Category Archives: Activities

Activities, Adventures, Hiking - General

Accessing Whitney Portal: How To Make it Work in 2016

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Press Release (USDA) – If you do plan to visit Whitney in the summer of 2016, please pack your patience and carefully plan your trip to avoid the construction delays and the parking problems.

    • Check the construction schedule before you head up to Whitney Portal (Twitter (@mtwhitneyinfo), at the Interagency Visitor Center (760-876-6222), on the web HERE. There may be times when delays and parking are little impacted. There may be periods with 30 minute delays, and two 3-hour delays per day in the peak of construction.
    • Please be prepared that there may not be a parking space available for you.
    • Consider carpooling, being dropped off by friends, or explore local shuttle services.

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Activities, Hiking - General

Whitney Portal Road Reconstruction Planned for 2016

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Significant Impacts to Access, Parking

Press Release (USDA) – The Whitney Portal Road Reconstruction is planned for the 2016 season under a funding request from Inyo County. The road will be re-paved and needs significant repairs for safety. The project begins just west of Lone Pine and ends just east of Whitney Portal.

Whitney Portal is the most popular trailhead on the forest; with hikers applying, by lottery, to ascend the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States. Mt Whitney is also the southern terminus of the John Muir Trail (JMT).

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Activities, Beagles, Hiking - General

Review: Santiago Oaks Regional Park

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Located on the very eastern edge of the city of Orange, Santiago Oaks Regional Park runs alongside Santiago Creek, Orange County’s main tributary to the Santa Ana River.

This secluded 1,269 acre park – located close enough to most east Orange neighborhoods to walk to, including Orange Park Acres and Villa Park – offers family-friendly nature well within the reach of everyone. There is a mature forest, Santiago Creek, wildlife, and trails for virtually every level of hiker, mountain biker, and equestrian.

Unlike nearby Irvine Regional Park, Santiago Oaks is less of an ‘entertainment’ destination park; you won’t find a zoo, trains, or large open maintained grass areas for parties. It’s a wilderness park. Santiago Oaks calls to the adventurer’s spirit within; the park does offer a cozy amphitheater, BBQs, picnic tables, playgrounds, and an interpretive programs/nature center, but the draw – the beauty – of Santiago Creek are the trails. A vast interconnected series of trails stretch throughout the park offering technical trails for all skill levels, and rewarding the hiker, biker, or equestrian with inspiring views of Orange and the unspoiled foothills surrounding the city. The park trails also connect with the Anaheim Hills Trail System.

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Activities, Adventures, Conservation

Courtright Base Camp – High Sierra Volunteer Trail Crew

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Family-friendly camping with multiple projects for people of all ages.

Event Date: 08/13/2015 – 08/16/2015
Cost: FREE

You are encouraged to stay over Thursday night to acclimate. Food will be provided Thursday night through Sunday lunch. Volunteers can work Friday, Saturday and Sunday, you do not have to be at the event for all three days. This event is family friendly, we will have volunteer work available for all ages. There are many attractions in the Sierra National Forest that you can easily visit before or after the event. Experienced crew leaders will train volunteers in general trail maintenance techniques and safe usage of hand tools. We will be removing brush and trees, repairing water bars, and installing water diversion structures on the trails in the Courtright Reservoir area within the John Muir Wilderness. A primitive solar shower setup will be provided. There is no charge for this event, base camp operations usually cost at least $3,000 with 30-50 people participating that equals $60 to $100 per person. Although we receive grant money for these trips it is often not enough to cover operating costs. Please consider making a tax deductible donation online or bringing a donation to the event. More detailed information will be sent to you after you sign up.
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Activities, Adventures, Offroading - General

CA 4WD Association’s Sierra Trek 2015 – August 6-9

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

California Four Wheel Drive Association, Inc. is holding their annual Sierra Trek this August. It’s a great adventure!

Sierra Trek registration closes July 24, so get head over to the website today!

From Cal4Wheel:

The 48th annual Sierra Trek is a Cal4Wheel event which is located in California’s beautiful Tahoe National Forest. This family oriented event is geared toward stock 4x4s on guided historic and slightly challenging tours, toward mildly modified vehicles on the Saturday Outer Limits run and off-road enthusiast on the extremely challenging Fordyce Trail.

Stock vehicles should consider signing up for the Wednesday/Thursday Overnight, the Saturday Historic Run and the Saturday Outer Limits Run.

Moderately modified vehicles will love the beauty and the challenge of the Bear Valley Loop on the Saturday Outer Limits Run.

We welcome the ATV/UTV community for a day run out of Meadow Lake on Saturday morning. Continue reading →