Craving solitude amongst big trees? Hike Merced Grove of Giant Sequoias. The least visited of the three groves, this grove of sequoias is my favorite in Yosemite National Park.
Cold weather is quickly creeping upon us, and the best way to keep warm is to keep your noggin’ covered. The Outdoor Research Mainstay Beanie is a fun pop of color and poof for retaining heat on your head. I was instantly drawn to obnoxious brightness of the black/lemongrass combo.
If you’re looking to experience a Yosemite waterfall off the beaten path, Carlon Falls is for you. Situated just outside of park gates, you can hike into the Yosemite wilderness and never pay any entrance fees. This isn’t the biggest, or even the most impressive. If you just like chasing waterfalls, you’ll like Carlon Falls.
I’m not gonna lie, I’m addicted to my phone. I use it to keep in contact with friends, manage social media, check my email, track my hikes, take photos, and more. Now is the time where I also admit that I’m really good at doing the projectile phone thing. This past summer, I decided to make my phone more bomb-proof. I’d been rocking a little Speck case that I stole from my boyfriend, but with a billion upcoming trips, I wanted something indestructible, but still manageable. When Lifeproof came out with the TouchID compatible Nüüd for the 5S, I was sold.
Hike: Wapama Falls & Rancheria Falls
Where: Yosemite National Park
Trailhead: O’Shaughnessy Dam
Level: Moderate
Duration: 5.5 hours
Length: 13 miles out and back
Gear: Icebreaker Tech T Lite, Triple Aught Design Artemis Hoodie, REI Sahara pants, Outdoor Research Essence Leggings, JepPaks pack, Black Diamond Ultra Distance trekking poles, and Salewa Alp Trainer Mid GTX boots
Cost of Parking: Free
Hetch Hetchy Valley was once a mirror image of Yosemite Valley; now it’s a reservoir providing millions of San Francisco Bay Area residents like myself water. Despite this, Yosemite’s counterpart is still a wondrous sight to behold, and lacking in the millions of visitors Yosemite Valley receives.