Today is the final Adventures With Candace Blog. It was back on September 22, 2012 when the first one was published on Sierra News Online and in case you are wondering, it was about a hike up to Dana Plateau. The blog has come a long way since then with improved photography and mapping tools. Somewhere along the line, I ...

Miners were digging their way by the shovelful through a rocky mountain, hoping to make their big strike along “The Great Silver Belt,” but that big strike never happened. As I hiked in their footsteps, it almost felt like they could be returning any day now. Mining equipment is strewn near the tunnel opening and firewood is stacked, ready to ...

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 ...

Once upon a time, a Cavalry Officer married the daughter of an Acting Yosemite National Park Superintendent. Back in 1912, lakes and a creek were named after that young man but who could have known that he would rise to such a high rank? I took advantage of a layover day during my recent 8 day pack trip with stock ...

A mule named Jigs took me to places I had never visited. His sure feet led me up and down rocky trails, sandy trails, steep trails, wet trails, and by beautiful reflective lakes and high granite mountains in northern Yosemite and the Hoover Wilderness. Where: Yosemite National Park, Toiyabe National Forest, Hoover WildernessDistance: 56.3 MilesDifficulty: Moderate to DifficultElevation Range: 7,159′ ...

A short, early morning hike up to May Lake, with amazing reflections of Mount Hoffmann in its crystal clear waters. Where: Yosemite National ParkDistance: 3.65 Miles (about 6 miles round trip to the top of Mount Hoffman)Difficulty: Moderate Elevation Range: 8,855′ – 9,362′Elevation Gain: 551′Date: August 3, 2022CALTOPO: Hiking to May LakeDog Hike? No As I drove east on Tioga ...

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 ...

Smoke from the Washburn Fire wasn’t going to stop me from having an adventure this week so I closely researched weather and smoke models, finding the perfect day in the Tioga Pass area for those breezy Zephyr winds to keep the skies clear over me. A bounty of colorful wildflowers along the way led me up to Dana Plateau with ...