Hiking to Half Dome in Yosemite National Park

The Half Dome hike has amazing scenery with up close views of Vernal and Nevada Fall. Whatever your level or desire, there are multiple hikes and stopping points along the Mist Trail and you can turn around at any time. So here is a breakdown of the hike up to Half Dome and some facts you'll need if you're lucky enough to get to the summit!

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Bridge to Nowhere Hike

The Bridge to Nowhere hike was one of those mysterious, must-do hikes that I seemed to hear about as soon as I moved to Los Angeles. This hike is epic for a reason! It's beautiful, rugged, filled with river crossings, bungee jumpers, a beautiful bridge and even some waterfalls and swimming holes! I never thought I could find this type of terrain so close to LA!

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Emerald Pools Hike- Zion National Park

The Emerald Pools hike is an easy and quick hike that is great for all ages and hiking abilities. There are three stops along the way; the lower, middle, and upper pools so you can plan your hike accordingly or hit all three for a 3 mile roundtrip hike. This is one of the parks most popular hikes so it gets very crowded on the narrow parts of the trail, but it is worth every busy step.

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Hiking The Narrows - Zion National Park

The Narrows is one of the most unique and beautiful hikes in America. It was ranked #5 in National Geographic's America's Best 100 Adventures. This gorge runs along the Virgin River in Zion National Park. The entire trail is 16 miles in length and goes from the Temple of Sinawava to Chamberlains Ranch where there is a campground for two-day hikers.

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Travel, Adventure, Utah, Outdoors Monica Ortega Travel, Adventure, Utah, Outdoors Monica Ortega

Angels Landing Hike, or the SCARIEST HIKE EVER!

I knew the Angels Landing hike was going to test me. Zion National Park is a part of the Mighty 5 parks in Utah (Arches, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Canyonlands, and Capital Reef). Located about 3 hours from Las Vegas, we were able to get there, park, take the shuttle to the visitor center, and then shuttle to The Grotto (the start point for Angles Landing) by noon.

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The Pacific Crest Trail and the Wild Effect

With award season in full gear and Oscar buzz for the movie Wild, I began wondering what effect this will have on the Pacific Crest Trail next year. Will the serene woods be filled with new hikers who became inspired to look beyond the world they know? Or will there be an epic number of inexperienced hikers all trying to escape their painful pasts. Instead of the usual bearded and dirty thru-hikers will it be crying, divorcee's carrying condoms?

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