Scrub jays (along with their corvid relatives ravens and crows) are among the most intelligent of non-human animals, up there with primates, dolphins, elephants, etc., depending on whose list you consult. Today as I was reading a book on the back deck I threw out a peanut. Within less than a minute a jay got up enough nerve to move ...

Testing…both camping and blackberries… I did something today that I’ve wanted to do for years! Picked blackberries at Kerckhoff Lake. So many times we’ve driven by this pretty and serene lake, actually a reservoir, on our way here and there between over the last twenty some years. The reservoir is just south of North Fork, Oakhurst and Fresno and is ...

Did you know that when you go camping in Yosemite, you aren’t required to hike? I practiced the fine art of doing practically nothing at Bridalveil Campground in Yosemite. I watched the critters in the campground, watched butterflies showing off on colorful flowers, stared into a campfire in the evening, watched the stars at night and listened to coyotes from ...

Myths and facts about the Sierra Foothills Bull pine From the time we moved into the mountains, I heard from neighbors and local friends about the Bull pines. Bull pines, Pinus sabiniana, are seemingly hated, seen as ugly, messy trees and reputed to somehow (?) suck water from people’s wells and aquifers. You must cut down the huge trees if ...

On Sunday, June 30, at 11 a.m., the leader of a climbing club staying at Camp 4 in Yosemite Valley contacted the Yosemite Emergency Communications Center, reporting that two members of his club were overdue. The two hiker-climbers, one male and one female, had started their journey on Saturday, June 29, with the intention of hiking, scrambling, and down-climbing through ...

Back from several days of hiking in the Lakes Basin/Sierra Buttes area, scouting out hikes for an upcoming hiking club three nighter. Lots of nice lakes at about the 7000′ level, rocky hard-on-old-ankles trails and few hikers. I much prefer the high Sierra over this sub alpine terrain, but it’s still nice. I wouldn’t have minded some cooler temperatures, though.

YOSEMITE VALLEY – Many of us have marveled at climbers making their way up the face of El Capitan. We are in awe of their skill and courage. These brave athletes inspire many unanswered questions: How long does it take to climb El Capitan? Do climbers eat and sleep along the way? Who were the first people to climb this ...

OAKHURST – The weekend of July 13 & 14 is the fourth annual fundraising event for the Stewards of the Sierra National Forest (SOTSNF), whose stated mission is keeping public access to the Sierra National Forest open for all to use and enjoy. SOTSNF is hosting a membership drive, BBQ fundraiser and optional Dual Sport Adventure, and it all starts ...

YOSEMITE – Yosemite Search and Rescue (YOSAR) successfully rescued an injured climber from the Leaning Tower on Tuesday, June 25. Reports are that solo climber Shane Houbart fell on the West Face Route, hurting his back badly enough to prevent further progress. YOSAR was alerted via telephone while Tom Evans was on hand to capture the scene in photographs. Evans ...

One of our cheapest and most fun trips was a week we spent camping with two of our closest friends on the beach on the North Shore of Oahu. I am not really sure why, but we got a lot of blank stares and “you’re crazy” comments when we told people we were going camping in Hawaii, but we figured ...