As some of you may know, much of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest was clobbered by a major snowstorm in early January of 2010 that downed thousands of trees and tree limbs. It has definitely affected some of the trails in the Trinity Alps, and the … [Continue reading]
More Injured Climbers on Mount Shasta
Last week I had a post about the previous weekend's climbing accidents on Mount Shasta. Well, this past weekend brought even more accidents and injuries that Mount Shasta Ranger Station rangers responded to, primarily on the Avalanche Gulch … [Continue reading]
Climb Up So Kids Can Grow Up
Hey folks -- here's a chance to do help out an excellent charity, and to do it while you hike.Here's the e-mail I received from Bill Rowland explaining the program. Please click the links to find out more and to sign up. Hi John, My name is … [Continue reading]
Funny Spoof on BP Oil Spill
British Petroleum has created one of the major environmental disasters of the century. Doesn't mean we can't have a laugh...Courtesy of UCB Comedy. Brought to my attention by Tom Chandler at Trout Underground.Your thoughts? … [Continue reading]
Yosemite Half Dome Hiking Cables Up On June 16, 2010
I wrote recently about Yosemite National Park's Half Dome hiking proposal, and the need for you give your input. Half Dome Hiking Cables Now for the good news. The hiking cables are going up on June 16. Here's the scoop on the cables and on hiking … [Continue reading]
Climbing Accidents on Mount Shasta
Climbing accidents on Mount Shasta are always unfortunate, but the mountain is dangerous, especially the upper reaches where climbers seek the summit. Climbers can fall and they can be hit by falling rocks.NOTE: This post originally appeared … [Continue reading]
Tahoe National Forest Snow Conditions
Are you looking for current Tahoe National Forest snow conditions? If so, please visit the main Tahoe National Forest website to look for information and to find phone numbers. The discussion below is from a previous winter, although some of the … [Continue reading]
Help Me Pick My New Hiking Camera
I want a new camera for hiking and backpacking, a small and lightweight camera with high resolution that offers me many options, one that I'll actually take on the trail. My Current Camera is Too Heavy and Bulky for Hiking Why? I have a 10 MP Sony … [Continue reading]
No Fee at National Parks June 5-6
Most national parks and other federal agencies, including National Forest, BLM and National Wildlife Refuges, will be fee-free this weekend, June 5-6. (And June 5th is National Trails Day.)Here are the other fee-free dates this year:August … [Continue reading]
National Trails Day Events in Northern California on June 5th
The American Hiking Society's National Trails Day is this Saturday June 5th: Trails do not just appear for our enjoyment, it takes many hours of planning, labor, and negotiating to develop them. National Trails Day®, the only nationwide … [Continue reading]
Yosemite National Park Half Dome Trail: Your Input Requested
It's no secret that the Half Dome Trail has problems with overcrowding. A permit system for Half Dome is already in place.Now Yosemite National Park wants to hear what you think about proposed changes to protect the Half Dome Trail and the people … [Continue reading]
Spring Hill Trail in Mount Shasta Needs Your Help
The Mount Shasta Trail Association is hard at work on the Spring Hill Trail on the north side of the town of Mount Shasta, and they need your help to finish it.Head over to the Mount Shasta Trail Association site to read how you can volunteer … [Continue reading]
California State Parks Hiking Trails Potentially Threatened by New State Budget
I've written over a dozen posts over the last year about how the California state budget cuts have hurt California State Parks hiking trails and access to the parks for camping, swimming, and other recreation.I've also trumpeted the good work of … [Continue reading]
Pacific Crest Trail Film by National Geographic Premiers in Siskiyou County
The Mount Shasta Trail Association is sponsoring a big event up in my neck of the woods, which includes many pretty sections of the Pacific Crest Trail in Northern California: the premier screening of a new National Geographic Channel film on the … [Continue reading]
Hiking the Lost Coast
Hiking the remote Lost Coast of Northern California is on the bucket list of many serious hikers. It takes knowledge and preparation, because there are significant dangers and obstacles. Hiking the Lost Coast Rick McCharles of the BestHike.com blog … [Continue reading]
Trinity Alps Winter Crossing
Tom Stienstra of the San Francisco Chronicle just wrote a great story about three Mount Shasta area guys who just crossed the Trinity Alps in winter from Big Flat to the Canyon Creek Lakes trailhead in eight days: The expedition started at a … [Continue reading]
Hiking Hazards–Rock slides, Rock falls, Avalanches, Landslides
Another danger awaiting day-hikers and backpackers: rock falls, rock slides, avalanches, and landslides. These all involve materials on slopes that rapidly make their way downhill. Many factors can trigger the movement of materials down a slope: … [Continue reading]
No National Parks Admission Fee April 17-25
No fees = free admission to all national parks from Saturday, April 17 through Sunday, April 25. Such a deal!Here's what the National Park Service says about the no-fee period: America’s Best Idea – the national parks – gets even better this … [Continue reading]
Whiskeytown National Recreation Area Hosts Wildflower Photos by Ken DeCamp
Ken DeCamp is one of the top nature photographers in Northern California. Be sure to catch his exhibit of Whiskeytown National Recreation Area wildflowers at the Whiskeytown Visitor Center between March 21 and May 16, 2010.He's also giving a … [Continue reading]
Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement Talk: March 24th in Mount Shasta
The Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement has been the source of much talk and controversy in far northern California and southern Oregon.California Trout will hold an informational meeting about the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement on … [Continue reading]
Winter Wings Festival at Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex February 12-14
The Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex straddles the Oregon-California border and hosts some of the most spectacular bird displays on the planet, especially in winter when many migratory species make the area their home. Winter Wings … [Continue reading]
New Permit System for Yosemite National Park’s Half Dome Hike
Beginning this May you'll need a permit if you want to climb Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. Here's all the details from a Yosemite National Park Half Dome press release: Hiking to the top of Half Dome is one of the most popular hikes in … [Continue reading]
Forced to Redesign the Blog
Major changes here. I've been using Wordpress to host the Northern California Hiking Trails Blog from the beginning (July of 2008). However, I'm no expert at blogging or website coding, so I just did the best I could to get the blog up and get the … [Continue reading]
California State Parks Get Drilled by Governor’s Proposed Budget
I just wrote about the 2010 initiative to help California State Parks and what you can do to help.Yesterday Governer Scharzenegger released his proposed state budget, and once again it's obvious that California State Parks are not a high priority … [Continue reading]
Helping California State Parks: November 2010 Ballot Initiative
I'm a strong supporter of California State Parks, and I'm a member of the California State Parks Foundation, the group that works hard to keep parks open and affordable.The California State Parks Foundation is the driving force behind a group … [Continue reading]
