Sweet Creek Falls: Florence, Oregon #ThrowbackThursday
Throwing back today to a great hike that I did in 2012 while visiting Curtis’s college friend Chris in Eugene, Oregon – Sweet Creek Falls. Our whole visit to Eugene was awesome, I remember thinking “I should blog about this” but for some reason never got around to it. There was so much good beer, good vegetarian food, and the Eugene farmers market is really top notch. Looking back that…
Take a Groveland Hike! – Smith Peak, Stanislaus
Did you know today is “Take a Hike Day”? Neither did I until Trails’ Guide informed me! To celebrate I am posting about my favorite “local” Groveland hike – Smith Peak! Smith Peak Fire Lookout, Stanislaus National Forest/Groveland, CA Trailhead: I park at the Pines Campground then hike up to the peak along the dirt road. I think at certain times of year this road open to vehicles, but doesn’t that…
Brews & Hiking Boots: Western States Trail & Auburn Ale House
This weekend Curtis and I helped a friend transport his car up to Foresthill – both out of the kindness of our hearts and out of the hope that we would be able to make a return visit to the Auburn Ale House. Not only did we manage to hit up the ale house, but hike a small spur of the Western States trail near his house. And yes, I…
Jordan Oak, Stanislaus National Forest: A Quick Trip for Tree Huggers
There are many different types of oak tree: Valley Oak, Poison Oak, and the Canyon Live Oak are all pretty common in the Groveland area. The Jordan Oak tree is one of the biggest Live Oak trees you have probably seen. I don’t claim to be very knowledgeable in trees/forests/silviculture/botany/soils. I mean, I try to remember how to identify some important ones – but I’m happy to learn (or relearn)…
Brews & Hiking Boots: Gem Lake, Ansel Adams Wilderness & the (NEW!) Mammoth Brewery Tasting Room
Here is the thing about Mammoth Brewery – it is right next to SO MUCH GOOD HIKING. In years past I have hit up the old mammoth tasting room after hiking up towards Duck Pass and after backpacking to Lake Ediza. Even on this trip, where the Gem Lake trailhead is 25 miles from the brewery, it that isn’t that far (especially since we were headed that direction to camp). What I am trying to say…
The Trees Have Eyes – a (Spooky?) hike to Parker Lake, Ansel Adams Wilderness
I think most people have thought of the woods as a “Scary” place at least once in their life. Im not talking about real scary here either, like hypothermia or altitude sickness, but the irrational sort of scary. For example as a little kid my brothers pretty much convinced me that axe murders and Freddy Krueger hid in the woods surrounding our home. Also, I think around the same time I…
Hiking Bull Run Lake, Stanislaus National Forest Amid Hunting Season
It was one of those weekends where the mountains are plastered in clouds, rain, fog, and at certain elevations snow – while it was a warm perfect autumn day down in the foothills by Groveland and Murphys. Despite the better weather at lower elevations I was determined to head up into the Sierra Nevada Forest. I had failed to wash the tent with waterproofing, so backpacking was out of the…
Backpacking Molybdenite Creek: eastern sierra fall colors you don’t have to share
Fall colors – they happen every year but they don’t get any less magical. Colors in California can’t ever compare to my favorite displays in Michigan (I’m looking at you Brockway Mountain), but those yellow and orange aspen littering the hillsides are really growing on me. Actually it’s a sort of poetic how the summer season is greeted sunny poppies and then adjourned with the fiery aspen, full circle. Right now…
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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