The Map Changes. The Curiosity Doesn't
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Why the Mountains Keep Calling Her Back | Lisa Michelle on Sierra Backpacking After foot surgery kept author and Sierra explorer Lisa Michelle away from the trail for nearly three months, returning to Sierra Nevada backpacking gave her a new appreciation for every hike—and a new idea for helping other women experience the mountains. Lisa returns to the Sierra Rec Now Podcast to talk with Charlie…
Lems Trail Blazer vs. Mesa Verde: Two Zero-Drop Shoes for Very Different Days I had never heard of Lems Shoes before meeting the brand at Outdoor Media Summit. What caught my attention was the combination of minimalist design, wide toe boxes and zero-drop construction. I have worn zero-drop shoes before and generally enjoyed the way they feel, but I do not necessarily begin every shoe search by…
Marmot AirFleece Review: The Layer I Didn’t Know I Needed in the PNW For years in the Sierra Nevada, a fleece this warm was a specialized piece of gear for me. I might have carried one while snowshoeing, camping in colder conditions or heading into the mountains when the forecast clearly called for another layer. It was not something I automatically placed in my pack for every spring ... Read more…
Marmot Trailway Pants Review: From PNW Mud to the Yosemite Backcountry My first real outing in the Marmot Trailway hiking pants began on a rainy spring morning near Bellingham, Washington. We headed to Blanchard State Forest for a seven-mile loop connecting Lily and Lizard lakes. It is a classic Pacific Northwest hike: a casual forest climb, two hidden lakes and trails that remain in good…
Marmot Wraptor 30 Review: Zipper-Free Comfort Put to the Test A Trail Tested Gear Review by Sierra Rec Staff The Marmot Wraptor 30 promises to eliminate one of the most irritating parts of sleeping in a traditional mummy bag: the zipper. Instead of sealing you inside with a long side zipper, the Wraptor uses overlapping flaps, snaps and a low-profile magnetic closure to create a ... Read more The…
HDPE vs. Fiberglass vs. Aluminum: Finding the Right Boat for Sierra Waters Sierra Nevada waters can be beautiful one minute and demanding the next. A calm mountain lake may have smooth water in the morning, while cold temperatures, rocky shorelines, submerged obstacles, and changing weather can quickly make conditions more challenging. That is why choosing a boat for Sierra waters should involve…
Backpacking Rae Lakes: A Sierra Journey Over Kearsarge Pass Some places are almost impossible to explain until you’ve stood in them. Juan Veruete calls the Sierra Nevada his “million-word places”—landscapes where even the best photograph never quite captures the scale of what’s in front of you. In this conversation, Juan joins the Sierra Rec Now Podcast to talk about a backpacking life shaped by…
Capturing The Sierra: A Guide To Documenting Your Mountain Adventures The Sierra Nevada offers some of the most breathtaking landscapes in North America, from the granite cliffs of Yosemite to the alpine meadows of the High Sierra. Whether you’re hiking through wildflower fields, camping beneath star-filled skies, or skiing down pristine slopes, the urge to capture these moments is natural. But…
Matador 45L Global Travel Pack Review: Crisscrossing the West By Charlie Pankey The Best Travel Backpack I’ve Ever Owned I’m 56 years old, and for most of my life my travel strategy could best be described as… a duffel bag. Throw everything inside, zip it shut, and hope I remembered socks. If you asked my wife to describe my packing style, she’d probably refer ... Read more The post Matador 45L…
12 Sierra Experiences I Hope to Share With My Grandkids Editor’s Note Some conversations begin with a question. Others begin with a moment that stays with you long after the weekend is over. Last weekend, my wife and I took our one-year-old grandson on his very first camping trip. Like most grandparents, we spent the weekend watching him discover things many of us stopped noticing ... Read more…
A Four-Day Tuolumne County Road Trip: Yosemite, Pinecrest and Sonora Pass This long-weekend route combines an early morning in Yosemite Valley, swimming at Tenaya Lake, hiking near Pinecrest, exploring the Red Hills and a scenic drive over Sonora Pass. Tuolumne County is one of those Sierra regions that can be difficult to explain in a single sentence. It acks as a base camp region in the ... Read…
