Musings
“Fool’s gold” can forge golden memories
We reached the foot of the mountain early, which should have tipped us off; climbing trips never go ahead of schedule. But the summit looked inviting and achievable, so the…
Bidding farewell to Royal Robbins
We bid a sad but fond farewell to Royal Robbins, who died this week at age 82. The noted climber who pioneered routes on Half Dome and El Capitan not…
Roust the rebels from our mountains
“May God have mercy on Bobby Lee, for I will have none,” decreed Union General Joe Hooker during the Civil War. His druthers are my druthers. Confederates have invaded the…
RIP Scott Cosgrove: great climber, great friend
Scott Cosgrove, a 52-year-old climber of extraordinary accomplishments in Yosemite and elsewhere, died this week near his home in Santa Monica. His cause of death is unknown, though…
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…
How the other half lives in Yosemite
When my wife and I carried our bags down the red carpet into a plush lobby, I could still hardly believe it. In all the years we had visited Yosemite…
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…