Category: Uncategorized

When it’s too Hot to Hike – Do This!

This Kayak trip was extremely cool!

I haven’t been hiking as much the past couple of weeks, it’s just been too hot! Even up in the Tahoe Basin, it’s been in the 90s.

So what do we do??? KAYAK! I have my usual go-to lakes in the Sierra, but I’ve had my eye on this trip for a while.

Sand Harbor on Lake Tahoe is on the Nevada side just south of Incline Village on Hwy 28. The water is crystal clear and the boulder structure in the water is amazing to see.

Here are your instructions if you want to do this:

  • Go to the Nevada Wildlife website and get a mussel sticker for your boat. It costs 6.00 and it’s mandatory. Don’t get caught without one!
  • Get there no later than 8:00am in the summer months. Seriously, we got there at 8:30 and got one of the last parking spots! This is a state park so you’ll need to bring $15.00 CASH if you are from out of Nevada. If you are a Nevada resident, it’s $10.00 CASH.
  • Be prepared to carry your kayak from the parking lot and walk in the deep sand through the hoards of people on the beach that miraculously got there at 7:00am when the gates open and already have their blankets and Easy-up shades set up! There is no boat ramp (it was closed). The walk isn’t a huge distance, but two people carrying one kayak helps!
  • Once you are in the water, you paddle away from the crowds on the beach and head to the right to get to the awesome water.

Another HOT Hike to Frog Lake Overlook

As much as I love this hike, I also hate it!

What I love about this trail

Wildflowers are off the charts – The views are amazing – You get a great workout – It’s a favorite hike of the Truckee locals and they are nice folks to chat with along the way.

What I have to be aware of:

It’s hot – I blogged about my heat issues in the past) The trail (PCT) goes through the two tunnels under I-80. Until the snow at the top is completely gone, the tunnels are full of water. I mean knee deep cold as hell rushing water through both tunnels. This year it didn’t clear out until July because of the late snow dump in the Sierra. However, this means that the temps are now hotter than I prefer to get to the top. A very very early start is advised if heat is an issue like it is for me. This trail has a 1500 foot elevation gain in a little over 3 miles with hardly any switch backs making it a hard hike. It’s even a workout going back down as the footing is a little loose.

I try and this trail at least once a year and get up there as EARLY as my hiking partners are willing to go. This year it was later in the am than I would have preferred (8:00am) and we didn’t get back to the car until 2:00pm which is the hottest part of the day and I was spent! I felt like a sloth and my legs were full of lead. I like to get back to the car by noon.

Advice for Senior Flatlander Hikers

GO EARLY. 80 degrees up at altitude going uphill will feel like it’s 100. In the summer, sunrise is 5:30am or so. By 9:00am the sun is very high in the sky. You get the picture. Get an Ultralight hiking umbrella – carry lots of water with electrolytes – eat salty snacks- take a cooling towel to dip into the cold streams if they are still running – take LOTS of rest stops – Listen to your body. Enjoy the scenery

Now for the show!

I got the Relive app which takes the data from my navigation app Gaia and turns it into a cool 3D map of my movements on the trail. Pretty cool! Take a look!

Fire at the Ranch-Neighbor’s House Gone!

We had a grass fire just two streets away from our ranch on June 8th 2021. As of this writing, the cause is unknown. However, it did start at a house on Kapaka Lane, jumped Intanko Lane, raced up the hill and burned a large 3 story home to the ground, continued on to Beale AFB housing and into the brush in the Spenceville Wildlife Area. The temps were only in the 70s that day, however, the south winds were very strong and it pushed the fire at a rapid pace. Don’t underestimate the power and destruction of a fast-moving grass fire. If the wind was blowing from the North, we would have been in the direct path.


SHOW LESS


How to Get a Purple Heart from the Army

This is the story on how I was able to get the US Army to finally award my dad his WW2 purple heart and the people who helped me make this happen. Also, I explain what happened to his WW2 artifacts and where they ended up!

She Wears a Pair of Wings

The year was 1944 when my 20 year old mother heeded the call to serve her country. Having never left home, she was about to embark on an adventure of a lifetime and meet the love of her life and husband for 72 years. This story was narrated by me reading from her actual written memoir and told in my mom’s “voice”

Trees with Tumors and Jumping Fish! Desolation Wilderness Delight

It’s day onehundredeleventysomeningorother of the pandemic so onward I hike. On June 29, 2020, my niece Jenny (trail name Legs) and I head off from Wrights lake and find out way up the granite to Twin Lakes.

The trail goes on for miles deep into Desolation Wilderness, but since we took our time and really savored every moment in this area, we turned around at Lower Twin Lake which made for a 6.5 mile day.

The route up to the lakes is mostly granite so there isn’t much of a trail. We lost the trail many times, but having GPS on my phone, we were able to find the trail easily again. Going up, it was hard to see the cairns and the lines of rock in places that marked the route. Going back down was a piece of cake as you can see the cairns a lot better.

We were treated with many waterfalls, small lakes and exceptional views. I want to go back and explore further in, maybe with my overnight bag!

Because of the Pandemic, the Forest Service has suspended the need to get a day hike permit, but you still need one if you are an overnight backpacker.

Welcome New Hikers, Now go the F**k Home!

I know… that was kind of harsh.. right? Let’s talk about the current state of our Forests, Mountains, Water Falls, Trails and other nature areas during this time of Pandemic. Simply put, they are being mobbed by bored humans! Is it because venues such as movie theaters, concert venues, etc are closed? Maybe. Is it because we had to spend two months in our homes? Maybe. Will this wave of crazed humans that suddenly want to explore the outdoors fade when this pandemic is over? Hopefully!

Now don’t get me wrong. I’ve been encouraging people to get outside and explore our fabulous wonders of the Earth for a long time! This current situation has put me in a quandary! And, I know some of you longtime outdoor people feel the same! What I’ve been seeing on social media, with the mountains of trash that has been left in the wake of all of these humans, sickens me! The mile long line of cars at trail heads where emergency crews can’t get through. Big Foot is getting pissed and I don’t blame him! I just have to tell myself that these people are temporary tourists and they will soon be back going to the movies, bars, concerts and other stuff that typically keeps urban dwellers busy.

If the pandemic got you out for the first time, and you decide that this hiking lifestyle is for you, then WELCOME! But know this… romping around in the woods comes with responsibility for yourself and others. THE WILDERNESS IS NO JOKE AND SHOWS YOU NO MERCY.

Forest Service personnel are working harder than ever to put out illegal campfires, pick up trash, and RESCUE lost and injured hikers.

Do your part and be smart. Like that rhyme? Here’s another one for ya.. Stay safe and leave no trace!

Let’s go hiking! But, let’s go hiking the responsible way! Don’t Piss off Sasquatch!

Here is the link to what I carry in my Day Hiking pack and other useful information to help in your quest for the outdoors.