Category Archives: Summer

Goodbye, Summer

Today, fittingly, may be the last hot day of the year. As I write, it’s Monday, Sept. 21 — the last day of summer (that’s the fitting part) — and the temperature is 85. It’s forecast to hit 92 by day’s end. Tomorrow, however, the temperature will barely break 80 and it may not top 70 for the rest of the week. Overnight lows may dip into the upper 40s: read more

Embrace the Summer Hike: Here’s How (and Why)

I used to love hiking in summer heat. The past couple years, though, not so much. Coming into this summer I got to wondering why. 

As we’ve settled in to summer’s steady drumbeat of 90/90 — temperature/humidity — days, I’ve been trying to sort out what I don’t like about summer hiking, as well as what keeps me on the trail. The latter first. read more

11 (not 10) Top Hikes with Waterplay

It wasn’t even a blisteringly hot day, It was April, temperature in the upper 70s under clear skies. Dry, clear skies. Perfect day for a hike. Yet I was nearing the end of a 14-mile outing that included a relentless 5-mile climb to start and a knee-punishing 3-mile descent near the end. I was pooped, and while the last mile back to the car was a mellow downhill, I needed refreshing. I needed the clear, cold waters of Basin Creek. I pulled off my hiking shoes and socks, rolled up my pant legs and dipped in up to the knees. read more