Re: Know Before You Go: A Compendium of Trip Report Sites......

heavy on maps, photos and detailed accounts.

The purpose of this thread is to help those of us who are considering trips to Sierra locations that we've never been to, with an empahsis on the some of the more remote and lesser-known areas (but including some popular ones as well), and preferring those with the most details, maps, photos and information in general that would assist people in whatever planning they might need to get done before going or even making the decision to go. I've collected a lot of these over the years, and thought that they might not just serve this purpose, but be interesting virtual travel guides as well. Some of these can be great sites for time-wasting, so be warned!

Please feel free to add whatever you think would add to the knowledge-base here. Please also include a brief description of the site if you list one/some.

1: http://calitrails.com/

As the owner himself describes it, "A trail guide for California with an emphasis on dog friendly locations." He stays out of the National Parks for the most part, but takes his beloved canine companion with everywhere he can. GREAT photos, a map with trail route on every report and very detailed. He's also quite philsophical at times, and views the wilderness and time spent in it in a way most people here would relate to immediately. This is the initial report of his that I stumbled upon, and I'm going to do it myself one day. Been eying Cloud Canyon for a long time: http://calitrails.com/2013/02/03/circle-of-solitude-8-days-solo-in-sequoia-kings-canyon-np/

One need not have a dog (or even like them) to like this site.

Trips to many other places as well, such as the mountains of S. California.

2: http://pantilat.wordpress.com/

Leor Pantilat is the owner/operator of this site, and as an ultra-marathoer, he goes goes DEEP into the Sierra, some of the most remote areas, at a pace where almost all of his trip reports are done in one day, starting before sunrise and ending well after sunset. Nevertheless, invaluable information about some of the more obscure places you might have heard of in the Sierra, and a lot about Yosemite. LOTS of photos, most of them unfortunaely with no description, but the most comprehensive collection of 'what you'll see if you go' that I've ever come across. Exhaustive and beautiful in every way.

3: http://ladyonarock.com/hikes-backpacks-climbs/

"life, hiking and outdoor adventure"

When not on a rock, this lady gets around. I mean REALLY gets around. Trip reports from all over, but a wonderful collection of Sierra trips, with a lot of quality photographs. She knows how to shoot, and makes all of the locations look very tempting, especially to those inclinded to lug a lot of photographic gear into the back country. Most trip reports have topos, listed at everytrail.com, like this one: http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=775520

Really admirable how she's made travel and getting out there into a complete lifestyle.

4: http://kathywing.smugmug.com/CaliforniaHikesandScrambles/Sierra-Nevada-Hiking

Kathy Wing: is there anywhere in the Sierra she HASN'T been yet? Great selection of popular locations and huge amount of photos.

5: http://peaksforfreaks.blogspot.com/

More accounts of some of the more out there places, and I found them specifically looing for information on/about Lake Tulainyo, supposedly the higest lake in N. America, and oh-so-close to Mt. Whitney, but hardly ever visited. Find their account here: http://peaksforfreaks.blogspot.com/2013/06/thor-peak-mt-russell-mt-morgenson.html Not only did they hard-core it up the wall for the quickest route in, but they climbed every high point on the surround cirque! Fantastic photographs of seldom seen places. Not any real personal info to speak about them, but their reports make all of that irrelevant.

6: http://www.mudncrud.com/forums/index.php?board=2.0

This is the 'Everything Else' subsection of the 'climbing' section of a board dedicated, believe it or not, to the (now) Pinnacles National Monument. Chock ful of delicious, detailed and sometimes hairy trip reports from the back-of-beyond places like, in this case, a trip from the rarely visited Kaweah Basin OVER the Kaweahs and down into the Nine Lakes Basin. GREAT photographs, but also photos of exactly what you'd need to know before getting stuck up in some place like the Pyra Queen Col: http://www.mudncrud.com/forums/index.php?topic=1928.0

What's that? You've never heard of the Pyra Queen Col before? That's exactly the kind of infomation you can get there.

7: Bill Finch's site: http://sierrahiker.home.comcast.net/~sierrahiker/

Loads of information about the SEKI area, with a lot of funky photographs from the late film/early digital days, as his reports go way back. He's been everywhere, and has a topo map with his route highlighed for almost every report.

8: Lance Simm's site: http://www.lancesimms.com/Hikes/

Smaller, perhaps, in volume than some of the others, but it makes up for it in detail. I stumbled upon him looking for information about the Enchanged Gorge, and he didn't disappoint. Great maps and specific route information coupled with lots of photos: http://www.lancesimms.com/Hikes/EnchantedGorgeHikeGPS2.html His trip reports are also conveniently broken down on a day-by-day basis, which is helpful for structuring your own trip, based on your physical abilities and what you have planned to do in which areas.

More to follow.

Gotta add Calipidder
Calipidder

"Calipidder.com is a website that publishes practical and useful advice for exploring California on foot. We provide trip reports, gear tips, helpful hints, and advice for others wishing to experience their own adventures.
Calipidder.com was started by Rebecca Sowards-Emmerd in 2001 as a way to share photos and stories with family on the other side of the country, but quickly grew into a resource for people other than her mother. Articles are published on a regular basis with a focus on backpacking, hiking, climbing, and general adventuring in the backcountry nooks and crannies of the Western United States."

Quote
Bearproof
Gotta add Calipidder
Calipidder

"Calipidder.com is a website that publishes practical and useful advice for exploring California on foot. We provide trip reports, gear tips, helpful hints, and advice for others wishing to experience their own adventures.
Calipidder.com was started by Rebecca Sowards-Emmerd in 2001 as a way to share photos and stories with family on the other side of the country, but quickly grew into a resource for people other than her mother. Articles are published on a regular basis with a focus on backpacking, hiking, climbing, and general adventuring in the backcountry nooks and crannies of the Western United States."

Great call. Totally spaced that one.

blush

http://www.snwburd.com/bob/

How could I forget the Master, the Mr. Maximum Utmost, the final word in final words? Bob Burd!

If there's a peak in the Sierra he hasn't summited, it's likely not worth summiting! Seriously, I know of no other person, living or dead, who has gone to so much effort, with so much detail (and photos!) in his efforts to get to the top bits of the state of California, especially in the Sierra.

If there's one site you need to know about, this could well be it.

Quote
tanngrisnir3
http://www.snwburd.com/bob/

How could I forget the Master, the Mr. Maximum Utmost, the final word in final words? Bob Burd!

If there's a peak in the Sierra he hasn't summited, it's likely not worth summiting! Seriously, I know of no other person, living or dead, who has gone to so much effort, with so much detail (and photos!) in his efforts to get to the top bits of the state of California, especially in the Sierra.

If there's one site you need to know about, this could well be it.

To paraphrase you..."great call...how could I have missed THAT one"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/17/2014 11:27AM by Bearproof.

Passes! Passes! Get your red hot Sierra passes here!

http://www.highsierratopix.com/community/viewforum.php?f=31&sid=e4fd286fdafe2809b8bb508340b2c627

I'm not sure if you have to sign up there to view things, but if you've got a Sierra pass in mind and want to judge it's difficulty before you starting going vertical, this will likely help.

While not detailed in explanations or photos, this is a fine overall view of all the various Sierra passes, in interactive topo format. Find your area, click on what you needm, and boom, there it is.

https://sites.google.com/site/sierraroutes/

This is a collection, in alphabetical order, of the various passes where one can easily locate the pass in question, click it, and see it mapped out:

http://sierrabackpacker.com/sierrapasses-new.htm



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/2014 10:10AM by tanngrisnir3.

We like Doyle Donehoo's "Sierra Trails" site: http://www.doylewdonehoo.com/sierratrails/sierratrails.html



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/09/2015 04:03PM by Royalist.

BPL covers a lot of ground, so to speak, but Sierra reports are included:
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/display_forum.html?forum=32

Sigh.

There's a zillion great TRs by Z Old Stick N Fedders (basilbop) on THIS site.
And the guy is just an all around great guy with an incredible
knowledge of nearly everything Yosemite.

I was going to make a list and put it here with all his great TRs... but it just got too darn big.
Fortunately... this site actually has a really nice search feature.
You can find all his post like this
or clicky on this n type basilbop in author

---

And then there is wherever!

Who has contributed so much fun discussion and routes and such to THIS forum.

Such as this gem:
http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,67811,67811#msg-67811

---

Sierra Hiker site is down

In Yosemite which place is good for camping to enjoy free time with family and friends.

Outdated Wilderness Ranger Reports: 1983-2015 Ranger Reports Sorted by Station

https://highsierrahikers.org/ranger_reports_by_station.html