Calipidder

The passes are open but the high country isn’t yet melted out. Where to go on a weekend overnight that will give me my Sierra fix, but avoid the unknown conditions and snow/mud hybrid trails that are common at this time of year? The answer occurred to me last Wednesday - an easy, low [...]

After last weekend’s backpack in 100 degree heat and the opening of Tioga Pass, I officially declare Summer Backpacking Season open. Looking at my calendar, it’s chock full of awesome trips over the next four months and I can’t wait to get things started. This summer includes plans for all of the following:

High Sierra Trail
JMT [...]

Once a year, Henry Coe State Park opens up the gate to the remote and less-traveled east side of the park, including Orestimba Wilderness. This Backcountry Weekend allows people to get in to the areas that would normally be accessible only by a minimum of a (long) full day’s hike, and that doesn’t include the [...]

California desperately needs rain, but it’s so easy to appreciate the fact that we’re enjoying a wonderful spell of perfect weather in the middle of Janurary. All week it has been cloudless skies with temperatures in the high 60s to low 70s. 
Of course I did not know this back in November when I reserved a [...]

Over Labor Day weekend we once again headed into the Sierra for a backpacking trip. This trip was built around my desire to see Benson Lake (the picture in this entry) with its giant sandy beach and trout fishing. We started off from Twin Lakes (out of Bridgeport), headed through Hoover Wilderness, down Matterhorn Canyon, [...]