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  1. balzaccom

    What do you think are the most essential nutrients while backpacking?

    Yep--I'm with the majority here. I eat enough that I don't feel too hungry, but it's a mix of all kinds of foods, includine those freeze dried dinners. I eat healthy the rest of the year, so the time I'm on the trail, I just try to keep myself fed. And hydrated. I agree that elecctrolytes...
  2. balzaccom

    Those who cairn too much

    Yosemite has finally taken action...
  3. balzaccom

    Favorite backpacking foods...convenient, easy, delicious, nutritious?

    Instant oatmeal with added nuts and a cup of hot chocolate for breakfast. A handfull of cranberries or other dried fruit on the side. Lunches are almost always some kind of crackers (Trisket black pepper, or cheezits--lots of salt and fat!) with salami and a nice hard parmesan cheese for...
  4. balzaccom

    Trail Crews--one more time

    Just did another four days in the mountains as a wilderness volunteer--this time in Desolation Wilderness. What fun! Met lots of good people, answered a few questions, did a little hiking, and got to know the hikers and neighbors in a really lovely part of the Sierra. The full blog post...
  5. balzaccom

    The story of a frustrated middle aged suburban wilderness lover!

    One suggestion. The weather in the Sierra Nevada in the summer is usually a lot better than the Rockies. We don't get the thurnderstorms every afternoon, and when we do get them, they tend to be short and manageable. And many trailheads are not that far from an aiport (Reno, Fresno, even Las...
  6. balzaccom

    Trail Crews--one more time

    I'm just back from a week working on a volunteer trail crew in the Mokelumne Wilderness. The trip into Moraine Lake was organized by the American Hiking Society, and led by staff from the US Forest Service. And it was full of fun, adventure, and damn hard work. We had a mighty hailstorm (and a...
  7. balzaccom

    Is it summer yet in your neck of th woods?

    They are still working on the Tioga Pass Road through Yosemite. Thick ice and a damaged road bed is making the process much more difficult than usual. The latest opening of the road in history is July 1. That might change this year.
  8. balzaccom

    Is it summer yet in your neck of th woods?

    Weather is cool, and the snow in the Sierra is still plenty deep. Hard to do much hiking there...
  9. balzaccom

    Sierra Myseries continue

    High Sierra Quarry, the latest in my series of mysteries set in the High Sierra, is now out! You can find it at the usual places, including bookstores and Amazon, and even in the ranger stations in the Stanislaus National Forest. "When a young woman hiker is reported missing, the Forest Service...
  10. balzaccom

    Sierra Passes are opening

    Sonora and Ebbetts Passes are now open--although the raods are narrow channels through tall walls of snow. Still, we're getting closer! Only Tioga Pass, at 10,000 feet in Yosemite, is still closed.
  11. balzaccom

    Hate those ghost campers?

    Have you camped in a National Park recently? Recreation.gov has no policies concerning this...
  12. balzaccom

    Sierra Mystery

    Just an update about these books. The fifth in the series, "High Sierra Quarry," should be out by the endof the month. And I am delighted to be able to announce that the USFS has decided to sell these books at some of the ranger stations in the Sierra--including the Summit Ranger Station near...
  13. balzaccom

    Hate those ghost campers?

    California may try to help...Check this out: ktla.com/news/california/california-campsite-reservation-bill-passes-state-assembly/ Credit if you cancel before seven days. And if you don't show on the first night, the whole reservation is cancelled and the site opened up.
  14. balzaccom

    Get out, Make a Difference

    As Fossna notes, volunteers can also help out in a variety of ways. Some of our program include issuing wilderness permits, counting visitors on trails, and even answering questions at the trailhead. All of those free up paid staff to take on larger tasks, or supervise crews in the wilderness.
  15. balzaccom

    Get out, Make a Difference

    I spend a fair amount of time as a volunteer in the National Forests. Last year, it was about 250 hours. We count those hours because the USFS encourages its staff to develop a volunteer program and use it to increate the amount of work that can get done in the National Forests. The good...
  16. balzaccom

    A civilized trip--on the rivers of Europe

    I've been participating here from a distance, since I spent five weeks cruising the rivers of Europe--it was work, I swear! Rhine, Rhone, Seine, Saone, Bordeaux...lots of water, lots of wine, and a ton of photos. If you're interested in a non-backpacking adventure (longest day's hike was...
  17. balzaccom

    Proud Papa

    Very nice. You are quickly approaching the time when she will outhike you. Been there, done that!
  18. balzaccom

    Springtime in Napa

    It must be spring, because the hot air balloons are blooming over my house...
  19. balzaccom

    South America

    I am just home from being the wine host on a cruise around South America–a month-long trip that included some hiking, a lot of wine, amazing culture, fantastic food, and more sea days than we ever expected. That’s what happens when you sail around the bottom of South America–one of the wildest...
  20. balzaccom

    Point Reyes August 2022

    June, and most of early summer is gloomy at Pt. Reyes. You won't get snow, but your gear will soaked every morning with fog and dew. It's not a deal breaker, but don't say I didn't warn you. Best is.late August through October--clear skies, sunny weather.

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