Adventures
Lessons learned on the John Muir Trail
The whooshing sound of the wind whipping through the tops of the pine trees was interrupted by a large crack of thunder. Brilliant flashes of lightning illuminated the tent. Lying…
Skiing the Yosemite Border from June Lake to Badger Pass
“Which way is it?” I tipped my head up towards the wall that loomed just west of the parking lot. “Ok.” She shook her head. I felt a bit guilty…
Trans-Sierra ski trek: “The Mountains Let Us Through”
Setting out under heavy packs near the gateway town of Lee Vining, we knew the day ahead would test our strength. Sixteen miles separated us from our first destination, the…
Snowy destinations abound in wintry Yosemite
As we gazed over Tuolumne Meadows and countless snowy pinnacles, we saw not a soul and scarcely a sign that people had ever been there. It was hard to believe…
Like father, like sons on Dad’s High Sierra hike
For a middling fisherman like me, a nibble in a backcountry lake is a big deal, especially the first one after eight days on the trail. I eagerly reeled in…
Ebbetts Pass: “pleasurable and memorable”
Some of my best trips have been the result of aborted expeditions and the thereafter. Such was our late autumn hike to to Kinney Lake. Our original plan was to…
Happy hiking with kids, the “no nightmare” approach
Zach suddenly stopped in front of me as we trudged uphill through the woods north of Yosemite. “Pole break, dad.” I shifted the pack on my back. I was carrying…
Journey through time on forgotten Yosemite road
Dawn arrived on a clear and chilly day, revealing a gentle stream, wooded hills and a dirt road that extends beyond the horizon. From this spot beside Bower Cave in…
Rafting the Tuolumne: “Each visit here changes your life forever”
As we headed towards a raging Clavey Falls, I took a deep breath and gripped my paddle with white knuckles. During the biggest runoff in a decade on the Tuolumne…
Musings of a Mono Lake kayaker
As I set my kayak down with a crunch on the rough sheets of limestone in a few inches of salty water, I disturbed a furious cloud of tiny black…