Our destination was icy Ostrander Lake, full of beautiful reflections and bordered by a snowy, rocky ledge. But we had to work for it, hiking through burned areas and up the trail through open granite in the heat. It was so worth it! Where: Yosemite National Park Distance: 12.83 Miles Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous Elevation Range: 6,998′ – 8,612′ Date: ...

We heard a rumor that some very pretty flowers were showing off on the Wawona Meadow Loop Trail, so you know where we headed. It was a short hike in cooler country and that rumor was true! Many beautiful wildflowers along the way and this one is also a good dog hike. Where: Yosemite National Park Distance: 4.21 miles Difficulty: ...

Tioga Road wasn’t open yet but those high lakes were calling me and it was well worth it to me to take the long way around to get there. Tioga Road through Yosemite National Park will soon be open but here is a sneak peek from my adventure over there June 5 and 6 this past week. So I drove ...

Stevenson Creek Falls had really been coming down the week before but would it still be roaring when I was able to see it a week later? You betcha! Where: Sierra National Forest Distance: 7.25 Miles Difficulty: Moderate Elevation Range: 1,182′ to 1,914′ Date: May 29, 2019 Maps: Auberry Topographic Quad, Sierra National Forest Dog Hike? Maybe We headed out ...

My dog Sally is now a BARK Ranger and we want to share what we learned when we headed to Yosemite Valley to do some camping, checking out the dogwood blooms and exploring the trails where dogs are allowed. Where: Yosemite National Park Difficulty: Easy Elevation Range: 3,888 to 4,129′ Date: May 13 – 15, 2019 Maps: El Capitan Dog ...

I had never gone birding. I don’t know why. I just never did it. I had never been to Clark’s Valley, not far from Jerseydale, but I had seen it on a map. The Sierra Foothill Conservancy was offering a class with both of these new adventures and I headed out on their Docent-led hike to learn something new. I ...

This is one of those hikes that is not open to the public and you can only go on the property with the Sierra Foothills Conservancy. Since they don’t offer hikes here very often, I jumped at the chance to see some new country to me, learn more about native grasses, wildflowers and the drought tolerant blue oak. The Catheys ...

Mom was celebrating her birthday and requested a day trip over to Moss Landing, just north of Monterey. Walking on the beach, eating fried oysters at Phil’s Fish Market & Eatery and stopping by the vegetable stand on the way home were on her birthday list. Mom’s birthday was a big one and I won’t say just how big, but ...

Warm weather’s spring snow melt is fueling Yosemite’s waterfalls and I couldn’t resist a drive up to Yosemite Valley to check them out. And, what about those dogwoods? Were they blooming yet? Where: Yosemite National Park Distance: About 10 miles to drive my Yosemite Valley Loop, but you can also walk it or take the free shuttle to explore it ...

A great workout with beautiful flowers and a ton of history! This hike was right up my alley on a cooler day between raindrops. Where: Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Merced River Recreation Management Area Distance: About 9 miles roundtrip to the gate but you can go shorter or longer Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous Elevation Range: 1,138′ – 2,835′ Date: ...