My short hike had a bit of a climb up to a pretty lake with late summer wildflowers still blooming and nearby mountains reflecting in its clear water. Waterfowl were feeding, frogs were swimming and Clark’s Nutcatchers were busy harvesting! Where: Inyo National ForestDistance: 3.19 MilesDifficulty: Moderate Elevational Range: 9,730′ to 10,526′Elevation Gain: 869′Date: September 1, 2022CALTOPO: Hiking to Gardisky ...

Do Yellow-Bellied Marmots, aka Whistlepigs, admire the beautiful cloud reflections in the High Sierra lakes as much as I do? And I will show you why they have that funny name. Well, I don’t know the answer to that question but I needed a tie in for this week’s blog so there you go! While I was recently exploring the ...

White puffy clouds danced across the blue sky, casting their reflections in turquoise glacial-fed lakes. And those wildflowers were putting on a show along the trail that miners of yesterday utilized as they searched for their lucky strike! Where: Harvey Monroe Hall Research Natural Area, Hoover Wilderness, Inyo National ForestDistance: 10.05 Miles (shorter by about 2.6 miles if the water ...

Can you picture a wildflower-lined trail leading you by small reflective tarns, beautiful lakes and wildly colorful mountains? That was my adventure with Fannie the Corgi, along with some snow-playing, fishing, rain and rumblings of thunder. Where: Inyo National Forest, Hoover WildernessDistance: 10.3 MilesDifficulty: ModerateElevation Range: 10,090′ – 10,359′Elevation Gain: 1,100′Date: July 18, 2022CALTOPO: Hiking 20 Lakes Loop with FannieDog ...

Sally the Weimaraner, Fannie the Corgi and I headed up to the glacial-fed Conness Lakes in the Tioga Pass area. I have no doubt they enjoyed their adventure but I especially love to visit these magical lakes that change color before my eyes. Where: Harvey Monroe Hall Research Natural Area, Hoover Wilderness, Inyo National ForestDistance: 9.95 Miles (includes about 2.6 ...

Sally the Weimaraner and Fannie the Corgi loved their adventure on the 20 Lakes Loop Trail, especially the part where they got to play in the snow! Located in the Hoover Wilderness, this trail led us by beautiful lakes, small tarns and mountains still streaked with snow. Where: Inyo National Forest, Hoover WildernessDistance: 8.7 MilesDifficulty: ModerateElevation Range: 10,092′ – 10,359′Date: ...

A storm was on the way that would close Tioga Road but would it close for a short period or for the season? I wasn’t about to miss the opportunity to visit some of the higher country in the Tioga Pass area while I could get there so I headed up to the glacial fed Conness Lakes as they were ...

I love to hike up to the glacial fed Conness Lakes above Saddlebag Lake in early summer when they are sporting their melting ice but hadn’t hiked up this late in the summer. Would there still be snow and would those pretty tarns along the way still be holding water in them? My dog Sally and I were on a ...

The Twenty Lakes Loop trail led my dog Sally and I along beautiful lakes in the Hoover Wilderness. Lakes and tarns reflected snow covered mountains and those columbine were blooming like crazy! Where: Inyo National Forest, Hoover Wilderness Distance: 9 Miles Difficulty: Moderate Elevation Range: 10,094′ – 10,360′ Date: August 6, 2019 Maps: Falls Ridge and June Lake Topographic Quads ...

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 ...