Backpacking Quartz Mountain Trailhead to Johnson Lake – Day 1 Buena Vista Loop
Between the Rim fire and other commitments I have not been able to spend too much time hiking with my favorite hiking partner, and boyfriend, Curtis. This past month Curtis has been been working on creating a models and maps for the burned areas of the Stanislaus, with a side gig of representing soil scientists everywhere in the A.P., San Jose Mercury and L.A. Times. Which is cool and all, but…
Backpacking Cathedral Lake, Tahoe Desolation Wilderness and up to Mt Tallac
Why do I go backpacking? I go backpacking because I want to get away, to feel the air in my lungs and the burn in my legs, to connect with my hiking partners, to find something new and different, to explore, and (of course) to visit some very beautiful places. But backpacking is nothing if not practical – carrying everything one needs all in one backpack – and sometimes what…
The Yosemite Hiker Bus & a hiking Olmsted Point down to Mirror Lake
Yesterday I drove through the park to get home from Southern Yosemite & the Sierra National Forest (FYI: New backpacking blogs to come!), and was both surprised to see that Hwy 120 through the park is now open for passage! No stopping on the active fire perimeter, but one can get from the valley to Tuolumne Meadows! In honor of this exciting news I am going to post a day…
Backpacking Merced Pass Lakes to Ottoway Lake – Days 3 & 4
As the sun rises on day three of our hike, we are so close to Ottoway lake that I can taste it. But, as it turns out day 3 is the day that Curtis and I’s responsibility as trip leaders come into play, and then in a another group decision as friends we end up completing our 5 day backpacking trip on day 4 in a impressive hike to the end…
Backpacking Clark Fork of Illilouette Creek to Merced Pass Lakes – Day 2 to Ottoway Lake
The second day of Kate, Kris, Jacquie, Dan, Curtis & I’s backpacking trip to Ottoway lake turned out to be a bigger adventure than I had planed (See day 1’s blog here). The goal was to travel from our previous night’s campsite, at the Clark Fork of the Illilouette, to Lower Ottoway Lake – approximately 10 miles of total hiking. I knew it would be a hard day of hiking…
Backpacking Mono Meadows to Clark Fork of Illilouette Creek – Day 1 to Ottoway Lake
On August 24th through the 28th 2013 six Michigan Technological University alumni (Curtis, myself, Jacquie, Dan, Kate, and Kris) were to backpack Yosemite National Park, from the Hwy 120 down to the valley. It was to be the quintessential backpacking trip, half dome hike included… but since the Rim Fire happened to be blowing up that very weekend, in the words Kenny Rogers (and latter covered by punk band Elmer):…
The Rim Fire from Groveland
In case you have not heard, the big news around Groveland & this stretch of of the Sierra recently has been the Rim Fire, currently at 228,680 acres & the 4th largest wildfire in California history. Curtis, I, and our pets (Basil and Herman) are now back at home and safe, but it was an adventure getting here! We survived home evacuations, road closures, visitors, and backpacking trips during this chaotic…
Day Hiking the Duck Pass Trail, Mammoth Lakes
It is fire season in California, which means two things: (1) Curtis leaves me behind to work looking at fire damaged soils, down near this time near San Bernardino, and (2) There is smoke everywhere, including the Mammoth Lakes Basin on the east side of the Sierra from a fire on the Sierra National Forest. But even if the vistas are a little obscured smoke should not, and will not, ruin a…
Hiking the Wild and Scenic Clavey River to God’s Bath
2015 Summer Update: Many of the parts of the Stanislaus National Forest that were closed to the public last summer because of Rim Fire dangers are now open again. Please use your common sense when attempting this or any trail – don’t go if there is a sign that says no access/closed/etc (yes, even if someone knocked it down or moved it out of the road). Check in online to see if there are any alerts…
Hello! I am a 30-something outdoors-lady, backpacker, and resident of Groveland, California - 
Follow Me: