Welcome to
BackpacktheSierra.com
Backpackthesierra.com is a free non-commercial site that provides both the information and inspiration you need to get out into the Sierra Nevada with a pack on your back and a smile on your face. In the words of John Muir: "I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in." Take it from John Muir, put on a backpack and get going!
Just as we enjoy exploring the Sierra, we hope you’ll enjoy exploring the stories, photos, fun, and information we’ve assembled on this site. Take your time and look around. You'll find hundreds of pages of our insights and experiences backpacking in the amazing Range of Light.
Here you will find:
> All you need to know about backpacking in California--what, where, when and how. And why.
> "Destinations," has a list of more than seventy backpacking trips we've taken in the Sierra Nevada, and trip photo logs for most of them.
> The best day hikes in the Sierra Nevada--listed by highway along with the backpacking trips.
> A backpacking equipment list with a rationale for each item--and ideas on how you can reduce your pack weight.
> Ideas for good cheap backpacking equipment
> Philosophy, fun, photos, and fishing!
It’s all part of enjoying what we think is the most beautiful and accessible mountain range in the world—the Sierra Nevada. And there is a lot of information here---check out the subpages for more details on every topic. That's what the navigation bar is for at the left of this page...there is more here than you can imagine.
Our Blog has lots more information, stories, and opinions on backpacking, the Sierra Nevada, and life on the trail. It's been named one of the top ten backpacking blogs in the world.
About Us: Who We Are and What We Think About Backpacking in the Sierra Nevada.
Destinations: The Best Sierra Hikes, The Best Starter Hikes, and Hikes by Highway--and Hiking in the Southwest, Peru, and Patagonia
Our Equipment List: a High Sierra Backpacking list you can count on.
Gear: Our Thoughts on What Works and What Doesn't in the High Sierra
Stories, Fun, Fishing, Flowers, and Links
Need more inspiration? Here is a quote from Honore de Balzac: "Who...can walk in the forest without the forest speaking to him?"
Who indeed. That's P, below, listening to what it has to say.
Want more mountain fun?
Check out my mysteries.
We think these books are great fun, but don't take our word for it. Here are a couple of additional opinions:
"Clever and captivating. Wagner pulls readers along on a trail through the mountains, keenly observing a world in which the greatest threat, of course, is humans... An excellent excursion for armchair mountaineers."
Sasha Paulsen, The Napa Register
"With Danger: Falling Rocks, Paul Wagner offers a captivating and witty tale of trouble in the wilderness that's ideal for the armchair mountaineers and keen hikers among us." Fifteen Outdoors books you should read.
-- Julien Heron, Outdoors Generations
If you want more...here is a link to an author's night podcast with Karen Provenza of Napa Bookmine:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pkyuokt8c4
You can order them from Napa BookMine, find them at the ranger stations of the Stanislaus National Forest, or Amazon:
