These are some of my favorite pictures taken last year. Enjoy the show!

Yet again, my Thanksgiving festivities took me down the road less traveled. Last year, I ventured to southern Utah, hiking and backpacking throughout Zion National Park. This year, Grand Canyon National Park was at the top of my list.

John’s flight from Boston arrived in San Diego at 1:15 a.m. on Wednesday, he was at my house at 2 a.m. and we were on the road by 3 a.m. Driving through the night was effortless with no traffic and perfectly straight highway. Our conversation kept us entertained as we made our way east into Arizona. John and I have been best friends since kindergarten and this was his first experience in the Wild West. We’ve done well at keeping in touch over the years and this adventure was our way of reuniting and celebrating our friendship.



Our first stop of the day was the backcountry permit office at the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. We were denied a permit for Wednesday night, but secured Indian Garden campground for Thursday night followed by Bright Angel campground on Friday night. Since we weren’t beginning our descent until the following morning, John and I cruised through the park and snapped a bunch of photos from the overlooks. We were both extremely fatigued from pulling an ‘all-nighter’ so we made our way out of the back entrance of the park and into the Kaibab National Forest where car camping is free.



Although temperatures dipped into the 20’s Wednesday night, this was the coldest weather we encountered because it actually gets warmer as you descend the canyon, causing us to shed layers while en route to Indian Garden campground. We arrived at our designated campground quite effortlessly, overtaking all shapes and sizes of travelers and tourists along the way. With our tent set up and permit visible to park rangers, we consolidated our gear to daypacks and set off on a hike to a plateau overlooking the Colorado River. As we approached the lookout area, a solo hiker informed us of his encounter with a California Condor. I immediately broke-out my camera and got into Steve Erwin-mode. The next twenty minutes made our 1,300-mile road trip worth every second.


Thanksgiving dinner consisted of precooked turkey from the market in the park village paired with instant garlic mashed potatoes. We sliced and diced the turkey and added the potatoes into my Jetboil cooking system to warm them. This was a slight improvement from the classic turkey sandwich I ate with my feet dangling off the edge of Zion’s Angel’s Landing. Check out the picture from last year:



The next morning, John and I arrived at the Colorado River by 8:30 a.m. This is when we decided to change our plans for the next stage of the trip. Since we had arrived to the river where our next campsite was located so quickly, we made the decision to hike the rest of the way out of the canyon. We consulted our map and searched for a trial that would allow us to return to the South Rim without back-tracking over terrain that we had already covered. While discussing our plan, we met a day-hiker named Jordan that had left the South Rim at 4 a.m. and was planning to ascend the South Kaibab trial. After further discussion of trail options, Jordan had invited us to join him and offered to drive us back to our car at the Bright Angel trailhead. This was exactly what John and I were hoping to do—hike all the way out, not cover any of the same terrain and not worry about getting back to our vehicle. The three of us set off from the Colorado River, ascending the Grand Canyon via the South Kaibab trial. This was a challenging hike because of our weighted packs and the countless switch-back trials but it was by no means difficult. We were out of the canyon a little more than four hours later and extremely satisfied with our experience and our decision to push ourselves to finish off the hike.



Somewhere during our ascent, I came up with the idea for the next stage of our adventure— Joshua Tree National Park in California. I had told John of my many camping and climbing trips to this park, but words and pictures still do little to describe its unique beauty. After pizza at the village market, we were back on the road. Our drive out of the park and through the National Forests while the sun was setting continued to add to the experience. We had to come to a stop when three Rocky Mountain Elk darted across the road.



The drive to Joshua Tree was tiresome and John and I took turns at the wheel to make sure we arrived safely to the park. We pulled into the south entrance late on Friday night and took the first campsite we could find in Cottonwood campground, marking the end of an epic day. Early the next morning, strong Santa Ana winds shook the tent until we were awake. I made a quick batch of coffee in my Jetboil cooking system and began the 45-mile drive from the south end of the park towards the northwest entrance. We made a stop at Jumbo Rocks campground and scrambled around on the gigantic boulders until our stomachs demanded breakfast. Crossroads Café in the town of Joshua Tree remains a favorite after a hearty breakfast for the final leg of our road trip. As soon as we neared San Diego, I cut west to the coast and drove the remainder of the way into the city on route 101. The sun was shining bright over the ocean and it was 70 degrees. There’s nothing like returning to San Diego from an adventure. Thank you all for joining me--I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving.

Yours in adventure,
Active Toby

In anticipation of a busy three-day weekend in the park, our friend Austin left San Diego at 1 p.m. on Friday in route to Joshua Tree National Park. Austin, who had the day off, secured a campsite in Ryan Campground for the rest of us, who arrived just before 10 p.m. that night. Saturday morning, Gil and I climbed the large headstone next to our campsite before breakfast. At the top of the route, we met a climber from British Columbia who was on a climbing trip with his girlfriend from Italy. He snapped a few photos of us climbing which he promised to email to me. We invited them to join us that night at our campfire and they accepted the invitation.


Photo by Gil Weiss

Gil and I returned to the group and started cooking breakfast. I like to call this meal the lumberjack special. This hearty concoction consists of two eggs, two sausage links, two strips of bacon, fresh guacamole and salsa inside a whole wheat tortilla wrap. When served with a banana, a glass of OJ and a mug of coffee, this meal will provide all the nourishment one needs before a day outdoors.


Our group, ranging from a first time camper and newbie climbers to skilled lead climbers, set off to hike, climb and explore the park. We climbed a series of routes in the morning as a group and split up around mid-day. I led a brief four-mile hike to the top of a 5,000-foot hilltop and returned to meet up with the group before the early nightfall. Austin and I prepared a buffet-style taco dinner for the group as the temperatures dropped, and we all gathered by the fire to keep warm.


Sunday morning we all were awake and cooking breakfast by 8 a.m. The temperature was much warmer compared to Saturday. After breakfast, we broke down our camp and set off to hike, climb and explore the park for the day. I took a bunch of photos of the native plant life and the beautiful scenery that the park has to offer. We left the park as the sun began to set and returned to San Diego by 9 p.m. on Sunday night.


This trip was filled with good people and entertaining activities in a beautiful setting. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate friendship and shared passion for the outdoors. I hope my words and pictures excite that inner-adventurer in all of you.

Until next time, Active Toby

The through-hike on Saturday was amazing. The weather was perfect thanks to a nearby storm system that kept temperatures moderate while we were exposed above tree line. This enabled our group to maintain pace and finish in the projected time of 10 hours. I created an Active Video slideshow of the trek:

For the original trip logistics, click here.

**Plug in your headphones, this track features Active's very own talented musician, Rob Costlow in a piece entitled, Return to Flat Rock**

This weekend, I’m heading out to spend a night in the southern-most National Forest in California. The Cleveland National Forest offers 460,000 acres of camping, hiking and recreational opportunities only 40 miles east of San Diego on Interstate 8 and then 10 miles north on Sunrise Highway (S1). I’ll be car camping in the Laguna Mountains at a camp site that is designated for tent camping with parking for two vehicles, picnic table and a fire ring. It costs $14 per night which includes bathroom access too.

From the camp fire, to star gazing, to watching the sunrise over the Anza-Borrego desert to the east, this recreation area offers a wide variety of activities that welcome exploration for a day, a weekend, a week or longer. When parking and leaving your vehicle within the recreation area, it is required that you display an Adventure Pass on your dash board. These can be purchase at local outdoor recreation outfitters as well as the Mt. Laguna store for $5/day or an annual pass for $30.

There are many trailheads throughout the wilderness area that connect to a large network of hiking trails including direct access to the famous Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), a 2,650-mile national scenic trail from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon and Washington.

I plan to hike the PCT for roughly 20-miles on Saturday morning beginning as early as possible. The forecast says it will be in the mid-80s, which never actually feels hot because the elevation is between 4,000 and 6,000 feet above sea-level. I will be bringing over a gallon of water per day for myself to make sure I stay hydrated in this dry climate.

This area is so close to the city yet feels like a complete escape into your own wilderness sanctuary. Although it is common to share the trail with others, it is still a refreshing dose of nature and beauty in an easily accessible over-night trip. Your questions about mountain biking trails, hiking or backing are more than welcome. Remember to leave no trace and leave the area cleaner than you found it.