From Tully Hole and the Fish Creek Trail junction at 9,091 feet, the trail ascends almost seventeen hundred feet in 3.3 miles, so it’s a fairly hard climb to Silver Pass. On the other hand, it’s a good trail and footpath too, and this time going over the nearly 11k pass I didn’t bonk orContinue reading “Smoky Afternoons on the JMT: SOBO Sept 2025”
Category Archives: the land
Trouble at the Fish Creek Footbridge: SOBO on the JMT, September 2025
The trail crosses the Purple Lake outlet at 10,078 feet: Chris consulted with passing hikers who said they were heading for an exit a couple of hours north on the Duck Pass Trail. More than one party we met had resolved to get off the trail, away from the smoke. You couldn’t blame them, butContinue reading “Trouble at the Fish Creek Footbridge: SOBO on the JMT, September 2025”
When the smoke hit the throat: from Red’s Meadow to Purple Lake
Everything changed the morning that Tugboat and I left Red’s Meadow, headed south and uphill, aiming for the popular and memorably beautiful Purple Lake. Red’s Meadow is at a low spot on the JMT — 7,630 feet — and heading south the trail climbs mostly gradually but steadily to 10,300 feet and Duck Pass.* NotContinue reading “When the smoke hit the throat: from Red’s Meadow to Purple Lake”
Southbound on the JMT: Gladys Lake to Red’s Meadow
From Gladys Lake to Red’s Meadow is what Muir would call a saunter — a long lovely walk, brisk but as it happens mostly downhill, through a sunny and mostly dry forest. Not especially taxing and pleasant in a cozy sort of way, such as this little trailside pond, which officially is one of theContinue reading “Southbound on the JMT: Gladys Lake to Red’s Meadow”
Southbound on the JMT September 2025
The first two nights on the John Muir Trail, southbound, in September 2025.
The Unfurling at Yosemite
Nate Vince, the locksmith at Yosemite National Park until this month, protested the the termination of his and countless other positions at the park by hanging — upside down — an enormous American flag on El Capitan.
Radioactive Rain
The Partial Nuclear Meltdown That Still Haunts Ventura County Here’s a new story I wrote for Ojai magazine on — believe it or not — a major nuclear accident, a partial nuclear meltdown, that still contaminates part of Ventura County. ‘Woody Guthrie used to say that some men will rob you with a six-gun, andContinue reading “Radioactive Rain”
Ventura County Public Health Calls for Clean-up of Santa Susana Field Lab
[Note: here’s a story I wrote for Friday’s Ojai Valley News, about the decades-long controversy over cleaning up one of the most contaminated sites in the state, both chemically and with radionuclides.] Public Health Officer warns of dangers of not fully cleaning up Santa Susana Field Lab Editor’s Note: This content is being offered free,Continue reading “Ventura County Public Health Calls for Clean-up of Santa Susana Field Lab”
Hetch-Hetchy Loop 2023
Yours truly took an exploratory journey around a favorite new locale in the Sierra, the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne, which is well-known and much-loved, and deservedly so. I wanted to see a little more of what surrounds this spectacular river canyon. And, to be honest, I also wanted to spend a day just hangingContinue reading “Hetch-Hetchy Loop 2023”
Kit Stolz 