Brews and Biking Shoes: Sonoma County Tasting Loop
Instead of ‘Brews and Hiking Boots‘ this trip was more of a ‘Brews and Biking and Wine Too’ sort of trip. Curtis and I head out to Santa Rosa in January and attempted to follow the “Merry Wheeler,” a bike ride with a merrymaking pit-stop at a Sebastopol brewery as described by Weekend Sherpa. Of course before we even had one single drink I went and got us “lost” by taking…
West Side Trail: Where the History of Logging, Railroads, and Taco Bell Intersects
Working with people who have lived in Tuolumne County for many/all of the years of their lives results in lots of impromptu history lessons. Like someone will casually mention Mr Bell’s ill fated railroad Amusement park in the City of Tuolumne. You know, like Mr. “Taco Bell”, franchise restaurant owner and railroad affectionado… No I don’t know, but you bet I was about to find out! The West Side Cherry Valley Lumber…
Upper Mariposa Grove & Wawona Point: Past, Present, & Future
The Southern end of Yosemite gets no love, or at least not from me. I’ve been living here for over 4 years now and I still hadn’t visited the Upper Mariposa Grove – which is a little pathetic considering taking the tram to the museum and this upper reach of sequoias is an obligatory tourist stop for some… that is those who part with $26.50 per person far quicker than I do, but…
Like a Squirrel Annihilating a Giant Pine Cone – Get all up in this New Year!
I found this squirrel image set and video today and decided there was definitely a New Years lesson to be had. I mean, look at that enthusiasm! If we all attack 2015 with this level of ferociousness then 2o15 better watch out! Alas, I looked back on my 2014 “Non-Resolutions” and I honestly didn’t complete a single one of them – BUT only because some other sweet opportunity present itself. Backpack Sequoia National Park?…..
Skiing the El Portal Fire – Snow, Fire, & Historic Yosemite Railroads
Last winter on my first/only ski of the season I traveled through the Rim Fire area to reach the Rockefeller Grove. This year for my first ski trip of the season (but hopefully not the last!), Curtis suggested we take a short little trip in the area of Crane Flat affected by this summer’s El Portal Fire. The El Portal fire lasted from July 26th until August 10th this last summer, burning just…
Santa Run Sacramento: This is what its like running in a festive felt suit
Yesterday Curtis, Trails + fam, and I took an early morning trip to downtown Sacramento for the 2nd annual Sacramento Santa Run. Trail’s had invited us along, and thanks to a coupon code it seemed like a pretty good deal for a “Themed Race”… you know those races where everyone pays a large registration fee to run, usually dressed up, through mud or colors or suds or idontknowbacongrease(it’s-probably-happened). Plus it’s hard to be a…
Hiking Old 49 to the Drowned Town of Melones
The winter rains have finally started here in the Motherlode – in fact today I went skiing up at Crane Flat! It is exciting to finally see water falling from the sky! Although, As the rain started I immediately regretted all the wasted drought opportunities which I thought about but didn’t get around to this year. Don’t get me wrong, we need the rain… but so see the old reservoirs…
The Melones Dam Overlook & DamNation Documentary: For a Rainy Sunday
This Sunday I went for a walk down by the New Melones Dam, an area with a lot of Bureau of Reclamation signage. Curtis joked about trespassing, but this geocache owner says that a Bureau of Reclamation ranger said it was okay to walk in this area. I’m not saying it is for everyone, but if you are looking at visiting the New Melones/Peoria area trails I would recommend checking out the…
Final NaBloPoMo Thoughts on Litter
While Curtis and I were backpacking in Molybdenite Canyon this year we came across a heart balloon in the willows. Curtis made an off handed comment about the surprising number of balloons you find in the forest: Our National Forest, it’s where ballons go to die. Curtis works for the Forest Service, so he has some level of expertise in this assertion. And it makes sense, if you bundle in…
Hello! I am a 30-something outdoors-lady, backpacker, and resident of Groveland, California - 
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