Backpacking Hetch Hetchy, Yosemite – Day 3: Rancheria Falls to O’Shaughnessy Dam
This three-day loop in the wilderness of Hetch Hetchy was my second ever solo backpacking trip. My first was a three day trip in the southern part of Yosemite. This Hetch Hetchy trip was much different, and easier, than the first – and not because I am getting “better” at solo backpacking. I think what made this trip easier was how I rarely felt isolated. On the last trip, I…
Backpacking Hetch Hetchy, Yosemite – Day 2: Vernon Lake to Rancheria Falls
As the seasons in Yosemite change, so do the annoying pests that join along on hikes uninvited. The early summer brings mosquitoes, in mid-summer you might run into a biting flies, but during the hot dry late late summer days it is the face gnats that run the show. I did this solo backpacking trip to Rancheria Falls in September 2018, firmly during the hot dry late summer. The hike…
Backpacking Hetch Hetchy, Yosemite – Day 1: O’Shaughnessy Dam to Lake Vernon
TilTill Valley was once featured in an old backpacker magazine article, and I have been wanting to hike this Yosemite backpacking loop since I saw that. The article is lost, or recycled, so I can only remember the description of the lush valley in vague terms. It was supposed to be wildflower paradise, an accessible glimpse into Yosemite’s hidden wilderness meadows. Of course, I did this hike in September (9/2018)…
Kibbie Lake, Yosemite: Early Summer & Full Moon Backpacking
Happy National Parks Week! Yosemite National Park is currently closed help stop the spread of COVID-19. The whole situation is a bummer, but that does allow more time to look at old photos and plan future trips. To be honest: Yes, I have canceled multiple trips because of the quarantine orders. Even some of the local hikes I was looking forward to are now off the table because the Stanislaus…
Hello! I am a 30-something outdoors-lady, backpacker, and resident of Groveland, California - 
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