Dana Plateau is not an easy hike by any means but if you are up for it, you will be blown away by the landscape, textures, colors, views and wildflowers that call this land that escaped the glaciers their home. If you go now and climb up through the white, bouldery wash, you will see beautiful columbine blooms which are ...
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Hiking With Sally to the Old Mining Town of Bennettville
Are you up for an easy hike to the old mining town of Bennettville? How could I not ponder what it must have been like back in 1882 when a new town with a population of 50,000 was envisioned and that they would be striking it rich as soon as they hit “The Great Silver Belt?” They worked and lived ...
Read More »Red Chairs And Blue Herons
By Sharon Giacomazzi — FISH CAMP — Across from bustling Fish Camp Store is a placid blue pond cradled in an emerald green meadow. It’s a serene and peaceful sight, especially in comparison to Yosemite travelers zooming along Highway 41. For many years I’ve enjoyed its presence, full to the brim in early season and ice coated in winter. For ...
Read More »Camping & Fishing With Sally in Tioga Pass
Five days of camping in the Tioga Pass area gave Sally and myself plenty of time to wander, fishing some of the high lakes and creeks in the area. We had some bites. Some were from mosquitoes and some were from the fish! Where: Hoover Wilderness, Inyo National Forest Elevation Range: 9,552′ – 10,286′ Date: July 15 – 19, 2019 ...
Read More »Hiking up Yosemite’s Mono Pass Trail to Helen Lake
I try my best to hike up to Helen Lake while there is a smidge of ice still on it. There is something special about how a bit of white snow sets off the red colors of the surrounding mountains and it is a lovely hike up a historic Native American trail and mining route. Where: Yosemite National Park Distance: ...
Read More »Hiking Through July Snow To Gaylor, Granite Lakes & The Old Mining Town Of Dana City
First day that Tioga Road was fully open and we headed to lakes that we hoped would still be iced over, even in July. Lots of history in this area and I can’t help thinking of the people who made that history. As we know, most miners did not strike it rich and some do not have happy endings. I ...
Read More »How Art Shapes Our Lives: Crop Circles
Optical art, fractal art, abstract art and many other forms of art rely heavily upon geometric shapes and spaces. Geometry is a language! The math that it takes to create shapes that are comprised of points, lines and curves is thought to be universal. Through art, geometry can be employed in many ways — from simple design to giving the ...
Read More »Hiking Through the Wild Azaleas From Fish Camp to Wawona Point
Wild azaleas were showing off their white flowers and we caught a whiff of their scent before we saw them. This was the perfect time to see them blooming between Fish Camp and the Mariposa Grove plus got a nice workout as we wandered through Mariposa Grove to Wawona Point. Where: Sierra National Forest, Yosemite National Park, Mariposa Grove of ...
Read More »How Art Shapes Our Lives: Local Architecture
By Sal Maccarone — Great architectural achievements always reflect a careful blending of art and science. Throughout the process of building something great these two disciplines will come together and, by designing and building a structure which reflects certain considerations, all things will work in harmony to produce a three dimensional form of art. Becoming an important piece of architecture ...
Read More »Hiking From Glacier Point Road to Ostrander Lake
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: ...
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