Petit Jean State Park

While visiting my sister in Little Rock, my wife and I drove out to Petit Jean State Park. This park is about an hour west of where we were staying. Our first stop was the Cedar Falls Overlook trail. This short trail takes you down to where you can see the falls. Unfortunately, there was no water flowing, but it was still a lovely view.

We drove down to the lodge and took a look around. From there we drove a short distance to hike the Bear Cave Trail. We did the small loop, before retreating to our air-conditioned car.  I would love to come back during some cooler weather and explore more of the park.


I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. In 2019, I became the third person to complete the San Diego 100 Peak Challenge. Not stopping with that accomplishment, I set my sights on the harder San Diego Sierra Club 100 Peak list, which I completed in 2021. In addition, I have conquered several Six-Pack of Peaks challenges (SoCal, San Diego, Central Coast, and Arizona-Winter). Beyond attempting the San Diego Sierra Club 100 Peak list a second time, I am looking forward to exploring new summits and new adventures across the southwest. 

Mount Magazine

Might not have scored a permit for Mt. Whitney, but I was able to summit another state’s high point, Mount Magazine in Arkansas. Towering at 2,753 feet, this was a short hike from the trailhead. The entire hike was under a mile and had about 140 feet of elevation gain. The summit had rocks arranged in the shape of the state. Unfortunately, there is no view from the summit.

After returning to that car, I made a quick stop to take in the view of the Peitit Jean River Valley. While there were no views from the summit, this made up for that.


I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. In 2019, I became the third person to complete the San Diego 100 Peak Challenge. Not stopping with that accomplishment, I set my sights on the harder San Diego Sierra Club 100 Peak list, which I completed in 2021. In addition, I have conquered several Six-Pack of Peaks challenges (SoCal, San Diego, Central Coast, and Arizona-Winter). Beyond attempting the San Diego Sierra Club 100 Peak list a second time, I am looking forward to exploring new summits and new adventures across the southwest. 

Pinnacle Mountain

While visiting my sister in Little Rock, my nephew-in-law, my son and I headed out to Pinnacle Mountain State Park to hike up the West Summit Trail. We started from the park picnic grounds and followed the rocky trail to the top of Pinnacle Mountain. From the top is a spectacular view of Lake Maumelle, the Arkansas River Valley, the Ouachita Mountains, and west Little Rock.


I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. In 2019, I became the third person to complete the San Diego 100 Peak Challenge. Not stopping with that accomplishment, I set my sights on the harder San Diego Sierra Club 100 Peak list, which I completed in 2021. In addition, I have conquered several Six-Pack of Peaks challenges (SoCal, San Diego, Central Coast, and Arizona-Winter). Beyond attempting the San Diego Sierra Club 100 Peak list a second time, I am looking forward to exploring new summits and new adventures across the southwest.