Range Great Basin Ranges
This peak is officially my favorite of the trip. It’s remote, has challenging access, and is wonderfully wild. No real trails mar its landscape. The views are captivating, and it’s just hard enough to remember yet easy enough to conquer in a day. By my standards, it’s almost ideal peak. Getting to the trailhead is…
Range Great Basin Ranges
After an easy hike to Star Peak, I still have plenty of time and no plans for today. Consulting maps and satellite images, Mount Lewis looks like an easy target and is more or less on the way to Pilot Peak. Obviously, I head towards it and soon park on the unpaved roadside, not far…
Range Great Basin Ranges
Waking up in Reno and drove a couple of hundred kilometers to the geothermal plant. I then turned right onto a reasonably good unpaved road, which soon became steep and then even steeper. A few sections really required a high-clearance 4WD car. Although it’s not impossible with a mini SUV (I switched to manual gear…
Range Great Basin Ranges
Early afternoon, after a few hours’ drive from Mount Rose south of Reno, I approach Virginia Peak, northwest of Reno and near Pyramid Lake. It’s the second Ribu today. I drive up unpaved Microwave Rd., and the road name hilariously matches the warning sign at the top about potential radiation—maybe I’ll shine today like casino…
Range Sierra Nevada
Checking the calendar and map of the peak I want to climb, it becomes obvious that I have a buffer day. Since I appreciate the price and comfort of the casino hotel in Reno, I decide to stay an extra night. I plan to bag two Ribus and spend the rest of the time catching…
Range Northwest U.S. Coast Ranges
There are three ultra prominent peaks in relative proximity: Mount Shasta, Lassen Peak, and Mount Eddy. After a successful Lassen Peak climb, my attention turned to Mount Eddy. Like with most of the other peaks on this trip, there was a risk of being inaccessible due to snow. I gave it a try and relaxed…
Range Cascade Range
At this season Lassen Peak is a bit of a lottery. It is high enough and far north enough to be covered in snow in mid-June. After reading some month-old reports, I concluded it was worth trying. It was still unclear how high I could drive or how much of the national park road would…
Range Great Basin Ranges
Last year, I aimed to hike Telescope Peak in November, but storms had closed the route a long time ago. This time, Death Valley National Park’s website says nothing about road closures. Time to try again! Mihai mentioned it hit 45°C in Death Valley last week, so I expect little snow on top. At the…
RegionCalifornia
Grabbing a window seat means a chance to observe mountains on the way, and I won this mini-lottery today. It was a bit cloudy and misty over Greenland, and Canada, Montana, and Wyoming were also shrouded in mist. But once we reached Utah, Nevada, and California, I had the chance to glimpse canyons, ridges, and…
