My dusty, faded Ahnu Montara II boots have been my feet’s trusty hiking friends for the last two years. My mom got them for me as a Christmas gift as I beat my old pair of shoes up.
These have seen mountains, beaches, temperate rain forests and they still keep going. They’ve been the best pair of lightweight hiking boots until I got the Ahnu Sugarpine Waterproof Boots.
Hike: Balconies Cave and High Peaks Loop
Where: Pinnacles National Park
Trailhead: Old Pinnacles Trailhead
Level: Moderate
Duration: 5 hours
Length: 10.5 mile loop
Fitbit Steps: Approximately 33,000
Gear: CamelBak Aventura pack, Outdoor Research Contour Shorts, NW Alpine Black Spider Hoodie,
Ahnu Women’s Montara Waterproof Boot, Icebreaker Women’s Tech T Lite
Cost of Parking: $5 with admission to park for 7 consecutive days after
Notorious for crazy volcanic rock formations jutting hundreds of feet in the air, Pinnacles National Park is a destination for hikers and climbers. This past weekend was my first jaunt to the breathtakingly gorgeous national park. I cannot believe I have never been, both as a hiker and a climber.
The “pinnacles” that you see at the park are eroded formations from a long extinct volcano. These formations are home to the endangered California condors that can often be seen soaring high above. Rocky talus also forms caves in the park that house at least thirteen species of bats.
Weather was in the high 70s with wisps of clouds from previous storms in the air. Streams were flowing with water from the last two weeks of rain. The trails were dry, but not unbearably so. Balconies Cave was also open for passing.
We attempted to follow this hike via EveryTrail, but went in through the wrong entrance, and chose to approach from a separate trailhead on the east side of the park. From there, we made our way up to the Balconies trail, decided that we wanted to go through the cave, went through the cave, and then back up the Balconies trail again, effectively adding some extra mileage. The Balconies trail does go up in elevation so if you are looking for something a little more mellow, head through the cave. Depending on the time of year, the bottom of the cave may be wet. This past weekend was not too bad with small trickles and wet rocks. Went from Balconies to the Chaparral area, and then up to High Peaks through the tunnel, and back down around to the trailhead.
I expected the park to be more crowded with all the forever summer weather that California has been receiving, but it was fairly empty on the loop I was on.
If you’re looking to visit this park, spring and fall are the best time to avoid sweltering heat and melt-your-face temperatures. If you’ve never been, I highly recommend. The pinnacles alone are Instagram-worthy. So gorgeous!
I was lucky enough to score big time in the first ever #YonderGames with a Vapur Element bottle!
I’ve never really understood the appeal of these “anti-bottles”. But now I get it.
My Vapur Element holds 1L of water. The fact that it’s clear makes you hyper-aware of just how much water you are drinking. You can see every ounce disappear into your body, and you’re watching the plastic shrink as it happens!
Are you a fan of having water handy at all times? The Element is inconspicuous, lightweight and easy to carry. It’s sleeker and less clunky than a bottle. The carabiner makes transportation of this baby incredibly easy. It’s great for short walks and hikes where you don’t want the full weight of a backpack.
Now the cons… This bottle has a too hard, too soft plastic conundrum. If you only have one hand available, this thing is darn hard to use. It’s difficult to open, and difficult to pour into your mouth when full. This is because the plastic is pliable for packability. But on the other hand, it’s difficult to fill this up all the way. Filling the bottle up with water doesn’t fully expand certain sections of it, so you end up coming up a bit short of a liter. If you need to carry exactly 1L of water of you at all times, this might be a deal breaker.
If you’re willing to sacrifice one-handed ease of use for extreme portability and lack of weight, this bottle is for you. Buy through Amazon, Vapur or http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-7165177-10456937?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rei.com%2Fmp%2Fcj%2Fproduct%2F862538%3Fmr%3AtrackingCode%3DDBA6AB1F-EAE0-E211-A755-BC305BF82162%26mr%3AreferralID%3DNA&cjsku=862538” target=”_top”>REI for $12.99.
Edit 03/12/2015: Almost a year later my Vapur bottle cracked! I emailed customer service some photos of the bottle and they got me another one lickety split. I am very pleased.
As some of you may know, I run a nail polish blog too. I’m kind of a skincare and nail freak, always on the lookout for new, cool products to hoard in my bathroom drawers.
Lately, I’ve been on the hunt for sunscreen for those long hours on the trail. I am deathly terrified of sprouting more moles and getting skin cancer, so a good sunscreen is deeply important to me. Additionally, my skin is an allergic nutjob to nearly everything.
I think I have finally found my holy grail of sunscreen: Sun Bum PRO SPF 50 Sunscreen.
This sunscreen is mineral-based, so you don’t get any of those crazy chemicals in regular sunscreen. It’s hypoallergenic, so if your skin is nutso like mine, you won’t get any adverse reactions. Additionally, once you apply it, it sticks in one spot. It doesn’t run into your eyes or melt all over your face. And it doesn’t leave behind any weird, iridescent sheens, either. My boyfriend is kind of weird about helping me apply sunscreen and won’t do it if it gets his hands greasy. This isn’t greasy! And because it’s not greasy, it doesn’t make you break out either.
Other notables? Paraben-free, PABA-free, oil-free, frangrance-free, oxybenzone-free.
The packaging for this is great too! It’s small, round, and ergonomically designed. It fits well in your hand for quick and easy application. Bonus points to the 1.5 oz bottle for being small enough to toss into pants pockets for easy access, and being travel-sized. I’ve been hiking the last couple weeks with this tucked into a side zip pocket. The lid pops up to dispense sunscreen, and slides back down seamlessly. This is not a sunscreen that is going to explode everywhere in your pocket or bag.
The Sun Bum PRO SPF 50 comes in two sizes, 1.5 oz and 3 oz, which retail for $12.99 and $17.99 respectively via the Sun Bum website.
They’ve also got an arsenal of other sunscreen in their product line ranging from lotion to sprays to lip balms and baby products. To check out the full product line, visit this link here. I’m looking forward to eventually picking up the moisturizing sunscreen lotion for summer days.
The redwoods are always my favorite place to escape in inclement weather. There’s nothing quite like hiking under the protection of dense branches towering way above. My face loves being tickled by little bits of rain.
The Big Ben Loop at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park is a series of trails at the Fall Creek Unit. It’s part of Henry Cowell State Park, but more remote.