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 ...

The Conness Lakes are glacial lakes, fed by the largest glacier in the Sierra Nevada north of Tioga Pass. Their colors change with the sun and clouds from a greenish turquoise to grey to blue and when those clouds reflect in the waters of the high lakes and tarns, it is very special! Where: Harvey Monroe Hall Research Natural Area, ...

Where’s Granite Creek? Clover Meadow? Way up past Mammoth Pool Reservoir and almost to the wilderness boundary separating Sierra National Forest from the east side of the Sierra’s Mammoth Mountain. Granite Creek Campground Clover Meadow Campground Accessible from either Beasore Road or Mammoth Pool Road. Beasore Road turns into dirt above Grizzly Road and it takes a bend East. Beasore ...

LEE VINING — We are sad to hear about yet another historic venue falling victim to the very heavy snows over the Sierra this past winter. The operators of the Saddlebag Lake Resort on the east side of Tioga Pass arrived at the site on July 2 to discover 10 to 12 feet of snow at the General Store. They ...

Dramatic high peaks, streaked with colors of red, white and brown and still capped with snow frame Lundy Canyon. Mill Creek was high and really moving, lined with aspens that lulled me to sleep as the wind moved through them. It was a perfect place for Sally and I to kick back and relax . . and maybe catch a ...

YOSEMITE — When Marcus Mazzaferri set off from Campo, California at the southern terminus of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) on April 1, his plan was to hike the all the way to the other end at Manning Park in British Columbia, Canada. The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail is a long-distance hike closely aligned with the highest portion of the ...

YOSEMITE — The Half Dome Cables in Yosemite National Park will be in place for visitor use on Friday, June 2. The trail will be wet and icy in places and visitors planning to ascend Half Dome are encouraged to be prepared for winter hiking conditions. There is a daily lottery for a limited number of permits which are required ...

Last year we had visited Death Valley at this same time and were wowed by the “Superbloom.” We discovered zero wildflowers this year but there are always incredibly beautiful areas to explore in Death Valley and one of those are the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. They are a beautiful place to visit in the morning when we could see the ...

CENTRAL COAST — With our only child in college now, it’s almost like my husband and I are dating again. We met and married relatively late in life, and spent our child-free time wisely, taking trips around the state. We lived in southern California then, and concentrated our weekends toward the south, between the desert and the sea. We enjoyed ...

I’ve been doing a lot of outdoor workouts of late, squeezing them in between bouts of rain, sleet and hail (thank you weather radar!). It’s been a while since I’ve be running and my body doesn’t feel quite ready for a lot of distance yet, so I’ve gone back to a trick from my hiking days in Salt Lake City. ...