My birthday dawns grey and windy, yet still buggy. Ann improvises a windbreak to speed up coffee making. Ann with stove ring The clouds and a few brief mists of rain actually make for pleasant hiking with Rockbound Valley to our west as we leave Desolation Wilderness. Rockbound valley Leaving Desolation Wilderness We reach Richardson…

Today a new character enters our trail drama: the Mosquito. And a zillion or so of her friends. The head nets come out starting with the first coffee. Coffee sans mosquitos Our appetites are big enough now to hang with the PCT hikers in front of the Echo Chalet general store, making multiple trips inside.…

We could almost sell backpacking as a luxury vacation with today’s hike. Sean wakes up with us and ferries us to the trailhead. After Ann does a headstand on the picnic table of course. With Sean at Big Meadow campground Picnic table headstand A breakfast break at Round lake features acrobatic swallows for entertainment. Ann…

The day is packed with fine trail experiences. In the morning we meet Erica, the only other hiker we come across who is also going for a full circuit, but in the opposite direction. We hope she made it! Shortly after we’re greeted by the lovely Star lake, where we enjoy a bath and a…

We’re curious today to experience the Heavenly ski resort for the first time in the summer, on foot. What we don’t know is that our planning information leaves out at least four miles between trailheads there, making a much longer day for us than we were counting on. Any day that begins with hot coffee…

Our concern today is questionable water sources. It seems that Spooner lake will be the only sure bet for water, and it’s a ways off the trail. We start up Snow Valley peak with plenty of water from the campground well. West rim trail On the way to Spooner summit we meet a veteran hiker…

I asked for a good hike to celebrate my 40th birthday. For a while it seemed uncertain, with Ann’s work situation changing and dates impossible to pin down. Then suddenly we were bagging food, packing packs, and finding friends to give us rides. Next thing I knew our friend Nick was dropping us off on…

After a shaky night of sleep I’m up early anticipating my birthday hike on the Tahoe Rim Trail. I’ll probably post tracks afterward, but have no plans to blog during the hike. I may indulge in some twitter. Right now the #TahoeRimTrail is pretty quiet there, but I’m guessing we’ll encounter lots of outdoorists on…

Time is short for writing as I prepare for my birthday hike, but this was an amazing 4-day desert backpack trip with Friends of Nevada Wilderness. We monitored springs, climbed Pahute Peak, and enjoyed good company. There are a lot of springs out there, but not much water! I gained new respect for the creatures…