I LOVE BACKPACKING. period.

I need to do this more often. There is absolutely nothing that compares to being 7 miles (on foot) away from anything resembling reality. The serene quiet of the forest puts a simple, happy feeling in my heart and clears my mind. There are more stars than you can imagine when you get away from distracting city lights. Animals playing become the most fascinating thing, you forget all about television and movies and technology. The rushing water of a simple stream is enchanting, and a necessity if you want to survive out there. Mac and Cheese is a meal fit for a king after a long day of hiking with a 40 lb pack on your shoulders. The pitter patter of rainfall on your tent is soothing, like a lullaby in the dark of night. Imagination takes over and Rock throwing for accuracy eats up your time. Mt. San Gorgonio called my name and I responded. Angel was a trooper, joining me for 3 days and 2 nights in the wilderness :). I know a lot of people who couldn't hack it out there, and I'm glad he was up to the challenge!

Mt. Baden Powell

So, I've attempted this hike a few times before, but never made it to the top. Reasons ranging from starting too late to getting too cold to hiking alone... OH MY GAHHHH, why did I ever wait??? It's 4 miles up at a pretty steep grade (2800' elevation gain). At the top we were exactly 9,399 feet in the air!! Thin air up there, but soooo gorgeous :). Well worth the sweat and aching legs!

Baden Powell was named after the Boy Scout Founder back in the day and at the top is a sort of monument/compass with boy scout writings all around it - very cool. You need the trusty adventure pass to park here, up the 138 to Hwy 2 past Wrightwood.

Palos Verdes tidepools

We went looking for an old shipwreck, but the tidepools were so sweet that we never found the wreckage! Crabbies everywhere, sea urchins, seals out on the rocks. Sadly we also found a couple of dead seals on the beach which, in their own way, were beautiful on their own. It was a foggy day, making the hillsides even more serene.

White Water Rafting - Upper Kern

Memorial Day Weekend 2009 - absolutely fantastic!!!!!!!!!
We camped out with Mountain & River Adventures along the upper section of the Kern River in Sequoia National Park. SUCH a beautiful area and the greatest adventure trip I've had in a while :). What made it even better was that I got to do it with my 3 best girls in the world. We learned a lot this weekend, about ourselves, teamwork, dedication and hard work. There were a few scary moments, but we pulled through like champs and ultimately had a blast.

Mtn River has the most awesome guides/cooks/hosts we could ever ask for. Emily, Sanders and Jim navigated those waters beautifully and gave us a great time and even better memories. What was really cool though, was to be able to come back to camp after a hard day of paddling to have your tents set up and waiting, take a hot shower, and settle in for beer and appetizers with the rest of the group - all of this provided by our guides! They cooked amazing meals that we could not have possibly done ourselves and even played a few rounds of beer pong with our rowdy crowd. 10,000 thumbs up to the whole crew!!

Trail Canyon Falls

This one is up off of Big Tujunga Canyon Road north of the 210 fwy. A super hot hike in blazing sun the day we tried it, but definitely worth it in the end! The pool below the falls was actually kinda warm compared to some, and we splashed around in it for almost an hour before heading back. 2 thumbs up! but watch out for rattlesnakes, we unknowingly took a water break right next to one..

Switzer Falls!!

Finally we got to use our Adventure Pass again!! It was the perfect day for a great hike, and the falls were flowing beautifully :) This hike is just off Highway 2 in the Angeles Forest and comes highly recommended, as long as you go during the week so it's not too crowded. Check out more pics HERE!