I took a break from writing here for a month. I also took a break from my other main blog, Productive Writers. First, I’m back! Second, I know many of you are also bloggers, so I wanted to share how I went about setting up the blogging break. I explained why I was taking the […]

As you all know, I’m a big fan of hiking in California State Parks and helping to keep them open and ready for visitors. The California State Parks Foundation is an on-the-ball organization that’s doing great work on many levels to protect our state parks. The CSPF just sent out this important announcement. Please read […]

An important study about the effects of a warming climate on Lake Tahoe and the surrounding Sierra Nevada mountains has just been released by scientists from the United States Geological Survey and the University of California, Davis (my alma mater). Climate-Change Effects On Lake Tahoe The news isn’t good. Two important takeaways A warmer Lake […]

This Veterans Day, Thursday, November 11, 2010, you can get into national parks, national monuments, national refuges, national forests, and most other federal recreation areas. From a Department of the Interior press release: To honor America’s service men and women, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has announced that areas managed by the department will […]

Two readers recently left comments asking about hiking and backpacking in the northern California mountains in autumn. There are definite pros and cons. The Upsides of Hiking and Backpacking in the Mountains in Autumn #1. Lots of Solitude There won’t be many people around. One reader asked about backpacking Canyon Creek Lakes in the Trinity […]

Most northern California hikers love to spend high-quality hiking time backpacking or day hiking Sierra Nevada trails. We also want the region to thrive and stay healthy, and to that end you should consider attending the Sierra Nevada Alliance Annual Conference in South Lake Tahoe on August 27th and 28th, 2010: The Sierra is a […]

August is the best month for watching meteors. Get outside, preferably all night in your sleeping bag, and just look up. You’ll see meteors from many showers, but especially the Perseids, which peak on the nights of August 11 and especially the 12th. I remember camping out in the front yard when I was maybe […]

Yes, it’s time again to hit the hiking trails in your favorite national park for free this Saturday and Sunday. Here’s a list of all the national parks in California: Cabrillo National Monument Death Valley National Park John Muir National Historic Site Joshua Tree National Park Lassen Volcanic National Park Lava Beds National Monument Muir […]

One of my favorite pleasures of living in Siskiyou County is swimming in Lake Siskiyou. And yesterday was perfect. I arrived around 6:30 with the air temperature at 88 degrees, and calm winds meant the surface waters were fairly warm. I swam all the way across the lake from the south shore to the north […]

I wrote recently about how the deep snows have closed many Lassen Volcanic National Park roads and trails, but now some good news: The main Lassen Volcanic National Park road is open! However, many of the trails in the park are still under a lot of snow, so either do lower-elevation hikes or wait a […]

Doin’ the Fourth of July Walk in Mount Shasta and spending the day with all my Mount Shasta friends and neighbors. Have a great Fourth everyone, and get outside!

It will be a while before you or I hike the trails of Lassen Volcanic National Park this summer of 2010. Those major winter and spring snow storms dumped a lot of snow, and the entire park is still under several feet of it, so most of the roads and trails are still closed. I […]

The Mount Shasta Trail Association needs you to volunteer to finish the construction of the Spring Hill Trail on the north side of town. The MSTA needs two crews of five people to work 3-4 hours between June 28 and July 2, 2010. Contact MSTA president Joe Wirth at joe.wirth@prodigy.net and tell him your available […]

The Bald Rock Trail near the Feather River has a special place in my heart. I first hiked the trail there when I was writing my first hiking guide, Best Short Hikes in and around the North Sacramento Valley (finally out of print after a great 16-year run). It’s a stunning spot, and I returned […]

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 actual extent of blocked trails and hiking access roads is […]

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 Bill Rowland and I’m a volunteer with […]

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 links are still useful. Tahoe National Forest Snow Conditions, 2010 In the Mount Shasta […]

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 14-15, 2010 September 25, 2010 (Public Lands Day) November 11, 2010 (Veterans Day)

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 celebration of trails, brings awareness to trails and thanks many people and partners for their support and […]

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 next week to build the Spring Hill Trail.