The Moon is Waning Gibbous (99% of Full)
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Hiking and Backpacking Advice, Trip Reports, Trip Planning
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Re: Trip Report - Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne - 7 days ago
Nice! And kudos to you for getting those kids out there! Sounds like you had a memorable adventure.by balzaccom - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Re: Back to square one - 7 days ago
QuoteNot quite The Geezer, but getting there Is this the Sierra Nevada's equivalent of Area 51? Not quite--but it does attract a different crowd than Lake Aloha....by balzaccom - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Re: TM campground - 10 days ago
I managed to get a single night for mid-August by signing on right at 7 a.m. this morning and working fast. The place is popular!by balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Back to square one - 15 days ago
Or in this case, Zone 39. I spend quite a bit of time in Desolation Wildernessd doing volunteer work. And last year, I "adopted" Zone 39 of the Wilderness. I patrol it, answer questions, clean up after people and generally try to be a "presence" in the back country. And I had 39 all to myself. When the zone were assigned, I was out of town, and by the time I had returneby balzaccom - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Re: two nights at hodgdon campground that i can't use - 23 days ago
Good for you. I love that you put these sites back into circulation. I wish everyone was so conscientious!by balzaccom - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Re: Campsites on Buena Vista Creek? - 28 days ago
As long as terrain permits no other options...by balzaccom - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Re: Sierra Mystery - 2 months ago
Happy to share this nice review of my latest mystery novel set in the High Sierra. https://napavalleyfocus.substack.com/p/sunday-e-dition-grave-concernsby balzaccom - General Discussion
Re: Is it recreation.gov, or it is me? - 3 months ago
You would thnk that they would plan for people using more than one browser, wouldn't you?by balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Re: Is it recreation.gov, or it is me? - 3 months ago
It might be you? The site works for me, but you do need to enter the number of people on the permit before it will give you any information... And many areas have 0 permits availableby balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Re: Tuolumne Meadows Winter Conditions Update for March 19, 2025 - 3 months ago
Thanks again for posting thse--always a pleasure to read.by balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Re: USFS budget cuts - 4 months ago
If you want to make a difference, Now that the weather is getting better, it's time to get back to work on the trails. I spent Saturday working on the Soscol Headwaters trail system--fourteen miles of new trails in a wonderful area in the hills above southern Napa. Terrific views, great people, and a nice sense of accomplishment. And a big project to manage with a very small budget. Volunteers aby balzaccom - General Discussion
Re: NY Times article on Job Cuts at Yosemite - 4 months ago
Seems like that memorandum came about a week late. Too bad for all the employees who were terminated based on previous communication. What a joke this administration is.by balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Re: USFS budget cuts - 4 months ago
More rumors of bad news to come. Apparently, the USFS fears it won't have enough staff to properly maintain campgrounds this summer: https://ktla.com/news/california/thousands-of-california-forest-campsites-may-close-this-summer-amid-federal-budget-freeze-report-says/amp/by balzaccom - General Discussion
Re: State of Yosemite National Park from Employees Interviewed - 4 months ago
I did hear from a few people that I work with as a volunteer. Their seasonal wilderness rangers are not getting hired this year, and they lost their only intern. That leaves one wilderness ranger for the entire forest. Meanwhile, all funds have been frozen, so the contracts to clear and burn high fuel areas of the forest are all cancelled. No pire prevention this year. And the snowpackby balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Re: Badger Pass not opening this season:2025 - 4 months ago
Aramark has already been removed as the concessionaire for Crater Lake National Park, and some of us have had some pretty poor experiences with the organization over the years. Seems like every year there is a reason that significant facilities can't open in the park--and each year they increase. Too much snow, too little snow, not enough time to make money, hard to find staff, still workingby balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Re: Hoover Permit prices going up - 5 months ago
That was before selfies, I think...by balzaccom - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Hoover Permit prices going up - 5 months ago
https://sierrarecmagazine.com/new-hoover-wilderness-permit-fees/?utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=This+Week+in+the+Sierra-+By+Sierra+Rec+Magazine+-+16464435by balzaccom - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Re: Snowshoe and winter camping advice? - 5 months ago
Badger Pass area might be a really good place to do a first winter overnight. One nice thing about winter backpacking is that you don't have to hike far to get away from people. And you can camp just about anywhere it's flat, no worries about water when there is snow on the ground. the benefit of Badger Pass is that if you decide to bail, it's fairly easy from there. And if you make it to tby balzaccom - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Re: Anza Borrego for a week - 5 months ago
About that first ranger's advice: When we first stopped in at the visitors center in Borrego Springs, a young ranger named Anna offered to help us plan out our visit. We were delighted. We shared with her that we had camped, hiked and backpacked extensively in Death Valley, and done some of the main hikes in Joshua Tree as well. What could we explore in her park? She was not encouraging. Sby balzaccom - General Discussion
Anza Borrego for a week - 5 months ago
We took a week to make the long drive down to Anza Borrego, hoping to have some fun in the desert. Warm days, cold nights, there is lots to see down there. We found palm oases, slot canyons, great hikes, and even some Native America artifacts. Even without a 4X4, we were able to see a lot of the park, and we certainly found a few places where there were few other people. Happily, despite sigby balzaccom - General Discussion
Crowds eveywhere - 5 months ago
The local paper in Calistoga published an article I wrote about overtourism and its impacts. It's a long read, but that's because it's complex topic. Their website doesn't have the story up yet, so here's a link to my version: https://www.paulwagnerwine.com/post/over-tourism-issues-face-napaby balzaccom - General Discussion
Explore Act goes to President Biden - 6 months ago
This is good news. The new legislation (Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences Act, for those keeping score at home) generally funds improvements to our outdoor recreation infrastructure, from campgrounds to long-distance trails, as well as upgrading the permitting process and improving access to public lands for a wide range of people. That's great news, and we hope Presidentby balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Re: Aramark's, outrageous Thanksgiving dinner prices - 7 months ago
Compared to the prices in the Napa Valley for Thanksgiving dinner, I would say that the lodge is right in line with those. Admittedly, the lodge isn't a three-star Michelin restaurant, but neither are any of these...The three-star restaurants are all booked months in advance, and for far more money. https://www.visitnapavalley.com/blog/post/thanksgiving-in-the-napa-valley/by balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
USFS budget cuts - 8 months ago
This is an excellent video on the coming financial crunch for the department that maintains and supervises our trails and wildernesses. Next year's budget calls for massive cuts in their funding. https://youtu.be/d24PTLHEu_Q And one place they are going to be cutting is in the hiring of seasonal trail crews---the people who maintain the trail systems we all use. So, yes, those fallen treby balzaccom - General Discussion
Re: Experience Obtaining a Permit to Film in a National Park (you probably need one, too) - 8 months ago
We drive into Yosemite every year in a van that is clearly marked with our website: backpackthesierra.com. Every once in a while the ranger at the entry station will ask if we are a professional guiding service or guiding a group. We hand them a card and explain that our website is a non-commercial site that encourages people to go backpacking. That has always ended the conversation. I woulby balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Re: Dehydrated food recommendations? - 9 months ago
I have a hard time imagining carrying cans of food in my backpack. Or frozen food, for that matter. What is your pack weight when you decide to cook this way?by balzaccom - General Discussion
Re: Audi Executive Died on a Via Ferrata route in Italy - 10 months ago
Ugh. Well, that takes care of me ever getting my wife to hike one of those with me... What a sad tale.by balzaccom - General Discussion
Re: Ackerman Meadow - 10 months ago
It is a cool place, just off the Hetch-hetchy Road. LMK if you want directions.by balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Ackerman Meadow - 10 months ago
Here's the project that I've been working on in Yosemite: phys.org/news/2024-09-yosemite-national-crews-landscape-conditions.htmlby balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Peter Starr - 10 months ago
Peter Starr was a young pioneer in the world of High Sierra climbing. SF Gate does a good job of telling the story of his disappearance, and the heroes who eventually solved the mystery: https://www.sfgate.com/california-parks/article/california-search-mission-mountain-grave-19723292.phpby balzaccom - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
