Every winter the San Francisco Bay chapter of the Sierra Club teaches 100+ outdoor enthusiasts how to snowcamp. 

Training includes a full-day orientation January 9, 2027 in Emeryville, followed by a one-night trip, then a two-night trip, both starting from trailheads near Tahoe. Participants need to apply at www.snowcamping.org; there's a fee ($145-$170) that’s returned if you’re not accepted. (The application is to make sure that candidates have appropriate backpacking experience and are currently active-enough to snowshoe a few miles, then dig a shelter.)

I signed-up for this in 2020, and have been snowcamping every winter since then. From learning about cold weather gear and navigation to actually sleeping in snow trenches and snow caves - I really think this is valuable training.

Note: I am not an official spokesperson for the Sierra Club or the Snowcamping group; just someone who feels very lucky to have learned about this. 

One of my family members is moving into lone pine and we just realized T mobile is basically non existent there as he has an iPhone 12 … what the best cell provider in the area ?

I recently wrote a piece connected to my travels through the Eastern Sierras - backpacking, camping, hiking and exploring. It's very short. Feel free to read here.

Born and raised in California, I’ve been all up and down the Sierras, to me the Eastern Sierra along 395 is underrated, but the Grass Valley area is what I imprinted on as a kid—so it lives inside me ya know.

Hello, i have recently beginning some novice mountaineering in California and I’m looking for ideas of what to do next. I am willing to travel if it’s reasonable. Looking for any sort of adventure!

I’ve done
-Mt shasta via avalanche gulch
-a handful of class 3/4 scrambles
-some via Ferrata
- about 300 backpacking miles
- v4 Bouldering

Any ideas are really appreciated.
Thank you!

Nice day for a hike. It was overcast and gloomy but it all burned off around 11 AM.

The trail was in great condition. No snow or mud. Some stretches of scree but they were not loose and easy to walk on. No shade on the trail at all.

Nice views of the June Lake loop and the fall foliage. In addition to the lovely mountain views, this hike also highlights the infrastructure that supports the Rush Creek hydroelectric plant.

Post-hike tacos and beer from La Parrilla and June Lake Brewing.

I had a great time here a couple of weeks ago. I'll need to consider this place in the future as a "base" for more adventures.

You might ask why Lassen is in the Sierra Nevada subreddit. All summer I've been running, and sharing, incredible Sierra trails. So just before winter snow ended the season, I headed north to the transition zone, where the last remnants of the Sierra give way to the Cascades. Visually, there's barely been a change: since Sonora Pass, the landscape has been incorporating volcanic elements, and the rough granite trail has been getting smoother and smoother. So this is the northern end of my summer: the started on Pacific Crest Trail, connected to a series of modest lakes, and then two volcanoes linked together (Cinder Cone and Lassen Peak). Last few miles left in Yosemite this weekend, and then I’m ready for winter!

I was walking through Chocolate Lakes Loop and was practicing some photography. I absolutely loved seeing a cute deer family. These photos were taken right before the most recent storm. I got some snow flurries towards the top but it’s probably covered by now.

This from October 21st. To be fair, station two blocks away is .20 cheaper. But, milestones are milestones.

Hi everyone. I’m mid 30s, married, live in the Bay Area.

Looking for someone to backpack with next year in the September time frame, and doing the north to south lake loop out of bishop.

Planning to do a 7 day itinerary, so candidly a bit slow and steady, 8-10 miles per day.

Looking for someone to join me. I backpacked a decent amount growing up and in my early 20s, and recently returned to California and would love to get back into it.

Let me know if interested, all experience levels welcome!

Hello everyone, I am wanting to get some advice on going out into the backcountry next weekend (10/30-11/1) is a good idea or not due to the weather. I am planning to spend a couple of nights out there (Friday and Saturday)

This year has been especially hot and temperatures are finally dropping but it seems like there isn’t much snow yet and I’d like to take this opportunity to go visit thousand island lake. I have a permit already, all the proper gear to be comfortable in low temps and microspikes in case of any snow fall.

I’ve seen some photos of the area over the past couple of days and it seems like there is very minimal snowfall. I’d like to get any input on whether this trip is a smart idea or not.

Taken 4 Oct 26. Couldn't have asked for better conditions, just wished the fishermen waited to take their boat out until after the sun rose

Have some time in mid-April for a week long backpacking trip. Where/why do you recommend?

Alpenglow in the wee hours of the morning before the sun rose, 2 weeks ago (Oct 5th)

So I had planned to camp in the Alabama Hills Saturday night after my outing in the Little Lakes Valley that day. I signed up online for a permit, but that doesn't allow you to reserve a specific site and apparently there is no limit to who can sign up for those online. I downloaded the campsite map, but that is essentiallly useless as it is very difficult to navigate the area since the various use roads are unmarked. Then when I did find a campsite most of them had a camping chair or a small bin laying there, which is apparently an allowed way to claim a spot. There was one site that had a rope stretched across two camping chairs with a sign that said "Will be back evening of Oct. 18th" (Saturday was the 17th). It seems to me the BLM should either go back to the old system of dispersed camping or shut it down completely. This current system clearly does not work. At any rate, I just went up to Lone Pine Camp and paid the $34 and had a nice evening watching the sunset over Mt. Whitney. Thought I would share this to rant a bit, and to warn anyone else who might be considering camping in the Alabama Hills.