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Hiking The Original Tahoe-Yosemite Trail: Recon Trip to Clark’s Fork Meadow from St. Mary’s Pass
SEE THE VIDEO HERE! So Here's What Happened.... For months I had been planning what I believe to be the most difficult section of the TYT: Days 6-8 from Carson Pass to Lake Alpine. I'll save the difficulty description for when I actually hike it, but so far my research had indicated it involved a … Continue reading Hiking The Original Tahoe-Yosemite Trail: Recon Trip to Clark’s Fork Meadow from St. Mary’s Pass
Hiking The Original Tahoe-Yosemite Trail (Day 5): Echo Chalet to Carson Pass
FULL VIDEO HERE! What Happened??? My hiking buddy Dominion and I completed Section 1 of the original Tahoe-Yosemite trail in October of 2022 and then....well, nothing. Winter hit early in 2022 and it didn't let go. As we rounded the corner into 2023 nothing was letting up and it was looking like not only would … Continue reading Hiking The Original Tahoe-Yosemite Trail (Day 5): Echo Chalet to Carson Pass
Hiking The Original Tahoe-Yosemite Trail (Day 4): Lake Aloha to Echo Chalet
WATCH VIDEO HERE! As beautiful as last night's sunset was, it was rivaled by the sunrise! This view greeted us in the morning as we ate up the last of our backpacker meals and packed up for the final leg of this section of the TYT. Dominion did not have a great night sleep and … Continue reading Hiking The Original Tahoe-Yosemite Trail (Day 4): Lake Aloha to Echo Chalet
Hiking The Original Tahoe-Yosemite Trail (Day 3): Dick’s Lake to Lake Aloha
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE! Today's hiking began with a 2.2 mile, 975' ascent to Dick's Pass. Although it sounded aggressive it was actually quite pleasant. The grade was moderate and we had more tree cover than I expected. It was not long before we stood topped the pass and could look back at our excellent … Continue reading Hiking The Original Tahoe-Yosemite Trail (Day 3): Dick’s Lake to Lake Aloha
Hiking The Original Tahoe-Yosemite Trail (Day 2): Rubicon Lake to Dick’s Lake
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE! We started our morning with a reading from the "Book of Winnet" haha. It was fun reading his description of the trail we had hiked the day before and a preview of what was to come. It turns out the area we were in was called the "Tallant Lakes" and their … Continue reading Hiking The Original Tahoe-Yosemite Trail (Day 2): Rubicon Lake to Dick’s Lake
Hiking The Original Tahoe-Yosemite Trail (Day 1): Meeks Bay to Rubicon Lake
SEE THE VIDEO HERE! So It Begins! My buddy Michael (trail name: "Dominion") accompanied me on the Desolation Wilderness section of the TYT (Meeks Bay to Echo Lake) on a backpacking trip from October 17-20, 2022. I had a decent schedule laid out - and while we had a few backup plans, they turned out … Continue reading Hiking The Original Tahoe-Yosemite Trail (Day 1): Meeks Bay to Rubicon Lake
Rediscovering the Original Tahoe-Yosemite Trail
(Almost) California's First Long Trail The Tahoe-Yosemite Trail (hereafter, “TYT”) is California’s first long trail. Or it would have been, had it ever been officially completed. Long before the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) absorbed / replaced much of the TYT, the 180-mile route connected several national forest wilderness areas and parks stretching from Meeks Bay … Continue reading Rediscovering the Original Tahoe-Yosemite Trail
How to Get a Wilderness Permit to Backpack in Yosemite (2023)
Yes, You Need a Permit to Backpack in Yosemite Yosemite is an incredible place to backpack - and with over 750 miles of trail, you won't see many of its beautiful features without spending a night or two in the wilderness. Doing so, however, is not as easy as throwing on a pack and walking … Continue reading How to Get a Wilderness Permit to Backpack in Yosemite (2023)
Go Bag Gear List
In conjunction with my Go Bag Video, here is a list to help you plan what packs to use and gear to bring as you create your EDC / Emergency bag system. Note that this is a additive modular system. It is assumed that items from the one bag will be added to items in … Continue reading Go Bag Gear List
My Backpacks (1995-2021)
To All the Packs I've Loved Before… OK, I must admit to owning a large number of backpacks over the years. But I have VERY good excuses for . . . nearly . . . all of them. Some were necessary for the greater good. Some (most, actually) were packs I only bought to try … Continue reading My Backpacks (1995-2021)
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