Yosemite Point Trail, via Yosemite Falls: Spring Snow and Snow Melt
Hands down, the weather during this late April hike up the Yosemite Falls trail is the best weather for hiking in Yosemite Valley… and I consider myself a connoisseur of day hikes in Yosemite. Here are my tips: Pick a cool morning (Starting temp: 48°F) Start hiking early (Starting Time: 8:15 AM) Wait until temps peak before hiking back down (75°F on this trip). Trust me – The blowing mist…
Upper Cathedral Lake, Yosemite: A Chilly Stop on the John Muir Trail
In the fall of 2012 Curtis and I hiked up to Lower Cathedral Lake just before a snow storm started doing it’s thing. At that time a couple backpackers were around (even though no overnight parking was allowed on the road for the season anymore) – but mostly the trail was dominated by a smattering of day hikers enjoying the last nice fall day. Last month I decided to make…
Tioga Peak, CA: A Little Hike for a Big Summit
Choosing the location of hikes is the start of my adventure. Zooming around on Google Earth, searching for maps, trying to predict weather… rarely do I ever just decide to hike down a random trail, I like to have a vision for my hike. Also, its a good idea so I don’t get lost and or in over my head. Happy hiking moods turn sour pretty quickly when I can’t…
Gin Flat Loop, Yosemite: Snowshoeing & Snow Survey Stations
On Tuesday winter had a short gasp of life & snow fell from the skies very briefly around my home in Groveland. Word is that right now the Gin Flat Loop might be snowshoe-able. But not for long. The state of California hasn’t been experiencing a winter season for the last few years, as you may have heard, so obvously there hasn’t been much in the way of snowshoe opportunities. Curtis and…
Devil’s Dance Floor: Hiking up Fire Scars and Brush Fields
Last month Curtis and I made the trek up to Devil’s Dance Floor for the first time, after both hearing about the spot and eyeing it on the map for awhile now. We could have gone there in the summer and easily approached the peak from Tamarack Flat Campground in the summer, but the snow free month and a perfect amount of wintertime cabin fever had us hiking up the long…
A Historical Fact Finding Mission on Devil’s Dance Floor
Spoiler Alert: There are far less devils and dancing than initially anticipated. Devil’s Dance Floor is a named peak that floats tantalizing above the Big Oak Flat Road and Foresta area slightly off trail. It’s hard to not want to visit something named “Devils Dance Floor.” And it isn’t the worst off trail hike you can find in the area – but I will elaborate more on the hike, conditions, and it’s…
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…
Ostrander Lake, Yosemite: Find Some Peace on this Long Day Hike
With Curtis out of town the other week I had time to do one of Yosemite day hikes he has been less than enthusiastic about. I have really been getting down to the last few day hikes (although there are still some major ones, like the Mist Trail, which I have never blogged about) – and I admit I might have avoided these for a reason. Often the remaining trails…
Bagging Peaks and Taking Names: Hiking Mount Dana
There are some trips that Curtis and I have been meaning to do for years now, Lyle Glacier, Mount Lyle, Mount Whitney, anywhere in Sequoia, and Mount Dana. Guess which one we finally crossed off the list!?! (SPOILER: it’s should be pretty obvious by the blog title) Yep, we hiked Mount Dana last month – which is now officialy the tallest summit I been to. I don’t think of myself as a…
Hello! I am a 30-something outdoors-lady, backpacker, and resident of Groveland, California - 
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