Yosemite National Park had plans to close Tioga and Glacier Point Roads temporarily due to a storm rolling in. What “temporarily” meant was yet to be seen but I had this need to get somewhere where I could see and feel that storm coming in but had to move quickly to beat that road closure. Where: Yosemite National Park Distance: ...

We had the trail and amazing views all to ourselves. From Mount Watkins, it felt like we could almost reach out and touch Half Dome, Clouds Rest, and Tenaya Canyon. Well, kind of . . . Where: Yosemite National Park Distance: 8.6 Miles Difficulty: Easy to Moderate Elevation Range: 7,996′ – 8,497′ Date: November 12, 2019 Maps: Falls Ridge, Hetch ...

We hiked on a trail full of history that included an old wagon road and the old Civilian Conservation Corps camp known as CCC Co. 920, YNP 6. Camp Cascades started in 1933 and the men who worked there created many elements within Yosemite National Park that we pass by each time we visit. We also saw some fall color ...

We headed down to Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park to hike beneath many huge giant sequoias. The world’s largest giant sequoia lives here, along with most of the top 25 largest giant sequoias in the world. Our choice of trails led us through more huge trees than we could count. Oh, and the fall colors were pretty nice too! ...

Trees were showing off their fall colors on the eastern side of the Sierra but it wouldn’t last long. I headed to Lundy Canyon to check out the aspens before forecasted winds stole the show away. Where: Inyo National Forest, Hoover Wilderness Elevation Range: 7,800′ Date: October 15, 2019 Maps: Big Alkali, Buckeye Ridge, Falls Ridge and June Lake Topographic ...

A huge ledge of silver is said to run along the Tioga Crest, enticing many to search the area, hoping to strike it rich with their mine. The Sheepherder Mine was one of those mines, discovered and rediscovered. The community of Dana was one of those towns, said to have had up to 1,000 people living in it at the ...

By Joseph Langley and Autumn Pecarovich MINARETS — Huffing and puffing, lugging all of their equipment, the Minarets Glissaders club triumphantly reached Eagle Lake on Friday, Oct. 4. The Glissaders conquered a 2,500-foot ascent in 3.6 miles, through a winding trail full of switchbacks, ending in a final rocky scramble. They stayed at the campsite for two nights, leaving the ...

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 ...

Three weeks ago we attempted this hike up through wobbly rocks and boulder-strewn glacial remains, but a member of our party started showing symptoms of altitude sickness so we aborted our plan. It was time for us to finish what we had started. We visited all 5 of the Dana Lakes then headed up to Dana Plateau to exit but ...

Friends were visiting and it was an excellent excuse to take a day trip into Yosemite Valley, taking in the gorgeous views along the way and having an elegant lunch with friends at the Ahwahnee Hotel. The afternoon winds coaxed Bridalveil Fall to dance for me.   Lunch with friends at the Ahwahnee Hotel was a nice experience and someone ...