Backpacking Glen Camp, Point Reyes – Everything is Damp (thanks ocean)
Not only was my trip to Glen camp my first backpacking trip of 2014, but it is now my earliest backpacking trip done ever in the year! Starting out strong, 2014! Of course that meant it was consistently raining on the first day of the two day trip…. but considering I can not remember a single time it has rained on me while backpacking in California, I can’t really complain….
Steep Ravine Camping – My Favorite Campsite in California???
Last weekend I took a trip to the coast, North Bay Area, following a short work stop for Curtis in the bay area …Did you know the California regional forest service office is located on a strange abandoned navel island? Neither did we… Anyhow, it was an extended weekend of wet camping, wet backpacking, and then ‘I can’t bear to be wet at a KOA next to a dozen screaming kids…
Hite Cove: California Wildflowers with a Side of Ruins
Guess what season it is? … California Poppy Season! Last weekend’s arrival of California’s poppies swept aside any previous hiking plans (Sorry Little Nellie Falls, check you latter) and instead filled my head with visions of hiking in sandals through fields tinged with orange. And not just any trail would do – this year I was going to get to Hite Cove, damn it! Hite Cove Distance: 9-ish mile out…
Where to find California Sea Otters – Moss Landing, CA
I am loath to rank my favorite wild animals, because there are so many cute ones out there (Bunnies, mountain goats, pikas, & quails immediately come to mind), but Sea Otters gave to be somewhere in my top 10. They float around and use tools with their little otter hands, they look so furry and floaty… did I mention they float? ;) AH! Too cute! Sea otters also play an…
Foresta Falls & McCauley Ranch on Yosemite’s West Side
This low snow winter has had me creating some more creative hiking endeavors: Mariposa’s Williams Peak, the”Secret” Sierra Point, and now Yosemite’s more “Elusive” waterfall – Foresta Falls. It is a nice short little hike, but with lots of room to explore around the old McCauley Ranch and enjoy some sunshine. Actually come to think of it – it was pretty much the opposite of Sierra Point. At Foresta we hiked…
Secret Yosemite: Sierra Point
Alright, I will admit Sierra Point is apparently not a secret. We saw a dozen other people while on the “Trail” this Sunday… way more then I ever see hiking to Mt Watkins (one of my favorite off trail hikes in the park). My theory: because of the dry winter people are taking to many valley hikes that when they would otherwise be skiing if there was snow, or hiking…
Yosemite During the Dry Winter & Hiking the 4 Mile Trail
The news for the last month has been inundated with tales of polar vortexes, snow closing down highways in Atlanta, and snow days for kids and adults alike… on the east coast. Here on the west coast we are in the middle of in the middle of a critically dry winter, meaning an alarming low amount of snow pack in the high country, lowering reservoirs, and (from my point of…
Let’s Go See Butterflies! (Monarch Grove @ Pacific Grove, CA)
Seeing the Monarch Migration is a bucket list item. Standing there surrounded by butterflies fluttering everywhere is like entering a new culture – standing in a busy foreign city with colors and scents and sounds swirling – only this is a culture of nature…
Brews & Hiking Boots: Williams Peak & Prospectors Brewery in Mariposa, CA
In the winter it can be more difficult to find a nice little day trip close to home. This year the minimal snow is making it hard to snow shoeing, plus cross country skiing is not a real option in any of the open Yosemite elevations. Lame! That is why this winter I have been employing a tactic of combining hikes with visits to nearby breweries. By combining brews with…
Hello! I am a 30-something outdoors-lady, backpacker, and resident of Groveland, California - 
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