A weather forecast of 16 degrees and 25 mph winds didn’t deter us from bundling up and heading to the Kuna Crest for my last fishing adventure for this year. Icy creeks led the way to Bingaman Lake where we also met up with some beautiful wildlife. Where: Yosemite National Park Distance: 8.65 Miles Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous Elevation Range: ...
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Hiking from Tioga Lake to Bennettville and up to Green Treble Lake Loop
Hiking in the Tioga Pass through history on the Great Sierra Wagon Road, walking in the footprints of the miners who lived in this rugged country dreaming of hitting “The Great Silver Belt” and striking it rich. Sure makes me wonder about the lives of the women and men who were associated with these dreams. Although they must have had ...
Read More »Leaf Peeping With Mom Around Nelder Grove
I had peeped on the eastern side of the Sierra and I had peeped in Yosemite Valley. It was now time to do a little peeping closer to home at Nelder Grove and mom was up for the adventure. But adventures do not always go as planned. Where: Sierra National Forest, Nelder Grove Distance: About 1.5 miles, but you can ...
Read More »Leaf Peeping In Yosemite Valley
After chasing fall colors at higher elevations on the eastern side of the Sierra, I was curious how those fall colors were shaping up in Yosemite Valley. So, I hopped in the car and took a little drive. Where: Yosemite National Park Difficulty: Easy Elevation Range: 3,996′ – 4,184′ Date: October 30, 2018 Maps: El Capitan and Hetch Hetchy Reservoir ...
Read More »Leaf Peeping on the East Side of the Sierra
We were on the hunt for fall colors on the eastern side of the Sierra. We discovered gold, yellow and a few reds along the way but white puffy clouds and reflective lakes kind of stole the show. I was ok with that! The fall color show on the eastern side of the Sierra was winding down and I wanted ...
Read More »Hiking with Sally through Twenty Lakes Basin
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, ...
Read More »Escape to Utah: Hiking in Capitol Reef National Park to Cassidy Arch
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 ...
Read More »Hiking to the Headwaters of the East Fork of Chiquito Creek
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 ...
Read More »Hiking up Wobbly Rocks and Boulders to the Glacial-fed Dana Lakes
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 ...
Read More »Tuolumne Meadows Through a Horse’s Ears
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 ...
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