail Ridge, tagging Trinity Summit (Guard Station) and North Trinity Mountain along the way. It hardly ever lost us!

More details here: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2026/04/trinity-trinity-summit-and-horse-trail.html

#California #HumboldtCounty #TrinityCounty #SixRiversNationalForest #TrinityNationalForest #ShastaTrinityNationalForest #TrinityAlpsWilderness #SalmonMountains
#hiking #backpacking #nature #landscape #travel #hike #outside #mountains #peakbagging #peakbagger

2nd day: Starting off fighting snow, heading north on the PCT as the trail eventually gets to a ridge line walk. We headed up, appropriately, Big Ridge for the day's destination, then returned to Paradise Lake.

All the details: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2026/04/paradise-big-ridge.html

#California #SiskiyouCounty #KlamathNationalForest #MarbleMountainWilderness #PacificCrestTrail #PCT
#backpacking #hiking #nature #landscape #travel #hike #outside #mountains #peakbagging #peakbagger #snow #lakes

Day 2 had the one peak to bag with its Buena Vista as well as some beautiful lakes to stop by: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2025/08/buena-yosemite-buena-vista-lake-and.html

#YosemiteNationalPark #California #MariposaCounty #MaderaCounty #YosemiteWilderness
#hiking #backpacking #nature #landscape #travel #hike #outside #Yosemite #peakBagging #peakbagger

Day 3 was moving day and had lots of free time, so I got to hike the Wilderness high point, which happens to be the Mendocino National Forest high point too!

More here: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2025/06/south-yolla-bolly-mount-linn.html

#California #TehamaCounty #MendocinoNationalForest #YollaBollyMiddleEelWilderness
#hiking #nature #landscape #travel #hike #outside #backpacking #peakbagging #peakbagger #volunteering #NRT #BigfootTrail

Day 4 was for returning, but there was enough time for one more peak and a visit to the triple point. Water from there variously goes into the Smith River (via middle fork), the Illinois River (via east fork), and Klamath River (via Clear Creek).

The details: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2025/06/preston-youngs-peak.html

#California #KlamathNationalForest #SiskiyouWilderness #SiskiyouNationalForest #RogueRiverSiskiyouNationalForest #SiskiyouCounty #DelNorteCounty #SmithRiverNationalRecreationArea

#hiking #nature #landscape #travel #hike #outside #backpacking #peakBagging #peakbagger

Day 3 had thoughts of some diversions, then different, better, actual diversions while making some of the return. The higher, but not highest, peak was bagged.

The details: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2025/05/preston-el-capitan.html

#California #KlamathNationalForest #SiskiyouWilderness #SiskiyouCounty #ElCapitan #notThatOne

#hiking #nature #landscape #travel #hike #outside #backpacking #peakbagging #peakbagger

Next, the hike:
https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2025/05/black-rock-mountain-lookout.html
which visited the old Guard Station location and then climbed to the fire lookout location. Only one is still standing and none were entered.

#California #TrinityCounty #TehamaCounty #ShastaTrinityNationalForest #YollaBollyMiddleEelWilderness

#hiking #dayhike #ShastaTrinityNF #TrinityNF #YollaBolly #fireLookout #nature #wilderness #publicLands #TrinityNationalForest #landscape #hike #travel #outside #peakbagger #peakbagging

Although a little busy on a weekend day and a little bit on road, this was a surprisingly nice hike to a peak and old lookout site where the view really opened out.
Details all here: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2024/10/monument-peak-and-eagle-rock-lookout.html
#California #TrinityCounty #ShastaTrinityNationalForest #MonumentPeak

#hiking #dayhike #ShastaTrinityNF #nature #landscape #travel #hike #outside #mountains #peakbagging #TrinityNationalForest #firelookout #ruins #peakbagger

Here's the easy way to get up Hayfork Bally, if you don't want the 8.5 mile lesser maintained trail and Jeep road route:
https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2024/10/hayfork-bally-lookout-and-high-point.html
#California #ShastaTrinityNationalForest #TrinityCounty #HayforkBally

#hiking #nature #landscape #travel #hike #outside #dayhike #mountains #peakbagging #peakbagger #peak #lookout #firelookout #TrinityNationalForest #Hayfork #PNW

Just a quick bit of peak bagging, looking for a lookout:
https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2024/09/limedyke-mountain.html
#USA #California #ShastaTrinityNF #TrinityCounty #LimedykeMountain

#hiking #outside #peakbagger

I decided it was time for a little peak bagging, complete with lookout. Oh, and a waterfall to check out and still on the Bigfoot Trail route.
Details are here: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2024/09/philpot-waterfall-and-plummer-peak.html
#California #TrinityCounty #ShastaTrinityNationalForest

#hiking #nature #landscape #travel #hike #outside #dayhike #TrinityNationalForest #peakbagger #peakbagging #peak #firelookout #waterfall

Day 2 wasn't far, but had excursions to make it longer than the first. Out along Hanson Ridge and up to the fire lookout on Grasshopper Mountain and one that shall simply be known simply as The Excursion.

New blog post: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2024/04/grasshopper-hanson-ridge-excursion-and.html

#California #HumboldtCounty #HumboldtRedwoodsStatePark #hiking #nature #landscape #travel #hike #outside #backpacking #mountains #peakbagging #peakbagger #loophike #big trees #forest #prairie

The weather was fine for a trip up Corey Peak, high enough for a little crust of snow in places.

New blog post: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2023/12/corey-peak.html

#hiking #peakbagging #peakbagger #Nevada #StillwaterBLM #desert #mountains #nature #landscape #hike #outside #CoreyPeak #travel #blogpost

I finished the day popping up to a little peak for the view and a geocache.

New blog post: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2023/12/below-corey-peak.html

#USA #Nevada #ToiyabeNF #HumboldtToiyabeNF

#hiking #dayhike #nature #landscape #travel #hike #outside #mountains #peakbagging #peakbagger

A journey to the high point of the Garfield Hills. It's a 2000 foot prominence peak, so "hills" seems a bit of a misnomer.

New blog post: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2023/12/garfield-hills-high-point.html

#USA #Nevada #StillwaterBLM #GreatBasin

#dayhike #desert #peakbagging #mountains #nature #outside #landscape #hiking #travel #hike #peakbagger #views

Some more peak bagging, but staying warmer by keeping lower. (Probably more useful was the lack of wind.) Exploring some area mining on the way up, too.

New blog post: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2023/12/mable-mountain-of-garfield-hills.html

#USA #Nevada #GreatBasin #StillwaterBLM #GarfieldHills #MableMountain
#hiking #dayhike #mine #ruins #nature #desert #landscape #travel #hike #outside #mountains #peakbagging #peakbagger

A hike to see a striking, but rather short, peak. Then on to a taller, but not so striking, peak. The geology of the Esmeralda Formation (I think) dominates interesting patches along the way.

New blog post: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2023/12/castle-peak-and-norman-benchmark.html

#USA #Nevada #GreatBasin #TonopahBLM #MonteCristoRange
#hiking #dayhike #peakbagger #peakbagging #desert #basinandrange #EsmeraldaFormation #geology #nature #landscape #travel #hike #outside #mountains

Poking around The Crater. Because volcanos are fun!

New blog post: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2023/12/the-crater.html

#hiking #GreatBasin #desert #volcano #nature #landscape #Nevada #TonopahBLM #basinandrange #mountains #travel #hike #outside #dayhike #peakbagging #peakbagger

I set out to get to the top of Silver Peak and finished off Red Mountain too. Who could turn down that ridge walk?

New blog post: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2023/12/silver-peak-and-red-mountain.html

#USA #Nevada #TonopahBLM #SilverPeakRange #SilverPeak #RedMountain #GreatBasin
#hiking #peakbagging #peakbagger #basinandrange #desert #landscape #nature #travel #hike #outside #mountains

More peak bagging in the Silver Peak Range! Grand views of the edge of the Great Basin and more from atop Rhyolite Ridge.

New blog post: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2023/12/rhyolite-ridge.html

#hiking #Nevada #desert #peakbagging #peakbagger #TonopahBLM #nature #views #landscape #GreatBasin #USA #travel #hike #outside #mountains #dayhike #SilverPeakRange #naturephotography #landscapephotography

Now is the time for the long hike up Emigrant Peak!

New blog post here: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2023/12/emigrant-peak-from-emigrant-pass.html

#hiking #dayhike #Nevada #TonopahBLM #desert #deserthiking
#desertphotography #landscapephotography #naturephotography #landscape #nature #geology #rocks #blogpost #travel #hike #outside #mountains #SilverPeakRange #peakbagging #peakbagger #peak

Back to peak bagging with a stroll along the Silver State Trail (first nationally recognized… er… OHV trail) to the top of Grey Dome and back.

New blog post: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2023/11/grey-dome-sugarloaf.html

#Nevada #ElyBLM #CalienteBLM #SilverStateTrail #ChiefMountainOHVRecreationArea #ChiefMountainSouthTrailhead #GreyDome #Sugarloaf #hiking #peakbagging #peakbagger #nature #landscape #travel #hike #outside #dayhike #mountains #desert

I stopped by an old corral to make a trailless hike to the highest point of the Fat South Egans Wilderness. It is a rugged place, but folks have discovered a route that is very straightforward right to the top.

New blog post here: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2023/11/shingle-peak.html

#hiking #nature #landscape #travel #hike #outside #dayhike #mountains #peakbagging #Nevada #ElyBLM #CalienteBLM #peakbagger #trailfree #publiclands #FarSouthEgansWilderness
#FarSouthEgans

The final day in South Egan Range Wilderness, I headed up a peak erroneously identified as the high point on a trailhead sign. Though easy on one side, it is a high cliff on the other. I stopped to check on a spring first, then hiked a long way out with dark falling before I finished.

New post: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2023/11/south-egan-alternate-peak.html

#hiking #nature #landscape #hike #outside #mountains #peakbagging #SouthEganRangeWilderness #ElyBLM #desert #peakbagger #backpacking #publiclands #cliffs

My second day backpacking the South Egan Range Wilderness, I climbed up the high point in the morning. That's Adams benchmark. Then I got back to Ninemile Canyon for water, then traveled down to Sheep Pass Canyon and found camp on a small branch.

New blog post here: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2023/11/south-egan-adams-benchmark.html

#hiking #nature #landscape #travel #hike #outside #mountains #peakbagging #peakbagger #highpoint #SouthEganRangeWilderness #Nevada #BristleconeBLM #CalienteBLM #ElyBLM #backpacking #publiclands

A little exploration of the of the mountain bike oriented trails around the edge of Ward Mountain. They are gentle climbs as is typical, but they get places while doing it, which is quite nice. I tagged an extra minor peak at the high point, too. Got even more views that way.

More: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2023/11/ward-mountain-loop-gl.html

#hiking #nature #landscape #travel #hike #dayhike #outside #mountains #peakbagging #peakbagger #Nevada #HumboldtToiyabeNF #HumboldtNF #WardMountainRecreationArea #WardMountain #publiclands

Second day of my quick overnight was a bit more time on the ridge until I was, well, done with the ridge, then down into the larger South Fork of Timber Creek.

New blog post here: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2023/11/highest-schells-south-fork-timber-creek.html

#hiking #nature #landscape #travel #hike #outside #mountains #peakbagging #peakbagger #Nevada #HumboldtNationalForest #HumboldtNF #HumboldtToiyabeNationalForest #HumboldtToiyabeNF #HighSchellsWilderness #publiclands #wilderness #Nevadawilderness #backpacking