Pika, those furry little critters that are too cute for words, greeted my dog Sally and me on our first day camping at Saddlebag Lake as we took a short walk along the east side of the lake to check out the beautiful wildflowers. Where: Hoover Wilderness, Inyo National Forest Distance: About 1.5 miles (but you can go farther) Elevation ...

Five days of camping in the Tioga Pass area gave Sally and myself plenty of time to wander, fishing some of the high lakes and creeks in the area. We had some bites. Some were from mosquitoes and some were from the fish! Where: Hoover Wilderness, Inyo National Forest Elevation Range: 9,552′ – 10,286′ Date: July 15 – 19, 2019 ...

My dog Sally is now a BARK Ranger and we want to share what we learned when we headed to Yosemite Valley to do some camping, checking out the dogwood blooms and exploring the trails where dogs are allowed. Where: Yosemite National Park Difficulty: Easy Elevation Range: 3,888 to 4,129′ Date: May 13 – 15, 2019 Maps: El Capitan Dog ...

Sally and I had escaped the Ferguson Fire smoke by heading over to the east side of the Sierra. We spent the night in Lone Pine, then headed up Hwy 395 to the White Mountains. I hoped that by getting up over 10,000′ elevation, we would experience smoke-free air plus I had never been to ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest and ...

Sally and I had reached a threshold where we just had to get out of the smoke and heat but with Hwy 41, 140, 120 and then 108 all closed to the eastern side, it was time get serious about our escape. So, we drove south down Hwy 99 to Bakersfield across Tehachapi and up 395. Smoke was following us ...

I love to hike up to the glacial fed Conness Lakes above Saddlebag Lake. I don’t know how the colors of the lake’s waters magically change from green to turquoise to deep blue before my eyes, so magic is the best explanation I can come up with. Where: Harvey Monroe Hall Research Natural Area, Hoover Wilderness, Inyo National Forest Distance: ...

Saddlebag Lake Campground in the Tioga Pass area had just opened and I wasted no time heading up there to check out the high country. Four days of camping gave my dog Sally and me plenty of time to wander by the high lakes in the area and get some fishing in! Where: Hoover Wilderness, Inyo National Forest Distance: 9.08 ...

Sally and I needed a break from weedeating and we escaped over Tioga Pass, camping along roaring Lee Vining Creek. Relaxing and reading were my goals but I walked back through history up to the Poole Hydroelectric Plant. Where: Inyo National Forest, Aspen Campground Elevation: 7,490′ Date: June 4-7, 2018 Maps: June Lake Topog Dog Friendly? Yes Sally and I headed ...

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 heard some reports that fall was starting to create colorful splashes on those mountains on the east side of the Sierra and had to go check it out for myself. Fall was happening on the east side . . . but so was winter! Where: Inyo National Forest, John Muir Wilderness Distance: 2.77 Miles Difficulty: Moderate Elevation Range: 7,582’ ...