{"id":1035,"date":"2017-04-01T20:02:45","date_gmt":"2017-04-01T20:02:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/?p=1035"},"modified":"2017-08-09T20:45:33","modified_gmt":"2017-08-09T20:45:33","slug":"pinnacles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/pinnacles\/","title":{"rendered":"Spring in California – Pinnacles and Point Reyes"},"content":{"rendered":"

In November, when the weather is cold and dreary and I\u2019m yearning for longer, warmer, drier days, I start planning our spring trips. Guadalupe Mtns, Pinnacles, Hawaii, Big Bend, and Florida are all on my spring trip list of places just waiting to be explored. Last year, we visited Guadalupe Mountains and this year we went for one of the newest national parks, Pinnacle\u2019s National Park, having become a park in 2013.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Prior to our trip, I was working 50+ hour weeks and Will had visited the doctor and they said he may have a cold that possibly could turn into walking pneumonia, but staying outside and going on vacation would be good for him. This culminated in me being less prepared than any other trip, overworked and on the verge of a total mental breakdown.<\/p>\n

We packed a lot into our 10-day trip, piecing together a bit of everything. Everyone during the trip had a specific need; Will wanted to go to Monterrey Bay Aquarium, Isabel wanted to go to the Mystery House, Noah wanted to climb rocks, and me, I wanted to get some backpacking in. We rented a car for the first part, so we could visit everything from Pinnacles to Monterrey to north of San Francisco at Point Reyes. Having a car allowed us to stop at Point Bonita Lighthouse, Muir Woods, and choose our own destinations and stops along the way. The second part of the trip we stayed near Fishermans Wharf and bought a bus pass to explore.<\/p>\n

I was so busy I didn\u2019t remember to mail our MSR stove to our destination and was completely paranoid that our stove would be confiscated by TSA, I actually convinced myself it happened. I was in total paranoia and no one could convince me that TSA didn\u2019t look through my bags. My proof, I could only find half our food and I was sure that TSA stole the rest. I called my sister who works for the airlines in tears, I was certain TSA had taken some of our stuff. She had tried to talk me off the ledge and say if TSA didn\u2019t leave a tag and the airlines didn\u2019t call me back to repack me bag and there wasn\u2019t an extra bag on the baggage belt, they didn\u2019t get into my bags. I didn\u2019t believe her, I even went so far as to call TSA and report my loss. My only proof was half our food was not in the bag I was SURE I packed it in. It was only after about an hour and a half of tears, hysteria, and creating a new plan for our trip that I learned I had put everything I was missing into another bag. I didn\u2019t even bother to look! After my brief total break-down (mom\u2019s do have those from time to time), we left for Winchester Mystery House, just chanting the mantra in my head, \u201cI\u2019m on vacation, everything is ok\u201d.<\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/h2>\n

Winchester Mystery House<\/h2>\n

When I was a kid my dad took me to Winchester Mystery House. I thought it was awesome. The house is so odd that it left not only a lasting memory for me and my dad, but everyone in my family remembered my visit to the place. So, when I mentioned it to Will, he had hesitations, what\u2019s so weird about an big old house? Well, let\u2019s say after our tour both Isabel and Will have the same indelible memories I had when I was 8. I\u2019m not sure I can put in writing why it\u2019s so mysterious, but a house that started as a small farmhouse that was built on 24 hours a day for 11+ years has a certain mystery about it that everyone should see. The incredible story behind the house is so mysterious that you even question if the woman was actually sane and did this with logical intent.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Pinnacles National Park<\/h2>\n

After our visit, we made our way to Pinnacle\u2019s National Park. Our first hike was Bear Creek Gulch. The cave has an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion which is a treat to see, is only open two weeks of every year to protect the bat population. Amazingly though I was totally unprepared for this trip, I picked one of the two weeks that the upper portion of the cave was open. The upper cave is like a huge well-marked labyrinth. As you make your way through the 5\u2019 tall x 2-3\u2019 wide cave, following arrows painted on the walls and a stream runs at your feet I couldn\u2019t help thinking about how great it was to be outside (albeit inside). As I climb over, duck under, and watched my step as I made my way through the dark cavern built entirely by fallen rocks I finally began to relax. I giggled with joy as we did it and had such a blast Isabel and I did it a second time.<\/p>\n

The park is small and there aren\u2019t very many trails. What trails there are you can use to create various loops however, every hike involves at least a 1200\u2019 elevation gain and loss. So me, wanting to experience it all, but only climb the hill once, chose the most ambitious 11 mile loop for the family. We started at the Old Pinnacles Trailhead parking lot, hiked up the 1200\u2019 rise of the High Peaks trail, down the Steep and Narrows, over to Juniper Canyon Trail, by the tunnel on Tunnel Trail, across Balconies Trail, through Balconies Cave and completing the loop on the Old Pinnacles Trail. This loop allowed us to walk all but 2 trails in the park and see virtually everything.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>As we hiked along the High Peaks Trail, almost to the Steep and Narrows that\u2019s when we saw the Condors. There were two of them, and they BUZZED us!!! These massive birds with a 10\u2019 wingspan flew less than 20\u2019 above our heads. It felt like a silent 747 was flying over us. The California Condor is an amazing animal, they sleep-in trees, nest in rock crevices, and spend their days riding the thermals or scavenging the beaches (over 150 miles away). I\u2019ve got to admit they aren\u2019t pretty birds, but their sheer size makes up for their lack of beauty. By lunch we had crossed the Steep and Narrows and were 5 miles into our 11-mile trek. After lunch we made our way down Juniper Canyon trail and backtracked slightly to see the tunnel that gives Tunnel trail its name. I\u2019m not sure of the story behind why the tunnel was built, other than being built by the CCC in the late 1930s. It was a nice \u2018cool\u2019 excursion through this 300\u2019 deep tunnel.<\/p>\n

Soon we were off and really excited to reach Balcony Caves. We heard these caves were really fun (more fun than Bear Gulch). We arrived by midafternoon just as a boy scout troop was coming out of the cave. This conglomerate of people made the cave a bit anti-climatic with all the light and the negotiating of all the people through the cave at once. We felt like between the crowds and the waiting we were through the cave in about 2 minutes and felt like we had just walked through a short tunnel, rather than the bouldering and feeling around and exploring that most people said we would encounter.<\/p>\n

We walked back along the West Fork Chalone Creek on Old Pinnacles Trail and stopped for a long break before hiking back to the car.<\/p>\n

In the morning, we were off to Monterey to visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_1091\" <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"The <\/a>
The Caves were built from falling rocks <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Skipping <\/a>
Skipping into Bear Gulch Cave <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Bouldering\" <\/a>
Bouldering <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"View <\/a>
View from High Peaks Trail <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"High <\/a>
High Peaks <\/div> <\/div>
\"High <\/a>
High Peaks <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Steep <\/a>
Steep and Narrows <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Steep <\/a>
Steep and Narrows <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Steep <\/a>
Steep and Narrows <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"IMG_1223\" <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Steep <\/a>
Steep and Narrows <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Tunnel <\/a>
Tunnel on Tunnel Trail <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Past Memories<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a>One of Will\u2019s fondest memories before he met me was of the Monterey Bay Aquarium. He loved the place, and enjoyed it as much this time as the first time. Noah, Isabel, and I, who love wildlife and nature would be nuts about this place, instead, we were all lukewarm. As Noah put it, \u201cthey\u2019re fish, they swim around in circles in water.\u201d Isabel\u2019s favorite experience was watching the waves crash over the glass enclosure. Noah and my favorite part was the wildlife in the Baja California exhibit.<\/p>\n

That night, we stayed a few blocks away at the HI USA Hostel. This experience has changed our outlook on how we stay places forever. We stayed in a semi-private room, which is a room with 4 single beds. Since we have kids we had to rent the entire room, which was perfect, it made it a private room for less than the cost of a hotel. The hostel was cordial, inviting, community minded, and in the morning served breakfast. I\u2019m not a social person, but even I felt welcome and met and talked with a lot of really nice people. The kids stayed up in the common area playing chess with another kid until 10pm.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Point Reyes National Seashore<\/h2>\n

In my haste and limited research, I only knew I wanted to backpack to Wildcat Campground, a campground on the beach and a \u201cshort\u201d hike in (5.5 miles on the coast trail), but I didn\u2019t research anything beyond that. I figured I would just figure it out when we got there. When we consulted with the ranger to get backcountry permits, I realized the semi-planned route was an hour and a half drive away. She suggested if we left from the Visitor Center it was only 6.5 miles to the campground, so just an extra mile. She mentioned it was a little more up and down, but not too bad. Well, I think the woman really hadn\u2019t ever hiked the trail\u2026\u00a0the whole thing was either going up or going down, it was endless PUDs (pointless-ups-and-downs), the trail never flattened out at any point. To make matters worse, Will was more worn down than before he left. When I realized how bad he was, it was too late to turn back, we needed to get to the camp so he could rest. Each time we stopped for a break, I would sneak something out of his backpack and put it into mine or one of the kids. By the time we had made it to the campground, I had transferred everything from his pack I could into someone else\u2019s pack. I put up the tent and he slept for 18+ hours while we explored. He slept more than he was awake during the backpacking time.<\/p>\n

The campsite was in full bloom. There were millions of yellow flowers that were approximately 2.5\u2019 tall. It was idyllic like an old musical. To get anywhere in the \u2018campground\u2019 we had to blaze a trail through the flowers. The campground had about 12 sites, but you felt like you were camping by yourself because of the height of the flowers and the distance between the sites. The only downside was a large mice population and an overflowing porta-potty. The 2-sided outhouse was so full that the waste was backed up into the white seat area on both sides! Beside that, our site was set on a cliff overlooking the ocean.<\/p>\n

I chose Wildcat Campground because it\u2019s close to Alamere Falls. While Will slept, I took the kids another 1.5 miles on the beach (Noah in bare feet!) to where the water tumbles of rocks 40 feet above and into the ocean below. As we returned the waves lapped close to the cliff we were skirting to get back to came. The sound scared me with it\u2019s roar. Despite seeing the power of the ocean, Isabel was brave enough to touch the water of the Pacific Ocean for the first time. \u00a0We played in the ocean for an hour and I got some great photos during the setting sun. The next day, worried about how I would get Will home, I packed everything I could into my pack, leaving Will with only 2 sleeping bags and we spent the next 8 hours slowly getting him out from the backcountry.<\/p>\n

\"'Teddy' <\/a>
‘Teddy’ and Noah <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"'Snowflake' <\/a>
‘Snowflake’ went Backpacking With Us <\/div> <\/div>
\"Home <\/a>
Home Sweet Home <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"View <\/a>
View from Site 7 <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Wildflower <\/a>
Wildflower Bliss <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Wildflower <\/a>
Wildflower Bliss <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Ocean <\/a>
Ocean Bliss <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Water <\/a>
Water tumbling into the ocean <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"IMG_1385\" <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Hiking <\/a>
Hiking out <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

Once back in civilization, I drove back to San Francisco and dropped Will off at yet another HI USA hostel and returned the car with the kids. Dropping off the car was a huge experience for me. I didn\u2019t know how afraid I was. I was using multiple mass transits in a strange city, making my way somewhere with two kids on my own. I don\u2019t know what made me afraid, but it reinforced to me how much everyone is on a journey and at a different place in their life. I still have a lot of growing to do to be comfortable in my own skin.<\/p>\n

The kids and I made our way back to the hostel by bus, train, and electric street car. Along the way back, I saw a little dumpling\/bakery that I made note of that I HAD to try. It was non-descript and really just an awning in a sea of awnings, but I wanted to go there. Unknown to me before the trip, Will had made his own list of places he wanted to eat and unbelievably this was one of them! Neither of us could believe it. He said was supposed to have the absolute best and cheapest bao in the city! That night we also visited the fortune cookie factory and a Chinese bakery, which the kids deemed the pastries didn\u2019t have enough sugar to make the place a bakery.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Shadow Puppets<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The kids and I continued our San Francisco City portion of the trip with Will joining from time-to-time. We visited by bus; Hyde Stret Pier, the Golden Gate Museum, Pier 45\/Fishermans Wharf (totally over commercialized), Musee M\u00e9canique (an antique coin operated arcade, where everything was reasonably priced and completely worth the money), Ghirardelli\u2019s Chocolate Factory (totally not worth a visit), and Ripley\u2019s Believe It or Not Mirror Maze (again not worth the money).<\/p>\n

The best part of the San Francisco visit was visiting the ships and the hostel, we had another great hostel visit and we left wondering why Americans don\u2019t embrace this sort of establishment? It\u2019s exactly what every American I know craves\u2026\u00a0a sense of community and a personal kinship during your vacation. Why is it, if you tell people you stayed at a hostel they look at you as crazy, like you just slept on the street?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In November, when the weather is cold and dreary and I\u2019m yearning for longer, warmer, drier days, I start planning our spring trips. Guadalupe Mtns, Pinnacles, Hawaii, Big Bend, and Florida are all on my spring trip list of places just waiting to be explored. Last year, we visited Guadalupe Mountains and this year we…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1061,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2,5,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1035","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-backpacking","category-car-camping","category-hiking"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_1399-1.jpeg?fit=960%2C1280&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p527vR-gH","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":878,"url":"https:\/\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/finding-the-magic-number\/","url_meta":{"origin":1035,"position":0},"title":"Finding the Magic Number","author":"Mom","date":"August 20, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Everyone places some sort of limit on themselves, whether it be a time, an ability, or a monetary limit. What if you told yourself there were no limits? We\u2019ve tried to instill this belief in our children. To overcome your limits, you must prioritize your limit higher, save more, remove\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Backpacking"","block_context":{"text":"Backpacking","link":"https:\/\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/category\/backpacking\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_1739.jpeg?fit=640%2C480&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_1739.jpeg?fit=640%2C480&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_1739.jpeg?fit=640%2C480&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1223,"url":"https:\/\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/a-new-adventure\/","url_meta":{"origin":1035,"position":1},"title":"A New Adventure","author":"Mom","date":"June 19, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Last year while I was at Elk Lake with the kids, Will went to a seminar about life\u2019s endless possibilities. As we discussed what we talked about as possible we both agreed we should travel. We researched and bought a 1996 Fleetwood Bounder. It had a good engine, but a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Car Camping"","block_context":{"text":"Car Camping","link":"https:\/\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/category\/car-camping\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-content\/uploads\/EB0CC2ED-BCEB-49B6-9C08-7DFFED261842.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-content\/uploads\/EB0CC2ED-BCEB-49B6-9C08-7DFFED261842.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-content\/uploads\/EB0CC2ED-BCEB-49B6-9C08-7DFFED261842.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-content\/uploads\/EB0CC2ED-BCEB-49B6-9C08-7DFFED261842.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-content\/uploads\/EB0CC2ED-BCEB-49B6-9C08-7DFFED261842.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":817,"url":"https:\/\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/a-few-days-in-the-desert\/","url_meta":{"origin":1035,"position":2},"title":"A Few Days in the Desert","author":"Mom","date":"May 8, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Round-Trip Backpacking Distance: 20 miles Day Hikes: ~14 miles: Devil's Hall, Carlsbad Caverns, Buttercup Stagecoach and Frijole Ranch Sometimes you pick a vacation because you just need to get away. Looking through the list of national parks we haven\u2019t visited (more than 90% of them), I found something warm and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Backpacking"","block_context":{"text":"Backpacking","link":"https:\/\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/category\/backpacking\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-content\/uploads\/guadalupe-mtns-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-content\/uploads\/guadalupe-mtns-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-content\/uploads\/guadalupe-mtns-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-content\/uploads\/guadalupe-mtns-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-content\/uploads\/guadalupe-mtns-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1282,"url":"https:\/\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/voyageurs-national-park\/","url_meta":{"origin":1035,"position":3},"title":"Exposure to a New World","author":"Mom","date":"June 26, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"This may have been the most adventurous trip we took this year. It involved rafting, portaging a raft, hiking, and canoeing, as well as, coordinating all the components to work together. Also, I hadn\u2019t expected an amazing historic story and hands-on experience that would remain with us for weeks after\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Backpacking"","block_context":{"text":"Backpacking","link":"https:\/\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/category\/backpacking\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-content\/uploads\/Voyageurs-8.jpg?fit=1200%2C833&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-content\/uploads\/Voyageurs-8.jpg?fit=1200%2C833&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-content\/uploads\/Voyageurs-8.jpg?fit=1200%2C833&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-content\/uploads\/Voyageurs-8.jpg?fit=1200%2C833&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-content\/uploads\/Voyageurs-8.jpg?fit=1200%2C833&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1016,"url":"https:\/\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/day-8-10-great-basin\/","url_meta":{"origin":1035,"position":4},"title":"Day 8-10 Great Basin National Park & Finding Our Limits","author":"Mom","date":"August 27, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Hiking: 1 mile Part 5 of 5 of our 10-day trip. Check it out from the beginning or maybe from DAY 7 NATURAL BRIDGES AND CAPITOL REEF \u2013 DRIVING & FLASH FLOODS. As the ranger over the counter hands us our 6th junior ranger packet. Will and I are pretty\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Car Camping"","block_context":{"text":"Car Camping","link":"https:\/\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/category\/car-camping\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Wheeler Peak","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_1628.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_1628.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_1628.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_1628.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_1628.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1171,"url":"https:\/\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/mt-lassen\/","url_meta":{"origin":1035,"position":5},"title":"Mt. Lassen National Park","author":"Mom","date":"August 30, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"A few years ago as we were on our way to Yosemite National Park we drove by a little known park called Mt. Lassen. It was late June and the park was still closed. The park is high in the California mountains and doesn\u2019t usually open until July. This would\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Backpacking"","block_context":{"text":"Backpacking","link":"https:\/\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/category\/backpacking\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-content\/uploads\/C9FAD82C-278F-4776-A93F-6F6A67A00CCD.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-content\/uploads\/C9FAD82C-278F-4776-A93F-6F6A67A00CCD.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-content\/uploads\/C9FAD82C-278F-4776-A93F-6F6A67A00CCD.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-content\/uploads\/C9FAD82C-278F-4776-A93F-6F6A67A00CCD.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-content\/uploads\/C9FAD82C-278F-4776-A93F-6F6A67A00CCD.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1035","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1035"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1035\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1070,"href":"https:\/\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1035\/revisions\/1070"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1061"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1035"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1035"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/richerdesign.com\/backpacking\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1035"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}