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

News from the communities in and around Yosemite National Park

I explored high places by horseback in Utah, looking out for miles and miles at amazing views showcasing the San Rafael Swell, Capitol Reef National Park and Grand Staircase/Escalante National Monument. We rode around parts of Boulder Mountain, the largest and highest plateau that is part of the Colorado Plateau. Those rides took us through stands of large aspens, spruce, ...

They call this hike the Twenty Lakes Basin Hike and my dog Sally and I visited 13 of them on this day. And yes, I am counting every little tarn and separate little inlet as lakes but there are even more that you could cover in this hike if you tried and if you do the hike in early spring, ...

Saddlebag Lake, located just east of Yosemite National Park’s eastern Tioga Pass entrance, is being drained down fairly rapidly and some rumors have been floating around as to the reason. The lake is part of Southern California Edison’s (SCE) hydroelectric project located on Lee Vining creek utilized by Southern California Edison to produce small-scale hydro-power. SCE issued the following statement: ...

Colorful uplifted ancient canyons and mountains that used to be rivers, swamps, deserts and oceans make up Capitol Reef National Park. As I rounded every bend of the trail, it revealed a slice of geologic history through millions of years. It also revealed beauty unlike anything I had seen. Where: Capitol Reef National Park Distance: 10.49 Miles Difficulty: Moderate Elevation ...

Sometimes hikes don’t go as planned, creating an unexpected fun adventure. A pretty little lake, beautiful end of September wildflowers and a one of a kind view all made this hike a winner. Where: Ansel Adams Wilderness, Sierra National Forest Distance: 7.08 Miles Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous Elevation Range: 8,040′ – 9,612′ Date: September 17, 2018 Maps: Merced Peak Topographic ...

I was heading to Utah for a horse camping trip and wisely planned a little extra time for adventure along my way to Torrey. I had been thinking about driving through some country that I hadn’t been to so headed from Cedar City over Hwy 14 to Cedar Breaks National Monument. That drive over was gorgeous but Cedar Breaks with ...

Our hike took us off the trail, up through boulder-strewn moraines where we were almost blown over by wind gusts, but it was all so worth it when we reached the beautiful high lakes fed by the Dana Glacier. Brightly colored mountains and rocks framed the views for us and this isn’t the first time a curious critter welcomed us ...

Riding horses in Yosemite’s beautiful high country is always a special treat. Riding along the trails in the Tuolumne Meadows area gave me a different perspective of the country, viewing the country through my horse’s ears. My friends were staying in one of the horse campsites at Tuolumne Meadows and invited me to come up and ride with them. How ...

We headed off-trail to check out the country above the Mono Pass Trail. We never know what we will find and that is part of the excitement. The 30 percent chance of thunderstorms didn’t deliver the lightening, thunder or rain but they did deliver beautiful reflections of white clouds in those beautiful high lakes. Where: Yosemite National Park Distance: About ...

Sally and I had escaped the Ferguson Fire smoke by heading over to the east side of the Sierra. We spent the night in Lone Pine, then headed up Hwy 395 to the White Mountains. I hoped that by getting up over 10,000′ elevation, we would experience smoke-free air plus I had never been to ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest and ...