Category Archives: Outdoors

Activities

MOUNTAIN BIKING: Big Bear trail foreshadows Idyllwild changes

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Bob Pratte wrote an article that appears today on the PE Bloggers website about the changes taking place in Big Bear, where the Big Bear Valley Trails Foundation working in conjunction with the U.S. Forest Service and the International Mountain Biking Association have been building out the Skyline Trail.

The Skyline Trail will be 15 miles running along the south ridge of Big Bear Valley.

From the article:

Recently in Big Bear, I saw the positive result of the Forest Service approach when I sampled the first five miles of the new Skyline Trail. When finished, it will run 15 miles along the south ridge of Big Bear Valley, the Snow Summit side of the lake. More of the trail since was opened.

Continue reading →

Activities, Hiking - General, National Parks

Pure hiking bliss in Yosemite

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Marek Warszawski wrote in the Fresno Bee about two great hikes in Yosemite: Four-Mile and Panorama Trail.

From the article:

“…If I’m going to visit Yosemite Valley in late spring or summer (and have to deal with all the traffic and hordes of tourists), it’s going to be for a hike you can’t do anywhere else. One with more knock-your-socks-off views per footstep than any in the park, if not the world.

This hike is so good, it can’t be contained by one trail. Combine the Four Mile Trail from the Valley to Glacier Point and the Panorama Trail from Glacier Point back to the Valley, and you get 13.8 miles of pure hiking bliss.

Of course, you don’t have to hike both trails. Either is worthwhile by itself. But by combining them, you get the full experience without having to retrace your steps or arrange a shuttle…”

You can read the whole article HERE.

Activities, Kayaking, State Parks

Want to learn to kayak in Ventura Harbor?

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Friends of Channel Coast State Parks, a nonprofit organization serving the Channel Coast area of the California State Parks, is launching a new kayak education program on June 9th.

Kayak lessons include all equipment, water safety lessons, and an educational tour of the harbor and run $40 (all fees associated with this program help to support educational programs and projects in Ventura and Santa Barbara county state parks). Continue reading →

Activities, Adventures, Geocaching, Kayaking, National Forests, National Parks, Off Roading

National Get Outdoors Day – June 8, 2013

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

In celebration of National Get Outdoors Day, the U.S. Forest Service is offering a fee-free day Saturday, June 8.

Fee-free days are offered four times a year to encourage people to reconnect to the forest for some healthy, active outdoor fun. If you didn’t get out to the first free day this year (Martin Luther King Jr. Day), then this is your chance!

From the U.S. Forest Service website:

The pilot effort of National Get Outdoors Day was launched June 14, 2008, through a partnership between the Forest Service and the American Recreation Coalition. The partnership built on the success of More Kids in the Woods and other efforts to connect Americans – especially children – with nature and active lifestyles. Go Day, as it sometimes called, now includes federal, state and local agencies, key organizations and recreation businesses to create activities across the country.

Forest Service lands, which include 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, offer something for everyone, from the casual hiker to the thrill-seeking recreationist. There also are opportunities and programs for children, from Discover the Forest that helps kids learn what to do outside to becoming a Junior Forest Ranger that comes with special access to the online “JFR Clubhouse.”

If you can’t make it to the parks this weekend, then try to schedule some time during the next couple of free days: September 28th (National Public Lands Day) or November 9th through the 11th for Veterans Day Weekend.

You can read more about National Get Outdoors Day HERE.

Activities, National Parks

New Fire Restrictions at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Due to high fire danger, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks are instituting fire restrictions inside the parks starting today.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks lie side by side in the southern Sierra Nevada, east of the San Joaquin Valley. Visitor activities vary by season and elevation (1,370 to 14,494 feet).

The restrictions are:

  • No wood or barbecue fires are permitted below 6,000 feet, except in designated campgrounds. This includes Ash Mountain Picnic Area, Hospital Rock Picnic Area and backcountry travel below 6,000 feet. Gas or propane stoves may be used at all elevations.
  • No smoking below 6,000 feet is permitted, except within a developed area, a campground, an enclosed vehicle, or a building that allows smoking.

You can see a list for park alerts HERE.