Eric
@mountainscalling.me
Yosemite • National Parks • Wild places
63/63 National Parks
Photos + daily thoughts from the trail.
https://linktr.ee/mountainscalling.me
63/63 National Parks
Photos + daily thoughts from the trail.
https://linktr.ee/mountainscalling.me
Pinned
Eric
@mountainscalling.me
· 9d
Today on the Mist Trail
The waterfalls are roaring. It is beautiful but somewhat worrying as they should be flowing less with more water locked up in snow.
Big storm coming. Hoping for cold+snow.
#Yosemite
The waterfalls are roaring. It is beautiful but somewhat worrying as they should be flowing less with more water locked up in snow.
Big storm coming. Hoping for cold+snow.
#Yosemite
Serious Junior Ranger question here...
Why does this badge have a buffalo on it? And not a Condor?
Pinnacles does not look like this and there are no buffalo.
Condors!!!! The largest land bird in North America that has primary habitat inside THIS PARK. Should be on this badge.
🫤
#ParkChat
Why does this badge have a buffalo on it? And not a Condor?
Pinnacles does not look like this and there are no buffalo.
Condors!!!! The largest land bird in North America that has primary habitat inside THIS PARK. Should be on this badge.
🫤
#ParkChat
January 12, 2026 at 12:48 AM
Serious Junior Ranger question here...
Why does this badge have a buffalo on it? And not a Condor?
Pinnacles does not look like this and there are no buffalo.
Condors!!!! The largest land bird in North America that has primary habitat inside THIS PARK. Should be on this badge.
🫤
#ParkChat
Why does this badge have a buffalo on it? And not a Condor?
Pinnacles does not look like this and there are no buffalo.
Condors!!!! The largest land bird in North America that has primary habitat inside THIS PARK. Should be on this badge.
🫤
#ParkChat
Saw many condors soaring around High Peaks
3 flew 50ft overhead twice then landed 200ft away & just chilled for a while
A park volunteer was up there and had a scope to see up close
California Condors have a 9.5ft wingspan
In the 80's there was less than 20. Now over 600 because CONSERVATION!
3 flew 50ft overhead twice then landed 200ft away & just chilled for a while
A park volunteer was up there and had a scope to see up close
California Condors have a 9.5ft wingspan
In the 80's there was less than 20. Now over 600 because CONSERVATION!
January 12, 2026 at 12:44 AM
Saw many condors soaring around High Peaks
3 flew 50ft overhead twice then landed 200ft away & just chilled for a while
A park volunteer was up there and had a scope to see up close
California Condors have a 9.5ft wingspan
In the 80's there was less than 20. Now over 600 because CONSERVATION!
3 flew 50ft overhead twice then landed 200ft away & just chilled for a while
A park volunteer was up there and had a scope to see up close
California Condors have a 9.5ft wingspan
In the 80's there was less than 20. Now over 600 because CONSERVATION!
I’m now certified in Basic First Aid, CPR, AED, and Wilderness First Aid.
Doing things by the book and putting the right pieces in place as I start something new in 2026. 🏞
Doing things by the book and putting the right pieces in place as I start something new in 2026. 🏞
January 11, 2026 at 3:23 AM
I’m now certified in Basic First Aid, CPR, AED, and Wilderness First Aid.
Doing things by the book and putting the right pieces in place as I start something new in 2026. 🏞
Doing things by the book and putting the right pieces in place as I start something new in 2026. 🏞
Gonna visit Pinnacles National Park this Sunday. Will be down that way for something else, so it's a perfect add-on to do along the way.
Visiting West Side and plan to explore Balconies Cave and then hike the High Peaks trail.
Neoprene socks + Water shoes + Headlamp + Flashlight ✅
#ParkChat
Visiting West Side and plan to explore Balconies Cave and then hike the High Peaks trail.
Neoprene socks + Water shoes + Headlamp + Flashlight ✅
#ParkChat
Pinnacles National Park (U.S. National Park Service)
Around 23 million years ago, a series of volcanic eruptions shaped the landscape that is now Pinnacles National Park. The remnants of these ancient eruptions have formed a striking terrain of rocky sp...
www.nps.gov
January 9, 2026 at 8:58 PM
Gonna visit Pinnacles National Park this Sunday. Will be down that way for something else, so it's a perfect add-on to do along the way.
Visiting West Side and plan to explore Balconies Cave and then hike the High Peaks trail.
Neoprene socks + Water shoes + Headlamp + Flashlight ✅
#ParkChat
Visiting West Side and plan to explore Balconies Cave and then hike the High Peaks trail.
Neoprene socks + Water shoes + Headlamp + Flashlight ✅
#ParkChat
Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends [life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness] it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute a new government. ~Thomas Jefferson
TJ's statue faces directly to the white house with an unobstructed sight line.
TJ's statue faces directly to the white house with an unobstructed sight line.
January 9, 2026 at 4:17 AM
Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends [life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness] it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute a new government. ~Thomas Jefferson
TJ's statue faces directly to the white house with an unobstructed sight line.
TJ's statue faces directly to the white house with an unobstructed sight line.
American Samoa patch added. 63/63
I collect a lot of stuff when I go to parks - but patches are my obsession.
This is my show piece. My pride and joy.
So many memories in a 2x3' box! 🏞🫶✨️🥹
#NationalParks
I collect a lot of stuff when I go to parks - but patches are my obsession.
This is my show piece. My pride and joy.
So many memories in a 2x3' box! 🏞🫶✨️🥹
#NationalParks
January 5, 2026 at 11:29 PM
American Samoa patch added. 63/63
I collect a lot of stuff when I go to parks - but patches are my obsession.
This is my show piece. My pride and joy.
So many memories in a 2x3' box! 🏞🫶✨️🥹
#NationalParks
I collect a lot of stuff when I go to parks - but patches are my obsession.
This is my show piece. My pride and joy.
So many memories in a 2x3' box! 🏞🫶✨️🥹
#NationalParks
Today on the Mist Trail
The waterfalls are roaring. It is beautiful but somewhat worrying as they should be flowing less with more water locked up in snow.
Big storm coming. Hoping for cold+snow.
#Yosemite
The waterfalls are roaring. It is beautiful but somewhat worrying as they should be flowing less with more water locked up in snow.
Big storm coming. Hoping for cold+snow.
#Yosemite
January 3, 2026 at 6:09 AM
Today on the Mist Trail
The waterfalls are roaring. It is beautiful but somewhat worrying as they should be flowing less with more water locked up in snow.
Big storm coming. Hoping for cold+snow.
#Yosemite
The waterfalls are roaring. It is beautiful but somewhat worrying as they should be flowing less with more water locked up in snow.
Big storm coming. Hoping for cold+snow.
#Yosemite
New Years Day hike to the brink of Lower Yosemite Falls 🏞🌈✨️
It was cold and misty and the route here is a bit 😬 but totally worth it!
#Yosemite #NationalParks #ParkChat #Waterfall #Waterfalls #Rainbow #Hiking
It was cold and misty and the route here is a bit 😬 but totally worth it!
#Yosemite #NationalParks #ParkChat #Waterfall #Waterfalls #Rainbow #Hiking
January 2, 2026 at 4:30 AM
New Years Day hike to the brink of Lower Yosemite Falls 🏞🌈✨️
It was cold and misty and the route here is a bit 😬 but totally worth it!
#Yosemite #NationalParks #ParkChat #Waterfall #Waterfalls #Rainbow #Hiking
It was cold and misty and the route here is a bit 😬 but totally worth it!
#Yosemite #NationalParks #ParkChat #Waterfall #Waterfalls #Rainbow #Hiking
January 1, 2026 at 8:13 AM
A reflection on a year I never expected.
A Year I Never Expected
If you told me at the beginning of 2025 all the things I would see and do over the course of this year, I would have been shocked and amazed.
It’s been a year filled with a wide range of emotions — s...
mountainscalling.me
January 1, 2026 at 5:06 AM
A reflection on a year I never expected.
Hiked offtrail to Sierra Point yesterday. In all my visits, had never been there
From Sierra Point 4 major waterfalls are visible. It is a stunning location and incredible viewpoint
Still finding new-to-me stuff in Yosemite. Still amazed by Yosemite!
🏞🫶
#Yosemite #NationalParks #Parkchat #Hiking
From Sierra Point 4 major waterfalls are visible. It is a stunning location and incredible viewpoint
Still finding new-to-me stuff in Yosemite. Still amazed by Yosemite!
🏞🫶
#Yosemite #NationalParks #Parkchat #Hiking
December 31, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Hiked offtrail to Sierra Point yesterday. In all my visits, had never been there
From Sierra Point 4 major waterfalls are visible. It is a stunning location and incredible viewpoint
Still finding new-to-me stuff in Yosemite. Still amazed by Yosemite!
🏞🫶
#Yosemite #NationalParks #Parkchat #Hiking
From Sierra Point 4 major waterfalls are visible. It is a stunning location and incredible viewpoint
Still finding new-to-me stuff in Yosemite. Still amazed by Yosemite!
🏞🫶
#Yosemite #NationalParks #Parkchat #Hiking
Sunrise in Yosemite 12/30/25
60 degrees temperature difference from American Samoa just a few days ago. 🥶
🏞
#Yosemite #NationalParks #Parkchat #Nature #Travel #Sunrise #Photography
60 degrees temperature difference from American Samoa just a few days ago. 🥶
🏞
#Yosemite #NationalParks #Parkchat #Nature #Travel #Sunrise #Photography
December 30, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Sunrise in Yosemite 12/30/25
60 degrees temperature difference from American Samoa just a few days ago. 🥶
🏞
#Yosemite #NationalParks #Parkchat #Nature #Travel #Sunrise #Photography
60 degrees temperature difference from American Samoa just a few days ago. 🥶
🏞
#Yosemite #NationalParks #Parkchat #Nature #Travel #Sunrise #Photography
I finally wrote down what finishing all 63 National Parks actually meant to me.
These places changed and shaped who I’ve become along the way.
I can’t imagine my life without them.
These places changed and shaped who I’ve become along the way.
I can’t imagine my life without them.
63rd National Park!
17 years.
9 months.
16 days.
That’s how long it took—from my very first National Park visit to Haleakalā National Park to my “final” park: National Park of American Samoa.
From March 7, 2008 to Dece...
mountainscalling.me
December 27, 2025 at 8:57 PM
I finally wrote down what finishing all 63 National Parks actually meant to me.
These places changed and shaped who I’ve become along the way.
I can’t imagine my life without them.
These places changed and shaped who I’ve become along the way.
I can’t imagine my life without them.
The final piece to my National Parks corkboard-patch-puzzle!
Is it weird that I am excited about this patch?
That I am anxious to get home and stick it up on my corkboard?
🤓
#NationalParks #ParkChat
Is it weird that I am excited about this patch?
That I am anxious to get home and stick it up on my corkboard?
🤓
#NationalParks #ParkChat
December 25, 2025 at 9:27 PM
The final piece to my National Parks corkboard-patch-puzzle!
Is it weird that I am excited about this patch?
That I am anxious to get home and stick it up on my corkboard?
🤓
#NationalParks #ParkChat
Is it weird that I am excited about this patch?
That I am anxious to get home and stick it up on my corkboard?
🤓
#NationalParks #ParkChat
December 24, 2025 at 9:31 PM
1st National Park - Haleakala 3/7/08
63rd National Park - American Samoa 12/23/25
17 years
9 months
16 days
63 National Parks Quest COMPLETE! ✅️
#NationalParks #ParkChat
63rd National Park - American Samoa 12/23/25
17 years
9 months
16 days
63 National Parks Quest COMPLETE! ✅️
#NationalParks #ParkChat
December 24, 2025 at 4:14 AM
1st National Park - Haleakala 3/7/08
63rd National Park - American Samoa 12/23/25
17 years
9 months
16 days
63 National Parks Quest COMPLETE! ✅️
#NationalParks #ParkChat
63rd National Park - American Samoa 12/23/25
17 years
9 months
16 days
63 National Parks Quest COMPLETE! ✅️
#NationalParks #ParkChat
Boarding to Pago Pago!
American Samoa 🌞🏝🌴✨️✨️
Some other 63 National Parks Questers on the flight came over and talked to me after seeing my hat. We chatted about Gates of the Arctic 🤪
Weeeee!!
#NationalParks #ParkChat
American Samoa 🌞🏝🌴✨️✨️
Some other 63 National Parks Questers on the flight came over and talked to me after seeing my hat. We chatted about Gates of the Arctic 🤪
Weeeee!!
#NationalParks #ParkChat
December 23, 2025 at 2:41 AM
Boarding to Pago Pago!
American Samoa 🌞🏝🌴✨️✨️
Some other 63 National Parks Questers on the flight came over and talked to me after seeing my hat. We chatted about Gates of the Arctic 🤪
Weeeee!!
#NationalParks #ParkChat
American Samoa 🌞🏝🌴✨️✨️
Some other 63 National Parks Questers on the flight came over and talked to me after seeing my hat. We chatted about Gates of the Arctic 🤪
Weeeee!!
#NationalParks #ParkChat
Diamond Head summit sunrise
So many people it made a busy day at Tunnel View feel empty. At least 300. As the sunrise passed fresh hords moved thru.
Still enjoyed it fully. Just pointing out how popular this spot is for sunrise. Never seen so many ppl at 630am!
🌅✨️
#Sunrise #Photography #Parkchat
So many people it made a busy day at Tunnel View feel empty. At least 300. As the sunrise passed fresh hords moved thru.
Still enjoyed it fully. Just pointing out how popular this spot is for sunrise. Never seen so many ppl at 630am!
🌅✨️
#Sunrise #Photography #Parkchat
December 21, 2025 at 8:57 PM
Diamond Head summit sunrise
So many people it made a busy day at Tunnel View feel empty. At least 300. As the sunrise passed fresh hords moved thru.
Still enjoyed it fully. Just pointing out how popular this spot is for sunrise. Never seen so many ppl at 630am!
🌅✨️
#Sunrise #Photography #Parkchat
So many people it made a busy day at Tunnel View feel empty. At least 300. As the sunrise passed fresh hords moved thru.
Still enjoyed it fully. Just pointing out how popular this spot is for sunrise. Never seen so many ppl at 630am!
🌅✨️
#Sunrise #Photography #Parkchat
The room isnt much bigger than the van... but *this* is the view!
Waikiki 🌴🌞
Waikiki 🌴🌞
December 20, 2025 at 6:42 PM
The room isnt much bigger than the van... but *this* is the view!
Waikiki 🌴🌞
Waikiki 🌴🌞
*IT* ... is so close now I can see the finish line. Yet it is still so far away!
National Parks adventure mode = activated!
#63 here I come! ✨️✨️✨️
National Parks adventure mode = activated!
#63 here I come! ✨️✨️✨️
December 20, 2025 at 3:53 AM
*IT* ... is so close now I can see the finish line. Yet it is still so far away!
National Parks adventure mode = activated!
#63 here I come! ✨️✨️✨️
National Parks adventure mode = activated!
#63 here I come! ✨️✨️✨️
