FRIANT — If you’ve ever wondered about the habits and habitat of the majestic Bald Eagle such as we can sometimes see locally, now is the time to take a closer look — with an expert along to guide you. Millerton Lake State Recreation Area, located in the heart of California’s Central Valley, is now accepting reservations for the 33rd ...

We hadn’t received much rain or snow but I was still curious what the water flow was like over Chilnualna Falls and if ice would be creating artistic patterns along the creek. The only way to find out for sure was to head up there and check it out myself. Where: Yosemite National Park Distance: 9.44 Miles Difficulty: Moderate Elevation ...

Our hiking adventure required some specific ingredients. It needed to be somewhere close by. We wanted to get a workout in . . . and be back in town by mid afternoon. We found it on the Spring Cove Trail at Bass Lake! Not only did we get some elevational gain, we got some bonus exercise in as we climbed ...

The 4 Mile Trail led me from the Yosemite Valley floor where the old Leidig Hotel stood in 1870 up to Glacier Point and Sentinel Dome, full of wonderful views of Yosemite Falls and the snowy high country. Where: Yosemite National Park Distance: 12.8 Miles Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous Elevation Range: 3,979′ – 8,107′ Date: November 29, 2017 Maps: El ...

If I could sneak one more day of hiking in before Tioga Road closed, where would it be? A hike to North Dome with a side trip to Indian Arch sounded like the perfect plan. Where: Yosemite National Park Distance: 9.76 Miles Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous Elevation Range: 7,397′ – 8,366′ Date: November 14, 2017 Maps: Hetch Hetchy Reservoir Topographic ...

Tuolumne Grove was one of the big stops that early travelers to Yosemite made. Imagine leaving Hodgdon’s Stage Station in the 1870s, then heading up through these huge trees. What a sight that must have been! And what a bumpy, dusty, dirty trip it was to get there as we learn from the words of those that made that trip ...

MOUNTAIN AREA — Togetherness is one of the simple ideals behind the Thanksgiving holiday and its ensuing weekend. Rather than eat, shop, and repeat, local lovers of the outdoors have a suggestion for the entire friends-and-family entourage: try a little Green Friday. As compared with the (when-did-it-become?) traditional Black Friday — a nearly-sacred day for those who love to shop ...

Three Giant Sequoia Groves are located in Yosemite National Park and we also have Nelder Grove nearby. They say that Merced Grove is the least visited and since I had never been to this one, I had to go check it out. It was a very nice hike down the historic Old Coulterville Road to check out the 20 or ...

My dog Sally and I hiked up Convict Canyon on a crisp morning after a dusting of snow, along side colorful mountains that steeply rose up from the trail, and through fall color toward Mildred Lake. The snow wasn’t an issue but the ice ended up being one, but those views along the way were well worth it! Where: Inyo ...

I had been chasing fall colors at higher elevations on the eastern side of the Sierra, but I was curious what those fall colors were doing in Yosemite Valley, so I took a little drive to see how they were shaping up. I arrived before the sun came up and it was pretty smoky but there was still a lot ...