Author Archives: Erika Lawson

About Erika Lawson

Blogging from El Cajon, CA, just east of San Diego. I mostly blog about hiking, but also traveling and family life as a working mom. I also have blogged about my experience dealing with (curable) breast cancer with as much humor and disdain as possible.

Tour of a Fire Tower!

Posted on June 11, 2021 by Erika Lawson

Mother MiguelJune 5, 2021Miles: 3.86Elevation Gain: 822ftGaia Track100 Peaks Challenge #70Afoot & Afield, 5th ed., Trip #118 Corte Madera & Los PinosJune 6, 2021Miles: 10.8Elevation Gain: 2,205ftGaia Track100 Peaks Challenge #71 & 72Afoot & Afield, 5th ed., Trip #196 (plus!) … Continue reading →

Posted in Mountains Are Calling | Tagged 100 Peaks Challenge, Afoot & Afield, Corte Madera, Los Pinos, Mother Miguel | Leave a comment

Road Trip to the Kern Plateau

Posted on June 3, 2021 by Erika Lawson

OMG I’m writing about something other than peak bagging! I never meant for this blog to be solely about that, so I thought I’d do a write-up of our fantastic Memorial Day camping trip over Sherman Pass to the Kern … Continue reading →

Posted in Mountains Are Calling, Rambling Ramblings, Yes, We Reproduced... | Tagged Kennedy Meadows, Sequoia National Forest, Travel | 1 Comment

Clearing Off the Hwy 15 Hikes

Posted on May 31, 2021 by Erika Lawson

Black Mountain (the little one)May 22, 2021Miles: 4Elevation Gain: 732ftGaia Track100 Peaks Challenge #67Afoot & Afield, 5th ed., Trip #63 Stanley PeakMay 23, 2021Miles: 5.6Elevation Gain: 762ftGaia Track100 Peaks Challenge #68 Monserate MountainMay 23, 2021Miles: 3.1Elevation Gain: 1,094ftGaia Track100 Peaks … Continue reading →

Posted in Mountains Are Calling | Tagged 100 Peaks Challenge, Afoot & Afield, Black Mountain, Monserate Mountain, Stanley Peak | Leave a comment

Hello, Old Friend

Posted on May 20, 2021 by Erika Lawson

Red ButteMay 19, 2021Miles: 3.33 Elevation Gain: 352 ftGaia Track*100 Peaks Challenge #66Afoot & Afield, 5th ed., Trip #12 (mostly) *Ok I don’t know why this track has me drop down to -66,617ft – nearly twice as deep as the … Continue reading →

Posted in Mountains Are Calling | Tagged 100 Peaks Challenge, Red Butte, Torrey Pines | Leave a comment

Neighborhood (and Namesake!) Peaks

Posted on May 19, 2021 by Erika Lawson

Bell BluffMay 15, 2021Miles: 7.33Elevation Gain: 1,673ftGaia Track100 Peaks Challenge #63 Gaskill & Lawson PeaksMay 16, 2021Miles: 7.47Elevation Gain: 2,050ftGaia Track100 Peaks Challenge #s 64 & 65Afoot & Afield, 5th ed., Trip #192 My original plan for this weekend was … Continue reading →

Posted in Mountains Are Calling | Tagged 100 Peaks Challenge, Afoot & Afield, Bell Bluff, Gaskill Peak, Lawson Peak | 1 Comment

Mother’s Day Hiking

Posted on May 13, 2021 by Erika Lawson

Paradise Mountain May 8, 2021Miles: 7.8 milesElevation Gain: 1,881 ftGaia Track100 Peaks Challenge #61 Boucher HillMay 8, 2021Miles: 0!Elevation Gain: 0!No Gaia track!100 Peaks Challenge #62 In our continuing effort to hike peaks now that we won’t be able to … Continue reading →

Posted in Mountains Are Calling | Tagged 100 Peaks Challenge, Boucher Hill, Paradise Mountain | 1 Comment

Weather Wrangling

Posted on May 5, 2021 by Erika Lawson

Hot Springs MountainMay 1, 2021Miles: 9.8Elevation Gain: 2,094 ftGaia Track100 Peaks Challenge #59Afoot & Afield 5th ed. Trip #137 Peak 1755 and the South Clevenger Canyon TrailMay 2, 2021Miles: 4.6Elevation Gain: 1,132 ftGaia Track100 Peaks Challenge #60Afoot & Afield 5th … Continue reading →

Posted in Mountains Are Calling | Tagged 100 Peaks Challenge, Afoot & Afield, Clevenger Canyon, Hot Springs Mountain, Peak 1755, San Pasqual Trails | Leave a comment

Where the mountains meet the desert

Posted on April 25, 2021 by Erika Lawson

Chariot MountainApril 24, 2021Miles: 5.68Elevation Gain: 1,279 ftGaia Track100 Peaks Challenge #57 Oriflamme MountainApril 24, 2021Miles: 4.37Elevation Gain: 856 ftGaia Track100 Peaks Challenge #58 The trailheads for both of these peaks are along Sunrise Highway north of the Mount Laguna … Continue reading →

Posted in Mountains Are Calling | Tagged 100 Peaks Challenge, Chariot Mountain, Oriflamme Mountain, Pacific Crest Trail | Leave a comment

The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful

Posted on April 21, 2021 by Erika Lawson

Palomar High PointApril 17, 2021Miles: 0.6Elevation Gain: 180ft Gaia route (I did not record the track)100 Peaks Challenge #54 Eagle Crag & Agua TibiaApril 17 & 18, 2021Miles: 21.6Elevation Gain: 3219ft Gaia track day #1 (Eagle Crag)Gaia track day #2 … Continue reading →

Posted in Mountains Are Calling | Tagged 100 Peaks Challenge, Afoot & Afield, Agua Tibia Mountain, Cutca Trail, Eagle Crag, Palomar High Point, Palomar Mountain | Leave a comment

Epic final desert weekend

Posted on April 12, 2021 by Erika Lawson

The Thimble & San Ysidro MountainApril 10, 2021Miles: 4.48Elevation Gain: 1,915 ftGaia Track100 Peaks Challenge #s 48 & 49 Bonny & White BenchmarksApril 10, 2021Miles: 4.07Elevation Gain: 1,048 ftGaia Track100 Peaks Challenge #s 50 & 51 Pinyon Ridge & Wilson … Continue reading →

Posted in Mountains Are Calling | Tagged 100 Peaks Challenge, Afoot & Afield, Bonny Benchmark, Pinyon Ridge, San Ysidro Mountain, The Thimble, White Benchmark, Wilson Benchmark | 1 Comment