2024 is the first year since I left full time work in 2013 that I didn’t take a multi-month trip, but the quality of this trip helped to make up for it. I first targeted Junction Peak (13888′) in the Sierra thinking I’d head home shortly after but things opened up for me to stay on the road a bit longer. Junction Peak was an important one. A good friend, Tom Waggoner, had tragically passed away early this year. He’d wanted to climb Junction Peak so I carried some of his ashes to the top. It was also my first tougher hike since developing an overuse injury the previous fall. I took the long way, a gorgeous four days over Kearsarge Pass and along the John Muir Trail to Forrester Pass before making the scramble to near Junction’s summit. I had to stop about 20 feet below the top due to ice, I let the wind take Tom’s ashes which carried straight over the top so it seemed meant to be.

After Junction Peak my girlfriend came out for a few fun days, then I worked my way up to the apex of my trip, Walker Lake in Nevada. Walker is an interesting place – a giant desert lake with few people around and the country’s largest weapons depot on the south end. Mt Grant is a high and prominent peak next to the lake, for which I got permission from Hawthorne Weapons Depot to make the long drive and short hike to the summit. After a few days around Walker I worked my way back south, tagging a handful of fun Nevada summits before crossing back into California for a few more before home. I finished with a day hike of Olancha Peak, at 24 miles and over 6000′ gain, the toughest hike I’ve done in several years. Here’s what I got to on this trip:

California: Junction Peak, Kearsarge Lake hike and Cerro Gordo (with Eris), Cloudripper, Wild Willy Hot Springs, Panum Crater and Mono Lake, Mt Dana

Nevada: Walker Lake, Mt Grant, Buckley Benchmark, Corey Peak, Garfield Hills, Pilot Peak and Belleville Mine, Fish Creek Valley Hot Springs, Lone Mountain, Alkali Hot Springs, Stonewall Mountain

Back in California: Pinto Peak (Death Valley), Coso Peak, Olancha Peak

The pictures in this gallery are from a few miscellaneous “local” hikes I got to the last few months. Its getting much tougher to find new hikes in SoCal, at least ones that are picture worthy.

-Devils Peak – one of the few 5000’+ peaks in Socal that isn’t on the HPS list

-Temescal (repeat, but by bike this time from Santa Monica, 28mi roundtrip). Bobcat sighting (2nd from last pic)

-Topanga Canyon and Hearst Peaks (with Eris Ng)

-La Sierra Hills and Pumpkin Rock (with Phillip Stinis)

-Oat Mountain – a prominent peak north of LA with great views and leftovers from an old missle site to explore. Several helicopters were practicing maneuvers while we were exploring here.

This was a quick trip to Colorado to climb Culebra Peak and meet with a friend for his 14ers finish. Culebra (14047′) is the highest privately owned mountain in the world and permits can be tough to get. It is also one of the 143 P4ks (4000ft of prominence) in the 48 states, and was my 137th. It was a gorgeous hike and relatively easy as far as 14ers go. The following day I met with friend Manoj who would complete his Colorado 14ers on Pikes Peak. I first met Manoj on Mt. Elbrus in Russia in 2007! I waited for him at the top with his family and friends and celebrated after. A satisfying few days in Colorado…

Along with friend Tony (aka Grog Supervolcano), we flew to El Paso with our sights set on hiking the high points of two of Texas’ most prominent ranges. We first hiked Mt. Emory, the high point of Big Bend National Park, then Mt Baldy, a lesser known peak that is only opened to the public four times per year. Mt. Emory marks my 136th 4000ft prominence peak in the continental US, leaving me with just 6 left to finish that list. Baldy is one of the most isolated peaks in the country, 95+ miles to the next higher mountain. The most challenging part was the heat, so we were up early for both hikes, making the summits near sunrise. We finished off with beers at the pool and tacos in El Paso…

Utah is the one place where I arrive with several weeks worth of things I want to do and leave with an even longer list for the next trip. I’ve made ten trips or so to Southern Utah, some over a month long, and I just can’t get enough.

Like most of my trips here, this was a mix of summits, canyon hikes, and exploring ruins and pictographs.  I spent time in Grand Staircase NM, Capitol Reef NP, Glenn Canyon NRA, and Bear’s Ears NM, driving several hundred miles off road.  I also spent a little time in Arizona on my to Utah and back. Brief visits with friends Tyler Potzler and Matt Jones were highlights.  Things I got to on this trip:

-Arizona summit hikes – Kaibob Plateau, Kendrick, Sitgreaves, Bill Williams, Mt Floyd, Peacock

-Utah summit hikes – Barney Top, Impossible Peak, Lamp Stand, P5619, Ellsworth, Land’s End, Windgate (attempt)

-Other hikes, etc. (viewpoints, ruins, pictographs) – Upper Muley, Strike Valley Overlook, North Wash (cycling), Perfect Panel, Doll House, Slickhorn Canyon ruins (multiple forks over two days)

-Notable off road drives – The Maze from Hite (80+ miles roundtrip), Hite to Bear’s Ears via Woodenshoe Road (50+ miles), Star Springs Road (~30 miles)