Sierra News Online News from the communities in and around Yosemite National Park

News from the communities in and around Yosemite National Park

Clouds were just passing through and they teamed up with the waterfalls to create ever changing reflections in Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. Walking up that trail had me wondering about the old trails and people who walked here back in the day. Where: Yosemite National ParkDistance: 6.86 Miles (About 5 miles rt to Wapama Falls, 13 miles rt to Rancheria Falls)Difficulty: ModerateElevation ...

Dewey Point is famous for spectacular views of Yosemite’s high country but who knew we would see Merced River Canyon poppies from the trail while snowshoeing? We enjoyed one last showshoe hurrah before winter access to Badger Pass Ski Area closed for the season. Where: Yosemite National ParkDistance: 7.41 MilesDifficulty: ModerateElevational Range: 7,233′ to 7,570′Date: March 29, 2021CALTOPO: Badger Pass ...

The Merced River Canyon’s Hite’s Cove Trail has reopened just in time for a glorious poppy extravaganza. It has been 3 long years since it was closed from the Ferguson Fire. If you don’t feel like going the distance that I did, the most concentrated area of poppies is within the first 1/2 mile or so. But that is also ...

Spring has definitely sprung in the Merced River Canyon and the poppy show has begun! Hike it, bike it, drive it or find a good spot to sit in a chair and watch it. There are so many ways to view these beautiful, golden poppies. Where: Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Merced River Recreation Management AreaDistance: 10.76 miles round trip but ...

Old dirt roads led me along the Merced River, by old mines, wildflowers, views, a singing frog and the Love Shack. Starting at Briceburg, I walked up the Burma Road switchbacks then beyond. Where: Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Merced River Recreation Management AreaDistance: About 15 miles roundtrip but you can go shorter or longerDifficulty: Moderate to StrenuousElevation Range: 1,138′ ...

I love walking the same road each week in the spring, admiring the changing wildflower colors, butterflies, bugs and occasional critter. Snake tracks on the road also told me that the rattlesnakes were waking up. Last week I had spotted a few old mines on the map not far from my path and you know me, I had to check ...

I was in the mood for a good conditioning hike with some miles and a climb. 12 miles with about 2,000 elevational gain at the Merced River at Briceburg would do the trick. It was a little early for the beautiful spring wildflowers that this area is known for but I found a few early birds. Oh, and I had ...

Have you ever snowshoed into Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias? This was one adventure I had not experienced until this week. Tuolumne Grove was one of the big stops that early travelers made on their way to Yosemite. In the 1870’s, they left Hodgdon’s Stage Station, then headed up through these huge trees, even driving through one of the dead ...

Already February and I hadn’t gone on a single snowshoe this year. It was time to fix that problem with an adventure in Fish Camp but what would the snow be like? Where: Sierra National ForestDistance: 3.64 miles, but you can walk much farther or shorter if you wishDifficulty: Easy to Moderate, depending on the depth of new snowElevation Range: ...

There was a really good reason why I headed up to Yosemite Valley when I did. A nice storm came in and the timing for it moving out would be a perfect time to be in the valley. Maybe if I was lucky, I would see clouds swirling around the high places on the rim. Where: Yosemite National ParkDistance: About ...