Retired United States Forest Service employee Ken DeCamp has written an interesting and provocative piece in the Redding Record Searchlight about the damage caused by OHV riders in Shasta and Trinity counties. He even caught one member of the Shasta … [Continue reading]
Coyote Playing on a Tee Area at the Lake Shastina Golf Resort
Yesterday morning around sunrise I looked out my office window. In the foggy mist I saw an animal on the Lake Shastina Golf Course just 200 feet from my house. At first I thought it was a dog out for a walk with its owner. But then I pulled out the … [Continue reading]
Free Admission to Federal Lands on Veterans Day
FYI: Veterans and active-duty military and their families will receive free admission to most national parks, national monuments, and other federal fee-charging areas on Veterans Day, Tuesday, November 11. No documentation is required. I know for … [Continue reading]
Where the Fires Were: Beacroft Trail in Tahoe National Forest
Sacramento News & Review writer Jeff McCrory recently got a first-hand look at the devastation from last summer's wildfires when he hiked the Beacroft Trail in Tahoe National Forest with his brother. Here's a few tidbits from the excellent … [Continue reading]
Hiking Anderson Marsh State Historic Park Trails
Anderson Marsh State Historic Park is one of the gems of the California State Parks system. It borders the east shore of Clear Lake, near where Cache Creek begins its journey to the Sacramento River. You can download the hike as a PDF file over on … [Continue reading]
Sims Flat-Upper Sacramento River Autumn Hike
Fall is fleeing fast from the mountains of far Northern California, although it remains in full flourish in the Sacramento Valley, Bay Area, and the low foothills. Just over a week ago my golden retriever Molly and I made our way to Sims Flat on the … [Continue reading]
Fall Colors in Lithia Park in Ashland, Oregon
My sweetheart Stephanie and I spent three days in Ashland over the last weekend. Ashland, located just north of the Oregon border, is where Siskiyou County residents go for culture. Ashland has a justly famous Oregon Shakespeare Festival that … [Continue reading]
Box Canyon Trail Maintenance and Castle Crags State Park Nature Trail Maintenance
The Mount Shasta Trail Association (I'm on the Board of Directors) recently completed two trail maintenance projects. The first was on the Indian Creek Nature Trail in Castle Crags State Park, and the second was on the Box Canyon Trail near Lake … [Continue reading]
Red Buttes Wilderness Hikers Spend Unexpected Night in the Woods
Two hikers recently got lost after hiking some trails in the Red Buttes Wilderness, which straddles the border between Oregon and California.We recently had some great comments about my post on Derek Mamoyac's five-day ordeal on Mount Adams in … [Continue reading]
Mountain Lion Killed After Threatening Hiker and Dog
The incident occurred in the Santa Rita Mountains south of Tucson, a place I've hiked before when I had two golden retrievers, the often-mentioned Molly (still with us) and the rambunctious and super-friendly Hana, now in doggy heaven. Details of … [Continue reading]
Northern California Climate Change Website
Here at the Northern California Hiking Trails blog, we care about climate change. From the increased intensity of wildfires to the longer hiking season, climate change matters to hikers. I've written recently about how climate change is affecting … [Continue reading]
Off-Highway Vehicles (OHV) in Lassen National Forest
Off-highway vehicles (OHV - ATVs, motorcycles, jeeps) are becoming increasingly popular among Californians, in Lassen National Forest and elsewhere. I recently wrote about OHV enthusiasts' struggle with the Shasta-Trinity National Forest for more … [Continue reading]
Surviving Five Days on Mount Adams
The search and eventual rescue of hiker Derek Mamoyac on Mount Adams in southern Washington featured prominently in the news earlier this month.Mount Adams Hiker SurvivesYou need to read this; many of us hike at high elevations, and injury is … [Continue reading]
Economic Woes Means More Hunters
Seems tough times in the economy sends people out into the woods to put some food on the table. From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "There's a very important statistical relationship between housing starts and license sales in states that saw an … [Continue reading]
Thousand Lakes Wilderness Backpacking Trip This Weekend
Thousand Lakes Wilderness in Lassen National Forest has many miles of hiking trails and many gorgeous lakes. Thousand Lakes Wilderness Backpacking Trip Found this posting on the Shasta Outdoor Fun Forum run by the Redding Record … [Continue reading]
High-Altitude Climbing Causes Changes in Brain Tissue
Sciencedaily.com just published "High-Altitude Climbing Causes Subtle Loss of Brain Cells and Motor Function, Says Everest and K2 Study." “Our results provide evidence that extremely high-altitude climbs with no external oxygen supply may cause … [Continue reading]
Deer Attacks a Dog and its Owner
Something for trail enthusiasts who hike with dogs to think about: deer attacking your pooch, and perhaps you. A doe attacked a poodle in Montana: “I see this big ’ol doe that’s ramming him into the ground,” Lince recalled. Lince kicked at the … [Continue reading]
Off-Highway Vehicles in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest
The Shasta-Trinity National Forest has recently released its plan for roads available to OHV enthusiasts, and it's causing a lot of controversy. On Tuesday evening, OHV fans converged on the Shasta County Board of Supervisors meeting, asking the … [Continue reading]
Would YOU Vote for a Vegetarian?
OK, it's not really related to hiking, but it does have to do with culture in rural areas, where at least some of us (including me) live, and where many hikers go hiking.Seems the Republican candidate for governor of the great state of … [Continue reading]
Controlled Burns in Lassen Volcanic National Park
It's that time of year when the smoke from controlled burns fills the skies of Northern California, including over Lassen Volcanic National Park trails and nearby. The blessed rain of early October took care of most of the remnants of the major … [Continue reading]
Trout Removal at Desolation Wilderness Lakes
Here's something for Desolation Wilderness hikers who also like to fish, especially for trout. The Forest Service is removing non-native trout from seven lakes to protect the mountain yellow-legged frog, which the trout have been gobbling up since … [Continue reading]
Trinity Alps Featured in the New York Times
Well, the hiking trails in the Trinity Alps Wilderness, my old stomping grounds, have been featured in America's newspaper of record, the New York Times. I first hiked in the Trinity Alps when I was twelve years old, and for the next 22 years I … [Continue reading]
Box Canyon Trail Maintenance – It’s Good for You!
Yesterday I wrote about my recent hike on the Box Canyon Trail located just above the Upper Sacramento River, just below Lake Siskiyou, and just west of the town of Mount Shasta. The Mount Shasta Trail Association (I'm on the Board of Directors) is … [Continue reading]
Box Canyon Trail Hike Near Lake Siskiyou
The Box Canyon Trail starts at the north side of Box Canyon Dam at Lake Siskiyou on the outskirts of the town of Mount Shasta. It's a great hike any time of year, including in winter as long as there is no snow. The hike is a mostly level one mile to … [Continue reading]
Climate Change in the Sierra Nevada
While driving to the gala of the Mount Shasta Film Festival last night, I heard a piece on National Public Radio about how the warming climate is forcing some species in the High Sierra around Yosemite to higher elevations.Low and behold, I find … [Continue reading]
