We like to hike with our dogs, so where are those great dog hikes in our area? You have seen my dog Sally tagging along with me on some of our hikes. Now is your turn to share your favorite dog hikes for inclusion in dog hikes in our area. I envision a living document that we can add more ...

Climbing up a loose and rocky chute, hopping boulder to boulder, sometimes with a surprise of a wobbly rock, pushing our way through knarly willows, and pulling ourselves up and over boulders the size of a small house were the tougher parts on this hike. The easy part was admiring the wonderful view of some of the high lakes in ...

OAKHURST — Bob Kaspar has always been ahead of the curve. He built his first telescope at the cusp of his teenage years. When he was 14, the Massachusetts native rode a bicycle alone from southern California to Yosemite. At 15, he spent six weeks solo off-trail hiking and climbing through the High Sierra. Turning 16, Kaspar rebuilt his first car, ...

Sally led the way as we hiked up to 6 beautiful lakes in the Hoover Wilderness. Some had beautiful reflections, 1 had lots of polliwogs and 1 served as our lunch spot underneath Mount Conness. Where: Hoover Wilderness, Inyo National Forest Distance: 7.13 Miles Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous Elevation Range: 9,533′ – 10,375′ Date: August 18, 2016 Maps: Falls Ridge ...

Written by Wendy Fisher — As a lifelong wilderness enthusiast at heart, I have been exploring the Sierra on foot for well over 20 years. When I am not out exploring, gardening, or parenting my lovely twin girls, I am proud of my day job working as a plant/wetland ecologist with Live Oak Associates. Live Oak is an Oakhurst based ecological ...

We headed over to Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park for a hike on a trail that had been blasted into granite slab with a sheer dropoff and amazing views. As we hiked up to 4 lakes, we were happy to see colorful wildflowers along the trail. Where: Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park Distance: 12.94 Miles Difficulty: Moderate to ...

When you get on top of Dana Plateau, you are right on the edge of the crest with a sharp drop off and killer views into the Mono Lake area. The hike up to the top is always different and this time we were treated to colorful wildflowers, a marmot and strange winged creatures. Where: Ansel Adams Wilderness Area, Inyo ...

We headed off trail to check out some unnamed lakes above the Mono Pass Trail. Those views! Those wildflowers! Of course I was curious how the fishing was and I was not disappointed! Where: Yosemite National Park Distance: 10.65 Miles Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous Elevation Range: 9,596′ – 11,328′ Date: July 28, 2016 Maps: Tioga Pass, Mount Dana, Koip Peak ...

Beautiful high lakes in the shadow of Mount Dana brought us up to this country that looked baron from afar but when we looked closer, we discovered an explosion of wildflowers blooming. . . and a curious critter! Where: Ansel Adams Wilderness, Inyo National Forest Distance: 5.24 Miles Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous Elevation Range: 9,655′ – 11,144′ Date: July 22, ...

Reflections of snow streaked mountains in seasonal tarns called us to the 20 Lakes Basin in the Hoover Wilderness. What a wonderful surprise to see so many wildflowers in bloom, especially those graceful columbine. Where: Hoover Wilderness Distance: 9.35 Miles Difficulty: Moderate Elevation Range: 10,057′ – 10,407′ Date: July 12, 2016 Maps: Falls Ridge and June Lake Topogs I just ...