A hike along beautiful Hetch Hetchy Reservoir with three beautiful waterfalls is hard to beat. Throw in some beautiful wildflowers and a good workout to make it extra special! Where: Yosemite National ParkDistance: 11.81 Miles (About 5 miles rt to Wapama Falls)Difficulty: ModerateElevation Range: 3,682′ to 4,463′Elevation Gain: 2,797′Date: April 13, 2022Maps: CALTOPO: Hetch Hetchy to Wapama Falls and Rancheria FallsDog ...

FRESNO STATE — The student-run Vintage Days festival that historically attracts about 50,000 attendees per year will return to an in-person, on-campus celebration at Fresno State this year after it adapted to a virtual format the past two years during the pandemic. The 48th Vintage Days will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 29 ...

Waterfall season is upon us and Chilnualna Falls is a beautiful hike to check out its 5 tiers of waterfalls. A good workout if you decide to go to the top of the falls, but the lower part of the falls is a dandy if you don’t want to go as far. . . or climb over, around or under ...

Early morning road trip to check out Yosemite’s waterfalls and their reflections. When I say early, I mean really early! Where: Yosemite National ParkDistance: About 10 miles to drive my Yosemite Valley Loop, but you can also walk it or take the free shuttle to explore itDifficulty: EasyElevation Range: 3,888 to 4,129′Date: April 25, 2019 My friend Debbie was visiting ...

The historic Skelton Creek Trail shows up on maps in the 1850’s and walking down it was right up my alley. Tons of history in this area and I always learn something new when hiking with the Sierra Hiking Seniors, a friendly group of fellow hikers. Where: Sierra National Forest, Bureau of Land Management, Private PropertyDistance: 4.62 MilesDifficulty: Easy to ...

Wildflower season has definitely arrived in the Merced River Canyon. And, it was a 15 newt day on the Hite’s Cove Trail! If you don’t feel like going the distance that I did on the Hite’s Cove Trail, the most concentrated area of poppies is within the first 1/2 mile or so. But that is also the most concentrated area ...

Kaleidoscopic splashes of yellow here, mounds of orange there and then a little later, oceans of purple, sometimes with some red to liven up the wildflower colors as I hiked up new trails with the Sierra Foothill Conservancy. At the top of the Ruth McKenzie Table Mountain Preserve vernal pools were especially beautiful, ringed with white meadowfoam. Where: Sierra Foothill ...

Wildflowers, miners, gold mines, an old railroad bed and a beautiful but deadly river all have roles in this week’s blog. Oh, and can’t forget about the geese!Where: Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Merced River Recreation Management AreaDistance: 13.36 miles round trip but you can go shorter or longerDifficulty: EasyElevation Range: 1,001′ – 1,215′Elevation Total Ascent: 1,125′Date: March 7, 2022CALTOPO: ...

Frogs and birds were singing their tunes and turtles were basking in the sun on a beautiful day as I hiked with the Sierra Foothill Conservancy (SFC), exploring trails in the Stockton Creek Preserve. Recent land acquisitions have expanded this preserve, a partnership with SFC and Mariposa Public Utilities District (MPUD), to 700 acres and grants have improved and added ...

Fannie the Corgi wanted to go on a dog hike and I knew just the place. Not too far, not too steep, not too much snow and a little history thrown in along the Wawona Meadow Loop. Where: Yosemite National ParkDistance: 4.02 milesDifficulty: EasyElevation Range: 3,979′ – 4,219′Elevation Gain: 278′Date: February 17, 2022CALTOPO: CALTOPO: Hiking Wawona Meadow Loop with FannieDog Hike? ...