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It's been quite a while since I've hiked trails in American River territory, but I love hiking the Sierra Nevada foothills east of Sacramento and I hope to get back there soon.Here's a cool creation by Bill Mash and the Foothill Hikers gang. I'm … [Continue reading]
My oldest brother Eric passed away on February 1 at Stanford Hospital. For more on his life, please see the detailed memorial I posted yesterday on his Tunami Rangers sea kayaking blog: In Honor of Eric Soares, 1953-2012 … [Continue reading]
The California State Parks Foundation has just launched the Defend What's Yours campaign to fight the closure of state parks: Seventy of your state parks are going to close. Become a defender, spread the word, volunteer, and join us in this fight to … [Continue reading]
Biologists confirmed that a single gray wolf crossed into California's Siskiyou County from Oregon, the first confirmed wolf presence in the state since the last known wolf was killed in Lassen County in 1924. There have been unconfirmed reports of … [Continue reading]
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 … [Continue reading]
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 … [Continue reading]
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 … [Continue reading]
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' … [Continue reading]
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 … [Continue reading]
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 … [Continue reading]
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 … [Continue reading]
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, … [Continue reading]
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 … [Continue reading]
Lower, Middle, and Upper West Park Lakes lie just a few miles from Mount Eddy and the Deadfall Lakes, yet few people hike the trails to these gems, even though they are fairly easy to reach.I did the West Parks Lakes as a day-hike in late … [Continue reading]
Here's all the info you need to hike or backpack the trails to the Caldwell Lakes, including Lower Caldwell Lake and the Upper Caldwell Lakes in the Parks Creek drainage in the Eddy Range west of Mount Shasta. This is Hike 58 in my guidebook Day … [Continue reading]
The Lassen Peak Trail has been undergoing some major changes this summer, so access to the summit has been restricted to just a few days, although visitors are allowed to hike in 1.3 miles to the Grandview area on any day Lassen Volcanic National … [Continue reading]
Mount Shasta area writer Tim Holt just wrote a really good piece in the Redding Record Searchlight called "Naked sunbathers, Mt. Shasta oddities: In the great outdoors, expect the unexpected."I'm one of the hikers he featured, and he discusses a … [Continue reading]
Stephanie and I just hiked the Manzanita Creek Trail in Lassen Volcanic National Park. Wow! Meadows, flowers, Loomis Peak, Lassen Peak. Here's a complete description of the Manzanita Creek Trail from one of my hiking guidebooks, along with several … [Continue reading]
If you're out hiking, and you see deer running fast, could they be running from a bear or a mountain lion? Mountain Lions and Bears on Shasta-Trinity National Forest I've seen several bears this summer, most recently near Chipmunk Lake below the … [Continue reading]
I'm leaving in a few hours for a three-day dispersed camping trip in the Trinity Divide Mountains west of Mount Shasta. I'll primarily be working a freelance writing project for a college textbook publisher (Friday deadline), but I'll also find time … [Continue reading]
Backpackers and day hikers, College of the Siskiyous has a hiking/backpacking class this fall/autumn!For you folks that live in the far north state, this is a great class. It's taught by my friend Charlie Unkefer, and it begins at College of the … [Continue reading]
"Quite Risky to a Bit Risque: Outdoors Stories I Could Never Write" by Paul McHugh, a well-known former writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. Sounds very interesting!It's goin' down on Thursday, July 21, 2011 at the Mount Shasta Resort at 7:30 … [Continue reading]
As many of you long-time readers know, I've written often here about the major threat of closures of California's state parks due to the California budget crisis and the choices our lawmakers are making to deal with that crisis. I've made my stand in … [Continue reading]
Stephanie and I did one of our favorite Mount Shasta area hikes to Cliff Lake in the Trinity Divide Mountains on Sunday, July 3. As we've discussed here (see recent posts), it's been a heavy snow year. Hiking to Cliff Lake However, except for a few … [Continue reading]
Calling all hikers, runners, outdoors lovers, and just-plain-fun lovers: Come to Mount Shasta for the Fourth of July!Here's why. There's a ton of stuff happening here, including a very popular foot race and 2-mile walk, great fireworks, and the … [Continue reading]
Hike peaceful redwood groves and rugged coastline: more info.
All my favorite hikes in my home territory! Details here.
Check out the new fourth edition of 100 Classic Hikes in Northern California. Completely updated!
