This morning, I woke up early to do a sunrise hike with my kitten Pasha at Spooner Lake in Lake Tahoe.  My reason for waking up early to do the hike with my kitten is the weather is much cooler and more pleasant early in the morning than it is in the afternoon.  Temperatures lately …

I have adopted a three-month-old kitten from the Humane Society in Reno, NV. I named him Pasha meaning, “small”.  Pasha is also a diminutive short name for Pavel in Russian language.  His original name at the shelter was “Quack.”  After bringing him home, he was very skinny, had diarrhea, and was terrified of everything, including …

When I think of Arches and Canyonlands National Park, what is the first thing that comes to my mind? Sandstone arches? Rugged scenery? Dramatic canyons?  Yes.  Arches and Canyonlands National Park has a lot of that and much more.  Both parks are worth a visit! I spent a good amount of time exploring both of …

I survived a 100 degree Fahrenheit hike in Valley of Fire.  Fire Maze Trail is only three miles long, but hiking this trail took every sweat out of me. Park Rangers recommend, you don’t hike this trail if the temperatures rise above 85 degrees Fahrenheit.  They also close the Fire Maze Trail in June through …

We have received over 2 feet of snow in Lake Tahoe area.  One of my favorite things, I love to do every winter in Lake Tahoe is to take a hike to Monkey Rock.  Monkey Rock Trail is a 2.6 mile out and back located near Incline Village-Crystal Bay, Nevada that features a lake and …

This past Memorial Day weekend, I did a quick trip to Mammoth Lakes, Ca.  While in Mammoth, I did a 14 mile day hike to McGee Lake via McGee Trail in John Muir Wilderness.  I started my hike around 6a.m. and finished it before 2:30p.m.   McGee Creek Trail offers stunning views of surrounding mountains, nearby …

This Labor Day weekend, I took a trip to Redwoods National and State Parks. After driving 462 miles from Lake Tahoe to the coast of Northern California, I was thrilled to hit the trails and immerse myself in nature.  After visiting a couple of groves, coastal redwoods almost seem to be immortal. Their eight to …

Did you know about 200 million years ago Zion was a barren desert? Yes. Barren desert, buried deep in dunes of wind blown sand that resembles the modern-day Sahara. These great dune fields later solidified into stone to form the Navajo sandstone formation. This formation is more than 2,000 feet thick in places, and it …

This past weekend, I did a backpacking trip to Mt. Rose Wilderness.  I camped on top of the summit with some of the rewarding views I could ever dreamed of.  For a one night backpacking trip, I did not take a lot.  Just my favorite Montbell sleeping bag, sleeping pad, my tent and few granola …