This August I had a few free days (thanks to visiting relatives for “kid coverage”) so I headed for the hills – more specifically to the Sierra Nevada Mountains east of Sonora, CA and north of Yosemite.

Using a friend’s handy guide book (Hiking Northern California by Ron Adkison (2000)) I picked out a few new-to-me trails to try. Though I hardly saw any medium/large animals, I did witness some amazing small creatures, a wide variety of plants/flowers and dramatic landscapes.

Click-on for more detailed write ups:

• Sonora Peak: a moderately difficult mountain peak (11,464 ft.) to hike with scenic 360-degree views and some surprises in store
• Blue Canyon: an up-the-canyon hike that is off the beaten path. Here I encountered an Unidentified Flying Animal (UFA)
• The Dardanelles: a large area of volcanic rock surrounded by contrasting granite and forest areas. (I didn’t hike this one)
• Kennedy Meadows: I stopped at this wilderness outpost after a long day of hiking. The restaurant had some delicious food, typical of a roadside diner. The store had lots of useful items including cold Gatorade. And I enjoyed watching their many horses and mules chow down on hay and socialize. Site: https://www.kennedymeadows.com/
• Wildflowers: I took lots of photos (stopping every few steps at times), but there were too many to identify just yet. I will add more details and photos later after I “consult my directory” … (update April 2021: photos are posted but identifications remain elusive)
• Historic sites: around these parts “historic” often means gold-rush era (1849) people/events/places. I had time and interest to see several roadside plaques, many of them dedicated by the brethren of the E Clampus Vitus fraternal organization. It will also take me a while to process these, so more details are coming … TBD