Backpacking Parker Pass, Yosemite
Parker Pass is an amazing little backpacking trip to keep in your back pocket for an open weekend – awesome AND doable without much planning. I have a couple of these just-in-case trips that are short distance, on trail, and generally not overwhelming. Short and sweet, but deliver some much needed wilderness time. I would consider Parker Pass the sister to the much more popular Mono Pass trip. Also an…
Backpacking El Capitan: Iconic Yosemite National Park
I summited El Cap, Yosemite’s famous granite monolith, without learning to climb. Admittedly, backpacking El Capitan is not as epic of a story as ascending the nose. But, it is undeniably an awesome 3 day backpacking trip in Yosemite. + Bonus points are awarded if you run into a real climber (we didn’t). Curtis and I hiked El Capitan as a 24 mile out and back from the Old Big…
High Peaks Trail, Pinnacles: On the Edge among the California Condor
Happy last day of National Park Week (April 15-23)! Also, Happy Earth Day (April 22), awesome job with the March for Science (April 22), +++ Happy Birthday to John Muir (April 21) and Mr. William Shakespeare (April 23)! I had an amazing day in Yosemite Valley yesterday celebrating science, Earth, and Yosemite. It was an inspiring afternoon of listening to the speakers and pondering how much more there is still left to…
Don Pedro Overlook Trail, Red Hills: Old Gravel Roads, Wildflowers, and Dam Views
I went for a wildflower trail jog in the Red Hills after work yesterday… isn’t spring great? I am never going back to the sun setting before 7pm! (Once I figure out how to control that, of course.) Yesterday’s hike was the first time I have started from the trailhead off of Old Don Pedro Rd. Typical I have come in from the Red Hills Rd parking area, or pull…
Dewey Point, Yosemite: Get Stuck Winter Camping Here
Contemplating a wintertime Yosemite visit? Mark my words: Someone is bound to get stuck in the snow. For example, while driving into and out of Badger Pass there is always more then one vehicle slammed into a snow bank. I could feel our car shift and try to fishtail as we approached the many shadowed portions along the road. With luck and an abundance of caution we made it safely…
Santa Cruz Half Marathon: New Birthday Tradition?
Guess who just registered to run the Santa Cruz Half Marathon 2017? This accomplishment is a shout out to all you other procrastinators, because: It is the last day to register before the prices increase. If I calculated correctly, the half marathon is exactly 16 weeks out. This means I am just in time to start my favorite half marathon plan. The plan is for “beginners,” or people who just…
General Grant Tree, Kings Canyon: Merry Christmas from the Nation’s Christmas Tree
Every year since 1964 a tree has been selected to become the “Capitol Christmas Tree.” The tree makes a publicized trek across the US, ultimately reaching Washington DC for a big lighting ceremony. In 2011 I visited the Capitol Christmas Tree in Sonora, California, when a Sierra White Fir was selected from the Stanislaus National Forest for the honor. It was an impressive sight, the giant tree on the back…
Baboon Lakes, John Muir Wilderness: Rugged Glacier Carved Backpacking
Thank you, glaciers. Curtis attended a lecture detailing new dating techniques used on Sierra Nevada alpine glaciers a couple of weeks after our backpacking trip to Baboon Lakes. He reported back that Baboon Lakes was featured on one the slides as an example of glacier carved beauty. Well yes, of course. Although evidence of glaciers surround you in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, it is too easy to forget to say…
Red Cones, Mammoth Lakes: A little peak to add a little joy to your day(hike)
On Labor Day weekend we bagged this miniature peak (high point?) in the Mammoth Lakes area. On a busy weekend, this small adventure was a perfect fit into our busy schedule.
Hello! I am a 30-something outdoors-lady, backpacker, and resident of Groveland, California - 
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