On our way back from a family funeral in Ripon we decide to sample some of the California central valley outdoors on our way home. I choose “training hill” outside Auburn, which looks like it gets some good elevation in quickly. The American river is an amazing deep azure here. There is green grass and…

I haven’t practiced much at hitting the melt-freeze cycle in our area with the correct timing. Of course we all want it not too hard and not too soft, right? Surely. It’s a mystery to me how to time it, so I go a for a nice comfy 11 am start for me on the…

Ann and I have never been sure how to find Pig Rock, a little crag near Pyramid Lake. We need a hike, so we set out on foot to remedy that. We pass someone shooting, but otherwise it’s quiet enough to catch a jackrabbit watching us. Ann Blacktailed Jackwabbit Pig Rock looks like it probably…

Ann, Colin and Steve show up for a romp up Incline peak. The day is warm, the sky is blue, yet there’s almost no one around. Maybe that other super thing. I enjoy the company on the climb up and get a couple of nice runs on spring style corn snow. Ann gave us a…

Gabe and I test some Peavine trails today, and while there’s still a good bit of mud and snow to contend with a lot of trail is dry and enjoyable. We hit more of the Halo trail than I’ve run before, and make a nice loop.

My general rule when conditions are uncertain is to go and see. It’s been raining above 9,000 feet in the mountains and now is cold, which makes me wonder if the snow will be rock hard and icy. I’ve planned to join Colin, John, Steve, and Ann for a snowshoe today, so we go see.…

My friend Dan must have been looking at maps. He proposes a snow tour up Duane Bliss peak, because he’s never been there. Neither have I – but I haven’t gawked at my maps enough to think of it. It’s good to have map-inclined friends. I have have hiked the nearby section of the Tahoe…

A temperature inversion surprises us as a cold morning in town seems to turn into a tropical day over 7,000 feet. Our snowshoe up Mt. Judah goes slowly but pleasantly. Going back through the Sugar Bowl ski area probably isn’t the best idea on snowshoes, but a nice option for future ski outings… Donner peak…

The day begins badly when we discover diesel all over the ground around our truck, apparently a botched siphoning job. Our friends Renee and Dan share our bewilderment for a bit and convince us to forget it for now and head for Castle peak. It’s a good decision. The threatened snow doesn’t come but the…

Skies cleared today but temperatures have stayed below freezing in the high country, preserving the good snow! The powder pocket on Mount Rose still has goodies for us. Ann and Alli enjoyed the terrain on snowshoes while I got a run in on the splitboard. Happy new year all, maybe I’ll see you at work…