What possesses hikers to tramp along singing show tunes during the last stretch of a hike? Maybe it’s just me but I’ve been with several groups of trekkers and had the same thing happen! Time and time again the conversation either surrounds what we plan on eating the moment we return to civilization (usually a good American […]
Outdoorsy folk. We are silly, curious, ambitious, quirky and a little bit smelly. Independence Day weekend was definitely filled with a lot of those oddities as I approached Pear Lake with my backpack in tow. Instead of being filled with the usual assortment of outdoor gear such as a tent, sleeping bag stove, etc., it was […]
As we descended down the steep, windy road to Cedar Grove I was pretty darn impressed by the beauty of the landscape considering it had suffered through a major fire just a few months prior. The black profiles of charred manzanita dotted the hillsides while green dandelion, miner’s lettuce and other leaves emerged beneath them. […]
The screams were real. They were loud, high-pitched and coming from at least three young women. As I peered downstream though, I could sense the screams were coming from a place of joy and laughter rather than fear, and I was up next… The Kaweah River is one of the steepest rivers in America, dropping […]
“I can’t believe these colors just happen,” Katie says as we bike past a purple and gold covered hillside along Dry Creek road. We had just spent the past hour cycling past this lush, green valley covered with poppies and lupine, some of my favorite Sierra wildflowers. I considered Katie’s comment for a second and […]
It’s remarkable how we can be inspired by a person, place or interest. When we see somebody following their dreams or stumble upon a gorgeous mountain scenery that captures our attention we might get that “butterflies” sort of feeling in our gut. What we do about that feeling is up to us. The start of […]
This past Halloween night, Lodgepole celebrated its first major winter storm of the season. Peering outside at the fluffy, white powder and frigid temperature beckoned my friends outdoors to play. Running around and throwing snowballs, while taking in the fresh mountain air reminded me of the changing seasons back east, where I’m from. I love […]
The six of us quietly sat there as the crackling campfire warmed our tired, sore limbs. The only sounds came from the fire and our quiet voices as our eyes gazed up the flickering yellow sparks. No cars, horns or commotion from the busy city streets. Just us. Meanwhile, dark, star-studded skies overhead provided […]
Throughout the centuries our civilization has been fascinated with the dark, from observing the Universe through telescopes, telling stories based on patterns in the night sky or building myths surrounding this last frontier. During the last weekend of July, the first ever Dark Sky Festival in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks will be celebrating […]
It was a quiet, chilly October day at Twin Lakes in Sequoia National Park. I passed not a single person hiking the entire day. Leaves from black oaks had already fallen to the ground, which was covered with decomposing grasses and plants. The animals had been busy gathering up their winter storage and at this point, […]
Sequoia Parks Conservancy 