Climbing Mount Hilton in the Trinity Alps in Late December

December 27, 2011

Not many people try to bag a major Trinity Alps peak like Mt. Hilton in winter, but Michael Kauffmann really loves to hit the high mountains, even when most people wouldn’t consider it. Granted, we’re way behind on snowpack, so he was able to do a lot of the walking on regular trail, which was [...]

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Your Ultra-Light Day-Pack…

December 19, 2011

Erik the Black shares great info about ultra-light backpacking, and he just recently posted a great piece about the best lightweight equipment for day-hikers: [Y]ou should prepare for the worst case scenario too. You could get lost, injured or caught in bad weather and be forced to spend a night (or three) in the wilderness. [...]

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See the Lunar Eclipse Saturday Morning, December 10, 2011

December 5, 2011

Hey folks– catch this if you can! It’s the last lunar eclipse until 2014 and it’s visible from all of western North America. (More details here.) It begins around 4:45 a.m. By 6:05 a.m. the moon will be fully eclipsed. Around sunrise it will still be fully eclipsed as it sets on the western horizon. [...]

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Help Fellow Hiking Guide Writer Jane Huber with the New Edition of Her Book

November 17, 2011

Jane Huber, author of the excellent 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: San Francisco, is doing a third edition of the book and she wants your help. Go this post on her blog for all the details, but basically, she’d like you to hike one or more of the trails and then give her feedback on [...]

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Free Entrance to National Parks November 11-13, 2011

November 9, 2011

It’s the last weekend of the year for free admission to national parks, so take advantage of it. You can find all the details here. And we need more golden retriever in national parks, like these lucky dogs in Yosemite (courtesy National Park Service):

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Closing California State Parks Is Bad for Business

November 1, 2011

Here’s an important press release from the California State Parks Foundation. The struggle to save access to state parks — and their hiking trails — continues… State and Local Business Groups Launch ‘Closing Parks is Bad for Business’ Campaign As part of its ongoing Save Our State Parks Campaign, the California State Parks Foundation (CSPF) [...]

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International Mountain Biking Association Trail Building Workshop in Mount Shasta November 4-5, 2011

October 28, 2011

The Mount Shasta Trail Association presents the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) Trail Building Workshop on November 4-5, 2011 in beautiful Mount Shasta! So if you’re interested in how to build and maintain hiking trails, this is the workshop for you. And it’s free. And they feed you. Overview Presentation on the economic benefits of [...]

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Early Fall Is a Good Time of Year for Pre-Dawn Meteors

October 23, 2011

The first weeks of fall are a great time of year to see meteors in the pre-dawn sky of northern California and elsewhere. I get up most mornings between 5 and 6 a.m. and head outside into the still quiet with a cup of hot french roast to watch the stars. Lately I’ve seen several [...]

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House-Sitting and Hiking in the Bay Area

October 17, 2011

I’m mostly a country boy, but when I want culture and city life, I head to San Francisco. I love the people, the sounds, the great parks, the delicious food. And I mostly walk around the city, even if I have to go several miles; it’s a form of urban hiking. Our San Francisco Bay [...]

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New Gateway Trail Coming to Mount Shasta

October 10, 2011

The Mount Shasta Trail Association just announced that construction on the Gateway Trail has begun. I’m on the board of directors of the MSTA, and I can tell you that it took a lot of effort by many people to get the grant approved and get the project started. If all goes according to plan, [...]

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California State Parks: New Law Allows Nonprofits to Help Keep Them Open

October 5, 2011

Great news: Governor Brown signed AB42, which helps nonprofits keep California’s state parks open for hikers and other visitors.  Here’s the press release from the California State Parks Foundation: Key Bill AB 42 Provides New Authority for Nonprofits to Help Operate Parks SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Brown signed Assembly Bill (AB) 42 (Huffman), the bill [...]

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Environmental Benefits of Wood as a Green Building Material

September 30, 2011

As hikers in the forests of northern California and elsewhere, we often walk through national forests and we see the areas that have been logged. Yes, they are unsightly. And yes, often they are clear cuts. But timber can be harvested sustainably, and it can be done in a manner that minimizes environmental impacts. Timber [...]

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Clear Creek in Siskiyou County Via Gambolin’ Man

September 27, 2011

Clear Creek, which flows into the Klamath River in Siskiyou County, is remote by most standards. But Gambolin’ Man gets around, and he recently made it up here and did a great job writing a beautiful essay and pairing his words with some beautiful photos. From his Clear Creek post: Now, though, covered in sweat [...]

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Hiking Guide Writer Jerry Schad Dies

September 27, 2011

Fellow hiking blogger Ray Anderson just let me know that San Diego hiking guide writer Jerry Schad recently passed away. There’s a beautiful obituary here: Mr. Schad, a former East County resident, was the author of 16 books, including “Afoot & Afield in San Diego County,” widely considered the bible of local hiking. He also [...]

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