Hello, I’m Sara Groban (trail name Sonic). Thanks for stopping by! My trail name originated on the The Colorado Trail, which I completed in 2018 (I was told I was a fast hiker..to which I say thank you). It was this trail that changed my life and since then I have shifted my priorities to focus on what I truly love…hiking.

I am based out of Palm Springs, CA. Here I reside with my fiance Vance and my cat (second husband) Tommy. You’ll catch me hiking the local Coachella Valley trails in the winter and venturing off to nearby peaks in the San Bernardino and Angeles National Forests year-round either solo or with my hiking partner Debbie to prep for summer backpacking and thru-hiking season. I am lucky to be able to go snowshoeing one day and hike a desert trail the next. That’s Southern California for ya!

Some non-hiking stuff about me is that I have a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Forestry and Wildland Fire Management and have just joined the industry after graduating in May 2024. Other hobbies of mine include cat pets, using my new dehydrator to cook whole food backpacking meals, mountain biking, running, and rock climbing.

My Hiking Experience

I began hiking regularly in 2017 during the time when I got sober and all my energy went into getting my health back. When I first started hiking, I was pre-diabetic, newly single after a bad break-up, and completely lost. I found in hiking what I couldn’t find in any person, place, or drug. It truly saved my life and since then I have successfully completed many backpacking trips, thru-hikes, and peaks both in California and beyond.

• Long Distance Trails (greater than 100 miles): The Colorado Trail, John Muir Trail, Tahoe Rim Trail
• Backpacking Trips: Grand Canyon R2R2R, Crow Pass Trail and Williwaw Lakes (AK), Trans-Catalina Trail, High Sierra Loop, California Riding and Hiking Trail (Joshua Tree), Pine Creek to Honeymoon Lake (Eastern Sierra), Duck Pass to Pika Lake (Eastern Sierra), The Kalalau Trail (HI), Cottonwood Marble Canyon Loop (Death Valley), Big Sur Sykes Hot Springs Extended Loop
• Peaks/Day Hikes (Southern California): Mount Whitney, Cactus to Clouds (X2), San Jacinto Peak (via deer springs, fuller ridge, south ridge, & humber park), San Gorgonio Peak (via south fork, fish creek, momyer, & vivian creek), San Bernardino Peak, East San Bernardino Peak, Timber Mountain, Telegraph Peak, Cucamonga Peak, Etiwanda Peak, Ontario Peak, Josephine Peak, Rattlesnake Peak, Iron Mountain, Mount Wilson, Mount Baldy, Sitton Peak, Apache Peak, Spitler Peak, and many others.

Hiking Plans for 2025

Vance and I will be hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc with a start date of August 6th. I submitted for the Early Access Lottery for The Wonderland Trail. I may just have to just get a walk-up permit, but fingers crossed! I am also thinking of trying to score a permit for the The High Sierra Trail for the beginning of September. I will definitely be utilizing Outdoor Status and you should too for your “hard to get” permit needs! You can sign up to be notified via text when there are any cancellations for a permit and date of your choice for a small fee. Worth it in my opinion as I’ve been applying for years for some trail lotteries.

Socials

My main platform is Instagram where I share what I’m up to in real time. I am also on Youtube where I put together quick trail previews for viewers to easily see a hike at a glance before digging into the more detailed trail guide on my site.