国产吃瓜黑料 my window in Mariposa, California, in the Sierra foothills, I can see that the leaves have turned. Yosemite National Park and the surrounding mountains are an incredible year-round destination, with dustings of snow in winter and plenty of river access to cool off during hot summers. Spring and autumn are practically perfect for trekking the best hikes in Yosemite. Winter is a quiet and peaceful time to be on the trails, too.

The valley offers some of the greatest vistas in North America, or even the world, with the verdant Merced River dotted by meadows and encircled by massive walls鈥攗p to Middle Cathedral at 1,700 feet, Half Dome at 2,500, and El Capitan at over 3,000鈥攁nd a huge variety of hiking trails to see views of them.

The area was once known as the Ahwahnee Valley, and the original inhabitants were the Ahwahneechee. By the late 1700s, most of Yosemite was inhabited by the Miwok, and in the 1800s, Paiute and others. Their lives changed in the mid-1800s with the Gold Rush, and many were killed or displaced. In the 1900s, most dispersed.

In 1890, the area was designated as the country鈥檚 third national park. Today, 4.5 million tourists visit annually from around the world. Most, however, don鈥檛 make it more than a mile down many trails, so if you go out a ways it feels like you have the place to yourself. Or yourself and some others: you鈥檒l likely see ravens, Stellar鈥檚 jays, and if you鈥檙e lucky, coyotes and black bears.

Trails and walks in the park may be short and feasible for people of all ages, or they may climb thousands of vertical feet, offering incredible views of changing plants and trees. From the Valley floor to its rim, trees transition from black oaks, incense cedars, and Douglas firs to Jeffrey pines, with their longer needles and larger pine cones. Sugar pine trees at higher elevations grow cones so enormous that they鈥檙e visible from a distance, over a foot long and weighing down the branches. Granite slabs reflect the sunlight, and Half Dome, isolated at the far end of the valley, commands the view.

My favorite time to hike in Yosemite is during the peak of winter, January and February, when no one else is around. Tree branches hang down due to heavy snow, the long sweep of Glacier Point Apron is coated in white, and the roaring Yosemite Falls are visible through the clouds.

The trails listed below are in order from west to east as you drive up Highway 140, then back west. As a Valley local for decades and a former Yosemite hiking guide, I have compiled this list of the best hikes in Yosemite, in my opinion, in concert with those recommended by my guiding mentor Ira Estin from , which offers hiking outings in Yosemite.

Below, a lucky 13 sampler of the hikes that Estin and I frequent for their beauty and accessibility. (Check conditions and before you visit. See more on safety below.)

1. Hite Cove

Distance: 6.5 miles round trip

Difficulty Level: Moderate

This area was home of the Ahwahneechee people for more than a thousand years and later the location of the famous namesake hard-rock gold mine. In the mid-1800s, the Ahwahneechee people鈥攕pecifically his future wife, who would eventually be known as Lucy Hite鈥攕howed John Hite the location of a potential mining operation on the South Fork of the Merced that would make him a millionaire. In time the mine was deserted, and in 1924, a fire burned the structures to the ground. What remains are scattered rock walls and old mining equipment.

is a great hike every time of year except for the peak of summer, when it is closed for fire danger and would be blistering anyway. The poppy bloom peaks during March and April, bringing the hillsides alive with an explosion of orange. This hike starts 21 miles east of the town of Mariposa on Highway 140, at the confluence of the South Fork of the Merced and the Merced, outside of Yosemite National Park but in the Sierra National Forest. The trail snakes up a steep, narrow canyon, passing poppies, lupines, redbud, sky pilots, and baby blue eyes. The final view overlooks the side of the old mine. If on a hot day (which happens as late as October) you鈥檇 rather not commit to the challenge of the whole canyon, Estin says you can get a trip highlight right out of the trailhead: 鈥淭he first half mile has ten times more flowers than the rest of the trail.鈥�

2. Incline Road

Distance: 28 total miles, but broken up into short sections of 2 to ten miles each

Difficulty Level: Easy

From 1907 to 1945, the Yosemite Valley Railroad carried passengers and freight along the Merced River Canyon for 28 miles, though not clear into Yosemite Valley. Just outside the valley, in El Portal, passengers had to dismount from the train and take horses and buggies on another road 14 miles into Yosemite Valley. There, after the rough journey, they reached their reward, starting with the overlooks showing them Bridalveil Fall and El Capitan, while Half Dome stared down on the Valley floor and Yosemite Falls flowed across the park.

Long ago, the old railroad ties on , located just outside the park in the Sierra National Forest, were ripped up, leaving a wide trail that bends and turns as it parallels the Merced River. This mostly flat path, a great place to walk, has west and east access points, including Briceburg and at the end of Incline Road accessed from the trail on the North Fork of the Merced. Choose either of these starting points for a hike as short as two miles or as long as a dozen-plus. There are also plenty of sub-trails leading to the river, making nice detours. This whole trail is an excellent poppy-bloom viewing area in spring.

3. Wildcat Falls

Distance: .125, or an eighth of a mile, one way, .25 miles round trip

Difficulty Level: Easy

is a must jaunt, perfect for families and kids because it’s a short walk that leads to a small, stunning waterfall you can approach. 鈥淚f you take your shoes off or wear river shoes, you can walk right up to it,鈥� Estin says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 also a great spot to take photos of your kids playing in the water.鈥� Wildcat Falls鈥攚hich only runs in spring and early summer鈥攊s near Cascade Falls, but if you get to Cascade you鈥檝e gone too far. You reach Wildcat Falls via an unmarked turnout on the left on Highway 140, 2.7 miles east of Arch Rock park entrance station at Arch Rock, Yosemite. The turnout allows parking for several cars, and while the trail is not marked, it鈥檚 easy to see.

4. Cascade Falls

Distance: .25 to .5 one way, less than 1 mile roundtrip

Difficulty Level: Strenuous

Cascade is the first significant waterfall visitors encounter when entering the park. Though only 500 feet tall, the waterfall spills out of the wall with so much force that over the millennia it has created a huge swath of smooth river rocks below. Some of them are so slippery they feel like glass and squeak underfoot. There isn鈥檛 a defined hike to reach the falls. But people want to get close to them and find a way, walking and crawling over the rocks. I have done this dozens of times, too, but beware that it requires river hopping and grabbing tree branches to keep balance.

Estin has a better idea for a way to the falls that is less direct but also less taxing in that it avoids the slick rocks. 鈥淭here is a trail 200 yards upstream from the parking at the bridge where water from Cascade Falls flows through to meet the Merced River,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 unmarked and unmaintained, but it鈥檚 the best way to reach the falls. You may have to hunt for it, but once you find the trail it leads right there.鈥� This trail cuts through the trees and climbs up and to the east side of the mouth of the falls, where you can look down on them. Though only half a mile, it鈥檚 steep, so it packs a punch. 鈥淚 only take people up there who are competent, as there is some rock scrambling involved,鈥� Estin says. It鈥檚 a short, one-way adventure trail that can be reversed at any time if it鈥檚 too much.

This stop is usually the first for people who have just been traveling for hours, and the bridge area has ample parking and nearby restrooms.

5. Four Mile Trail

Distance: 4.8 miles one way

Difficulty Level: Strenuous

This iconic trail is steep, with an elevation gain from 4,000 to 7,200 feet. Starting with views of Yosemite Falls, the rewards hikers with a changing landscape, as it switchbacks up past Sentinel Rock and ends at Glacier Point, which offers spectacular views of the Valley below, including of El Capitan. At Glacier Point there is a cluster of buildings with a gift shop, water fountain, and restrooms, and an overlook of the east end of the Valley, from which you can see Liberty Cap, Nevada Fall and Yosemite Falls in the distance.

From Glacier Point, visitors can reverse the trail, or make it a loop by continuing down the Panorama Trail (described below). However,听 is temporarily closed until May 2023, so for now if you go up you will have to walk back down the same way or on the Panorama Trail. When Glacier Point Road opens again, you can have a second vehicle parked at the top or arrange for a shuttle down to the Valley. By car, be sure to stop at the trailhead 6.5 miles away on the way down to see one of the most magnificent overlooks in the park鈥攊t stares right over at mighty El Cap. You can hike 2.2 miles to Taft Point from the trailhead when the Glacier Point Road is open. Otherwise you can gain Taft Point by hiking the Four Mile Trail to Glacier Point, then taking the Pohono Trail another 3.4 miles.

6. Panorama Trail

Distance: 8.5 miles

Difficulty Level: Strenuous if going up, moderate if going down

Passing Illilouette, Nevada Fall, and Vernal Falls, this wandering, circuitous path takes visitors along the east end of the Valley rim. In addition to bringing hikers back from Glacier Point to the Valley, the connects to the Half Dome Trail (and Little Yosemite Valley), Clouds Rest, and Tuolumne Meadows to the east. As a National Park Service website notes, 鈥淪ome of Yosemite’s most iconic natural features can be seen and experienced along this trail.鈥� Estin hikes this trail often because, he says, 鈥淚t鈥檚 spectacular鈥攜ou see three huge waterfalls and views of Half Dome and Yosemite Valley.鈥� The top of the Panorama Trail is accessed from Glacier Point, which you reach via hiking, arranging a shuttle, or leaving a car (see road closures above). From the Valley floor, the Panorama Trail is accessed via Happy Isles.

7. Lower Yosemite Fall Trail

Distance: .25 mile one way to the Falls, .5 mile roundtrip, or a 2-mile round trip walk from Yosemite Village

Difficulty Level: Easy

This quarter-mile paved trail from Yosemite Lodge to the base of Lower Falls is perhaps the most traveled path in the park, and is wheelchair and stroller accessible. The only caveat is that the last 75 feet are steep enough that a wheelchair would need assistance. 鈥淵ou have to push someone up there, which I鈥檝e done many times,鈥� Estin says. In total, the trail gains 50 feet in elevation. As you hike in, views of Upper Falls (1,430 feet) filter through the trees, and once there, you get a direct view of the 320-foot Lower Falls. Additional benefits of the is that at the start of it are flushable toilets, picnic tables, and an ice-cold drinking fountain. I like it because from the viewing area along the footbridge that directly overlooks the Lower Falls鈥攚hich also peers up at Lost Arrow Spire鈥擨 can scramble upstream and walk right up to the base of the Lower Fall. The National Park Service advises staying on the paved trail and says 鈥淪crambling off-trail in this area has led to serious injuries.鈥� From April through June, you can see a nighttime moonbow here between 9 p.m. and midnight during a full moon.

Continuing past the bridge, the trail wanders through the trees, passes large boulders, and exits by the government stables.

8. Upper Yosemite Fall Trail

Distance: 7.2 miles round-trip

Difficulty Level: Strenuous

The not-to-be-missed, arduous 7.2-mile , started by the master early trailbuilder John Conway (who also designed the Four Mile Trail) in 1873 and taking until 1877 to complete, is accessed by the historic climbers鈥� located to the west of Lower Falls. This trail is downright hard, ascending 2,700 feet via 60 switchbacks and on slick granite steps. But it鈥檚 tough to find a more scenic trail in the park: this one offers the sights of Half Dome, Sentinel Rock, and the Tuolumne high country. From the top of Upper Yosemite Fall, a 15-minute hike from a marked trailhead takes you to providing unobstructed views of the Valley.

9. Vernal Falls

Distance: 2.4 miles round trip

Difficulty Level: Strenuous

From the , it鈥檚 just shy of a mile to reach the bridge that marks the start of the Mist Trail and its rainy and wet sections, especially when the falls are peaking. At Happy Isles visitors can refill water bottles from a fountain, throw on a poncho, and prepare to get soaked for 20 minutes hiking to the base of the fall. Many will stop at the bottom of Vernal Falls (317 feet), rather than continuing on the staircase carved out of granite rocks that winds up the cliffside above. Hand rails help visitors keep their balance but be careful, as the rails get soaked during peak season (April to June). The trail continues from the top of Vernal Falls to Nevada Fall (594 feet tall) and eventually Half Dome, seven more miles (), and Clouds Rest, at nine more miles. By June, the waterfall ebbs and the mist recedes. The Mist Trail closes in winter due to frozen mist and snow.

To reach the start of the trail to Vernal Fall at Happy Isles (shuttle stop 16), catch the bus from Curry Village or walk for 20 minutes along the road or a parallel dirt path. (For traveling short distances like this, it鈥檚 often faster to walk than it is to wait for the shuttle.)

Vernal Fall is 1.6 miles round trip from the footbridge to the base of the fall and 2.4 miles round trip if you go to the top. Nevada Falls is 5.4 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 2,000 feet.

10. Half Dome Trail

Distance: 16.5 miles round trip

Difficulty Level: Strenuous

Despite a permit requirement and seasonal closures due to snow, this trail brings people to the park from all over the world. Starting at Happy Isles at 4,000 feet, it climbs to 8,839, gaining 4,800 feet. The tops out at the Cables route, where in 1875 George Anderson painstakingly pounded in metal spikes to reach the summit, then considered impossible to attain. The park service issues 300 permits per day, with 225 for hikers and 75 for backpackers, by . This hike is strenuous and beautiful, as it overlooks everything鈥攃liffs, trees, and the little city of lights that make up the Valley floor below.

The last 400 feet of the Half Dome trail ascends the Cables route, opened in 1919, which is too steep for many (including the author鈥檚 mom, who has been frequenting the park since the 1970s).

To break up the long hike, some people camp at Little Yosemite Valley, which I recommend as it鈥檚 near water, spacious, and scenic. Permits are required.

11. Mirror Lake

Distance: 2 miles round trip

Difficulty Level: Easy

This one-mile, one-way hike from the Ahwahnee Hotel to follows a paved road and a parallel trail. Though called Mirror Lake, it only fills in April and is a sandbar for the remainder of the year. Once hikers reach the seasonal lake and sandy beaches, all great for kids for swimming, they take in the sights of willow trees and stunning views of Half Dome and Tenaya Canyon, which leads all the way to Tuolumne Meadows. Mirror Lake can also be a loop hike by walking past the Snow Creek Trailhead, crossing the Merced River and hiking back on the south side, which is about the same distance.

12. Snow Creek Trail

Distance: 9.4 miles round trip

Difficulty Level: Strenuous

Once you pass Mirror Lake, the path splits. The left fork climbs up the 鈥斺�渢he most strenuous hike in the Valley,鈥� as one longtime local, Paul Carrol, told me. (Continuing straight past the lake takes you up Tenaya Canyon.) Despite its steep, demanding nature, the Snow Creek Trail is still a top pick for many. Tucked in the eastern end of the Valley floor and laden with switchbacks, the trail offers epic views of Half Dome as it climbs from the Valley floor to the rim. The hike can be connected to the Upper Yosemite Falls loop, which at 18.8 miles makes for a backpacking trip instead of a day hike.

The top of Snow Creek rewards you with a postcard-worthy view, especially at sunset, from right below North Dome across the valley to Half Dome.

13. Tuolumne Grove

Distance: 2 miles round trip

Difficulty Level: Moderate

A quarter mile east of Crane Flat is parking for the , comprised of 25 trees, and one of three ancient Sequoia groves in the park. The other two are the Merced Grove, with 20 trees, located six miles west at Crane Flat and accessed via a three-mile round-trip hike. And then there鈥檚 the Mariposa Grove, the most popular and home to the largest sequoia tree in Yosemite, the 209-foot Grizzly Giant, among more than 500 mature trees. Though the Tuolumne and Merced groves are close together, the Mariposa Grove, as it鈥檚 near the south entrance, is a 1.5-hour drive away (40 miles).

Several of the Tuolumne Grove trees are over 100 feet tall, and one is a tunnel tree that you can walk through. 鈥淥ne of my favorite guiding activities is to go and walk or crawl through the fallen tunneled-out tree,鈥� Estin says. 鈥淎 fire hollowed it out, and you can walk inside it for 50 to 100 feet.鈥�

The paved path to the Tuolumne Grove is a mile downhill and is closed to cars. Just be prepared for huffing and puffing as you hike out, as you鈥檒l gain 500 feet of vertical over merely one mile.

Know Before You Go

Watch for poison oak, swift rapids, slick rock, and burning sun. Bring plenty of water and pace yourself, as on many of the best hikes in Yosemite the terrain is steep and unforgiving. Though it rarely rains here six months out of the year, when it does it鈥檚 often heavy. Bring a rain jacket.

Many of the trails pass over stone steps polished by countless shoe prints. The rocks are smooth and may be slippery. Wear good lug-sole hiking shoes, and you can improve traction by choosing sticky-soled approach shoes made by climbing companies such as La Sportiva, SCARPA, and Five Ten.

Learn more about hiking safety in Yosemite .

The post The 13 Best Hikes in Yosemite Valley appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Earlier this month, longtime Yosemite local and renowned ice climber Zach Milligan was found dead near a cliff at the base of , a famed route on the Weeping Wall above the Icefields Parkway in Banff, Alberta. Standing 2,300 feet high, Polar Circus is considered to be one of the most classic ice climbs in the Canadian Rockies; a showpiece capped with it鈥檚 crux: a final two pitches that are a massive sheet of ice. It鈥檚 also prone to avalanches.听

Rangers found Zach鈥檚 vehicle on Friday, February 10, and the following day, drone searches discovered his body.听His sister, Martha Milligan Hart, confirmed the terrible news on Facebook later that day.

鈥淗e was a world-class climber, incredible alpine skier, gifted musician, wicked smart; he could tell a wildly entertaining story and make almost anything funny,鈥� she wrote. 鈥淗e will be missed more deeply than there are words.鈥�

Zach鈥檚 brother Austin Milligan said there would be no autopsy, and that his death was being ruled an accident. According to an incident report from Parks Canada, he likely fell from one of the upper pitches on Polar Circus.

I heard the news from a mutual friend, climber Eric Kohl, and it took a minute to sink in. I had to repeat it several times: 鈥淶ach Milligan has died,鈥� I kept saying out loud. There were long pauses, and Eric鈥檚 voice was cracking over the phone. I felt his pain. Zach had been my favorite climbing partner and close friend. The guy who made me laugh more than anyone was gone. He was 42 years old.

Zach lived for 13 years in a cave in Yosemite and seven more in houses in the park. He worked for the Yosemite cleaning service, Best Bet, during that time. Then, Zach moved to Bozeman, Montana, where he ran his namesake flooring business. He lived out of his non-converted Dodge Pro Master work van and slept among his tools. He also slept in his gutted hand-me-down Toyota Camry covered with wooden roof racks. He shared many of his later Yosemite years with his girlfriend, Kristin Anderson, living in a tiny house just outside the west entrance of Yosemite. The two met in 2004 and began dating in 2011.

鈥淶ach is the most interesting person I have ever met,鈥� she recently told me. 鈥淚 fell in love with him the moment I met him in 2004 during my first summer in Yosemite. I credit Zach for showing me what I was capable of; he challenged me and pushed me past my perceived limits, and he made me a better climber.鈥�

I鈥檝e known Zach for decades, and I have also written about his various adventures for national outlets. I wrote about Zach despite the fact that he could care less about ever being in the media. For years, he chose not to have his climbing and skiing exploits documented in media,听but he eventually let me write about him because we were buddies. When I asked him why, he told me: 鈥淲hat am I going to do, lie to you when you asked me if I soloed something and say no?鈥� 听

He was straightforward, honest, hard-working, and a dedicated athlete.

In February 2021,听Zach made headlines worldwide for skiing Half Dome with Yosemite local Jason Torlano. I wrote a story for听国产吃瓜黑料 on the descent, and Zach told me, 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 in a survivable situation. I had no business being on Half Dome. I鈥檓 not a real skier.鈥�

After talking with Eric, I went to my computer and gathered every recent image I had of Zach. He didn’t like having his picture taken, but I鈥檓 grateful to have a handful on file. Many were from this past year when we did our longest, most challenging routes together, such as the 2,000 foot 5.10 North Buttress of Middle Cathedral, an endless wall of loose rock in Yosemite. We also climbed Killa Beez, a multi-pitch 5.12 route, which is also in the valley. During that climb, Zach dropped a golf ball-sized rock on my head. 鈥淧ebble!鈥� he yelled down before it smacked into my helmet. I also loaded re-read all my stories about him. Then I dug into my files, brought up our dictated conversations and read them repeatedly. This went on for days.

In a print feature for听, I wrote about the time Zach, along with skiers Jason and Eric Rasmussen, descended an even more complex line butted against Half Dome, called Bushido Gully, which sits above 5,000 feet of granite walls. It was the most dangerous descent of their lives, where in one section, there was听鈥渘o ability to turn because it was too steep and too narrow of a ledge,鈥澨齛s Zach told me.

In a for Gripped, a climbing website, I describe Zach鈥檚 20-plus ascents of the 2,000-foot Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome. Using a combination of aid climbing听and free-soloing, he once completed the route in two hours and 30 minutes鈥攆or comparison, Alex Honnold free soloed it in 2:50. Zach also did approximately 300 free solo ascents of the Steck-Salath茅 route on 1,600-foot Sentinel Rock. He told me he free-soloed because, 鈥淵ou feel like you鈥檙e in contact with God. It makes me feel like I鈥檓 in a magical place.鈥�

鈥淗e鈥檚 the only person I know who gets worse when on a rope,鈥� says climbing guide Aaron Jones. He and Zach spent the winter of 2006 to 2007 living in Yosemite鈥檚 caves and became frequent climbing partners. On a rope, Jones says 鈥淶ach looked like he was going to shake himself off the pitch, even though he was on the same terrain that he鈥檇 free solo.鈥�

I sometimes found Zach to be socially awkward, and he could easily offend people just by opening his mouth. Some climbers gave him the nickname 鈥淗ater Zach.鈥� And yet, his friends loved him more for it.听During one interview, Zach described himself as 鈥渃ondescending, self-deprecating;听Others say I鈥檓 brutal, honest, all of that.鈥� Longtime climbing partner described him on Instagram as giving a perspective that was 鈥渟ometimes extreme, often deliberated, always calculated and mostly welcomed.鈥� Professional climber Dave Allfrey wondered why he got the 鈥渉ater鈥� nickname attached to him: 鈥淗e was actually quite nice to me,鈥� Allfrey told me.

My last memories of Zach are from this past season at Arch Rock, at the west entrance to Yosemite. He walked to the climb barefoot with me, confidently hopping over the steep talus field, and we never stopped talking. Since it was hot, I climbed in my boxer shorts and, for fun, asked various teams if they鈥檇 seen my pants. That day, perhaps to one-up my awkward humor, he told me about the time he free-soloed the Steck-Salath茅 in Yosemite naked. He told me how he free-soloed many other routes, including the hard Leanie Meanie and multi-pitch New Dimensions, with its most challenging moves at the very end. Soon there was a crowd around us, with some people climbing above, and others belaying, with me feeding everyone snacks and him telling stories.

As a climber, Zach went out of his way to help everyone, and when we struggled, he walked us through the moves. He knew exactly what to do to make a climb feel just right.

Anderson told me that Zach was a different person when he was climbing, and that her most cherished memories were from their time in the mountains together.

鈥淢y favorite days with him were waking up at 3 A.M., running around on high Sierra ridges, and basking in the sun and wind,鈥� she said. 鈥湽怨虾诹� of climbing, he offered unique perspectives on the world and was always the person I could talk to for hours, even if I called him with nothing to say.鈥�

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On July 22, the Oak Fire started in Midpines, California, 37 miles from Yosemite Valley. At the time of publication, 18,532 acres and 41 homes and buildings have been destroyed. This is the story of one Mariposa resident .

On Friday, July 22, I鈥檇 just returned home from hosting an e-bike ride with a family of six鈥攍eading bike tours is my side gig鈥攚hen I noticed smoke nearby. My house is down Triangle Road, next to the Butterfly Creek Winery in Mariposa, California, just 40 miles from Yosemite National Park. I鈥檝e called Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada foothills home off and on for 30 years. They are my favorite places in the world.

The flames were visible from my front yard, beyond Carter Road, which climbs Buckingham Mountain, near where we were riding. The fire looked to be growing quickly, but it was also far enough away that it didn鈥檛 seem threatening.

Concerned but not overly alarmed, the family and I piled into our van and headed toward Midpines to get a closer look. Snarling flames paralleled Highway 140, and thick billowing smoke filled the sky. Temps were in the high nineties, and a breeze blew. As we passed the Midpines Country Store, we decided to turn back because I was worried the road might close, and we didn鈥檛 want to get stuck.

Once we flipped back, the fire鈥檚 severity increased. The flames were more significant now, the fire more intense. We agreed that we needed to evacuate my house as soon as possible and get everything to a safe location.

Phone reception is non-existent in the Sierra foothills, so instead of cutting back to Triangle, we went to town so I could call for help. Fire trucks sped down the highway. The sky was orange. I rang everyone I could think of, including my friend and Stone Nudes photographer Dean Fidelman from Yosemite West. He tried to come with his van to pick up my e-bikes, but a closed road stopped him. I also called Josh Holmes and his son Jax in nearby Nipinnawasee, who immediately got in their car and drove to my place.

We sped back home and everyone grabbed what they could. Josh and Jax carried boxes of books, climbing gear, and technical outerwear. A lot of my stuff was stored in bins and big haul bags, so it didn鈥檛 take long to fill my SUV and Josh鈥檚 pickup. I didn鈥檛 bother unplugging power cables from the wall; I didn鈥檛 care which of my many bikes went on the rack; I assumed I would be right back to move more gear. Looking toward the fire from my front yard, I thought, 鈥淭his is going to burn my house down tomorrow.鈥�

I loaded听my 100-pound boxer, Fenster, into the front seat, cranked the windows down since the AC was out, and we drove fast to Paul and Julia Wignall鈥檚 place, owners of , on Mount Bullion, about 21 miles away. Due to detours from closed roads, it took more than 40 minutes to get there. I unloaded, lifted Fenster back in the car, and prepared to get as much stuff into my vehicle on the next run as possible.

New roadblocks kept me from returning. I took a back way to one junction only to be stopped. 鈥淭he fire is throwing flame a mile or more down the road,鈥� one officer told me. 鈥淪omeone almost just got taken out from a speeding emergency response vehicle,鈥� said another.

Out of options, my attention turned to Fenster and making sure he didn鈥檛 overheat. (Boxers have short little noses, which make them prone to heat stroke.) I tried three bars and restaurants, but two were closed due to fire; the third, the , was open, so off we went. I hadn鈥檛 had the time or the insight to pack his leashes, so I made one by ripping a Fourth of July ribbon off a pole on Main Street and tying it to his collar.

Soon the pub filled up and everyone talked about the fire. CAL FIRE described it as 鈥渆xtreme with frequent runs, spot fires, and group torching.鈥� As I write this on July 26, it鈥檚 16,000 acres and is now the largest California wildfire of the year.

鈥淵our place is gone,鈥� everyone told me. I had no reason to doubt them.

The news鈥攖he loss of my home鈥攄idn鈥檛 faze me. I鈥檇 already spent the week in and out of the hospital, and I was freaking out because tuffs of hair suddenly started to fall out of my head. A visit to the family physician one day turned to the emergency room the next.

The doctor told me I had alopecia, and he didn鈥檛 know why. His choice of language (鈥渃hronic illness鈥�) and my rapidly deteriorating condition made me think I could die. In short, I was battling an autoimmune disease for an unknown reason. This condition will significantly change how I look, too. Hair falls out of my head and may never grow back. If it does, it comes back white and wispy. I can鈥檛 grow a beard, and I fear my eyebrows and eyelashes are next. I cried in the ER, bawled alone in my house, and cried on my landlord, Dale鈥檚, shoulder. I wailed away, sobbing like I was at a funeral. But I was just alone at home.

Overwhelmed with thoughts of death and my newly balding head, on July 22, I went back to Mount Bullion and pulled up to the summit. There, I watched flames devouring my old neighborhood. Under the blackness of night, burning red lit up the hillsides. It looked like I was peering into the gates of Hell.

Early reports said the blaze charred ten homes, which was later updated to 41. The flames took out every inch of terrain I鈥檇 e-biked this year. My Strava report says I spent 150 hours since January in that area, covering some 218,000 vertical feet and 1,800 miles in the process. I was absolutely in love with that region, which climbs into Jerseydale and the Sierra National Forest. You can see into Yosemite at one spot and directly at El Capitan. Now, .

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Half Dome isn鈥檛 a ski objective. The gentlest slope off the iconic 8,839-foot summit in Yosemite National Park is a 45-to-60-degree granite wall鈥攗sually hiked over the course of a long, summer day听via the 800-foot 鈥攁nd it rarely has enough snow on it to set a ski edge.

鈥淚t鈥檚 steep and exposed,鈥� says professional skier and BASE jumper . 鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing for the snow to bond to except for itself and granite. It鈥檚 pretty hardcore. It comes down to your motivation to steep-ski and to understand when the snow is right.鈥�

On Sunday, February 21, Yosemite locals听Jason Torlano and Zach Milligan听took advantage of 鈥渉ere today, gone tomorrow鈥澨齝onditions to become the first people to ski the iconic feature from its summit to the Valley floor, a 4,640-foot descent. (In 1981, using ropes and a belay, filmmaker听Eric Perlman and skier Bob Bellman descended the Cables Route. On March 13, 2000, big-mountain snowboarding pioneer听 rode the line to make听the听first un-roped听solo descent. But none of them continued on to the Valley floor.)

On the day of the feat, the line consisted of half an inch of n茅v茅 bonded to blue ice. 鈥淚鈥檓 sure it鈥檚 melted out already,鈥� Torlano said Monday.

Early last week, Torlano scouted the line from a Cessna 182 with a few friends. As they buzzed the northeast face of Half Dome, Torlano鈥檚 eyes zeroed in on the ski line. High on the face, a swath of golden stone poked through the snow. Aside from this obvious crux鈥攂are rock and clear ice鈥攊t was as close to 鈥渋n鈥� as he鈥檇 ever seen.听

When Torlano returned to his home in Sugar Pine, California, a small community near the park鈥檚 south entrance, he called Zellers for beta, gleaning what he could. Torlano also called Milligan in nearby El Portal. The two had climbed together for years but had only skied together once.听

鈥淚 had no business being on Half Dome,鈥� Milligan says. 鈥淚鈥檓 not a real skier.鈥澨�

Milligan packed an ultralight ski-mountaineering setup. Torlano used skis that were nearly a decade old and were mounted with heavy, outdated alpine-touring听bindings.听

On Saturday morning, they pulled into Yosemite鈥檚 Curry Village and hiked the John Muir Trail听for nine miles to a bivy site on Half Dome鈥檚 shoulder. At 6 A.M. they strapped crampons to their ski boots and kicked their way up Sub Dome, a mini version of Half Dome scattered with a few Jeffrey pines, and then the Cables Route.听

Near the top, Milligan climbed past the section of bare ice Torlano had spotted from the plane.听鈥淚t was spooky听because it was so thin and blue ice was showing,鈥� Milligan听says. 鈥淪ome of the downed cables were just barely sticking out of the snow, and it was steep enough that if an avalanche cut, there would be nothing you could do.鈥� He听decided that it was too dangerous听and he wasn鈥檛 up for the risk.

Once on top, though, he instinctively听clicked into his bindings and started down. Torlano followed.听

鈥淚 did one jump turn and then sideslipped most everything,鈥� Milligan says. 鈥淚 thought I would be able to ski across the cables, but when my ski edges hit the first one, I fell.鈥�

He stabbed the wall with the ice picks on his 听poles. 鈥淟uckily, the tools were holding鈥攂arely,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 in a survivable situation. Then I found the cable and lunged for it. Using my Whippet as a stick and pole, I leveraged the cable out and grabbed it.鈥� Now past the crux, Milligan continued on his skis.听

Torlano successfully negotiated the icy section and led past Milligan to reach听a 60-degree section covered with quarter-inch听n茅v茅,听the steepest section of the line. It was coated in 鈥渢he finest of powder snow,鈥� Milligan says. The n茅v茅 was hard as concrete. Torlano took a total of five turns down the face.

After finishing听the Cables Route, the snow quality improved. The men听wrapped around the shoulder to reach the base of the imposing 2,000-foot northwest face of Half Dome,听where they connected to a climber鈥檚 trail. Linking听ribbons of snow, they听side-skied over thick manzanita. At small sections of cliff, they rappelled from trees with four-millimeter tech cord. In total, they rappelled less than 300 feet. Just after noon, they bushwhacked to Mirror Lake.听

鈥淪ince I was a kid, I dreamed of one day skiing from the summit of Half Dome to Mirror Lake,鈥� Torlano says. 鈥淵esterday a dream came true.鈥�

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Over four days and three nights in mid-September, Pearl Johnson, age 9, climbed the route on El Capitan, earning her the title as the youngest person to ascend the 3,000-foot formation. Pearl climbed with her mother, Janet, and a family friend, Nick Sullens, of听Yosemite Search and Rescue. Pearl鈥檚 dad, Philip, a law enforcement ranger in听the park, met them at the top.

鈥淪omeone asked me if I was nervous, and I said 鈥楴o,鈥欌�� Janet said after. 鈥淚 knew I was comfortable up there. I鈥檝e climbed a lot with Pearl. I knew what she was capable of.鈥�

Pearl, however,听was听nervous, according to Sullens. 鈥淎 lot of time was spent overcoming her fear,鈥� Sullens said.听鈥淚 was impressed with her wanting to keep going. If it were me at nine, I would have wanted to be out of there. Sometimes she would say,听鈥業 want this to be over, this is really scary.鈥� I would offer to bail and be down in two hours, and she would say she wanted to be there. She had a desire to pursue the goal. She wanted to climb that mountain.鈥�

Little girls have been having a banner year in Yosemite this season. In听June, 10-year-old Selah Schneiter climbed the Nose on El Capitan with her father Mike and his friend Mark Regier, making her the then-youngest person in the world to climb the granite monolith. The story went viral, and Selah appeared on , and .

Pearl also wanted to climb , but it was crowded, so they switched to the less-popular but听equally听long Triple Direct route, which parallels the Nose before joining it for the upper third of the听climb. Unlike Selah, Pearl did not lead or clean any of the pitches on the route. She used ascenders to climb听the static rope that the team used to haul their equipment.

Janet and Philip, both longtime Yosemite locals, have decades of climbing experience under their belts. And so Pearl鈥檚 earliest memories are of climbing, which she picked up when she learned to walk.听Her biggest听climbs before El Cap include in Tuolumne Meadows at age 6, the 15-pitch route at age 7, and on Half Dome at age 8.

Pearl has听seen , and knows Alex Honnold, who stayed next door to the Johnsons听during filming.

鈥淥ne of my favorite parts of Free Solo was when Alex encountered the guys in the pink bunny suits,鈥澨齈earl said.听鈥淚 climbed it in tights covered with cats and donuts.鈥�

Pearl summited El Cap on September 16, in the midst of听a hailstorm and plummeting temperatures. 鈥淚 ran to the big juniper tree for cover while Nick and my mom were hauling up the bags one at a time,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he top was scary. We were in a cloud, and my fingers were purple.鈥�

The hail turned to rain, soaking the team. But Pearl鈥檚 dad was听building a fire. She knew that soon she would be comfortable again鈥攖he worry would pass, just as it had听on the wall.

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Free soloing 5.12 was common for Austin Howell. Over the last six years the 31-year-old Lombard, Illinois, resident spent more time climbing without a rope than with one.

鈥淐limbing, to me, has been a path towards peace,鈥� he wrote . 鈥淪oloing isn鈥檛 just a rare occurrence for me, it鈥檚 my way of life.鈥�

Despite his experience, on Sunday, June 30, something went wrong and Howell fell 80 feet to his death from a climb in Linville Gorge, North Carolina, in the remote Pisgah National Forest.听It鈥檚 unclear at this time what route he was on and whether a hold broke or he simply slipped. The cause of the fall is being investigated by the Forest Service.

Howell often posted videos of his solos on his popular social media accounts and on his website. Usually, he鈥檇 be climbing a huge roof听of sandstone in the Southeast, swinging from one hold to the next on steep, no-way-to-reverse-a-move routes,听his听wild straw hair shooting up in the air making him resemble Doc Brown from Back to the Future.听He was fond of tie dye t-shirts and newsboy hats.听Sometimes, though, he soloed naked, eschewing even climbing shoes and a chalk bag.

He also opened up online about his mental health struggles both on and off the rock. 鈥淭he most terrifying moment I鈥檝e ever had wasn鈥檛 while soloing,鈥� he wrote in from April. 鈥淚t was a long time ago on top of a building, while my mind fought to destroy me 鈥� Freesoloing isn鈥檛 a death wish, it鈥檚 a life wish. It鈥檚 the single best therapy I鈥檝e ever found for calming my tumultuous mind. The control that I鈥檝e developed on the wall transfers into my daily life. This is important, because I鈥檓 not the guy who 鈥榖eat depression.鈥� I don鈥檛 get to be that guy. I鈥檝e got to manage this for my entire life.鈥�

In other posts he wrote about his struggles with Bipolar II, a disorder characterized more by depressive states than manic ones.

鈥淗e just had this urge,鈥� his mother, Terri Zinke Jackson, . 鈥淗e explained it as feeling his most free and relaxed and comfortable when he was climbing. He fought depression and anxiety, and it almost seemed like it was medicating for him to do it.鈥�

https://youtube.com/watch?v=fIUhx9bzKZA

Over the years he鈥檇 been injured climbing several times, including breaking his back and his ankles; in 2015 he fell headfirst onto a ledge on the Nose on El Capitan in Yosemite, breaking his skull, wrist, and five vertebrae in his neck.

Howell was born in Friendswood, Texas, a small town outside of Houston. He dropped out of college after studying听electrical engineering for two years at the University of Houston and went to work repairing cellphone towers in Atlanta. He moved to Illinois in 2017.

Through Howell’s postings on social media and his website, one friend wrote on his Facebook wall, he 鈥渢ried to live transparently and struggled openly with demons, showing the way for others who struggle to follow.鈥�

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Selah Schneiter, 10, is small for her age, weighing just 55 pounds and standing four foot two.听She loves math and playing guitar and听is 鈥渟illy and plays make believe,鈥� says her mom, Joy.听

She is also the youngest documented person ever听to climb the 3,000-foot Nose route on Yosemite鈥檚 El Capitan. Selah topped out the famous line at 5:45 p.m.听on June 12 after a five-day push with her dad,听, and his friend Mark Regier.听

鈥淚 was scared just sometimes,鈥� she said at the top.听鈥淚 thought it was really fun.鈥澨�

climbed the Nose twice in 2001, when he was 11;听听climbed it when she was 13, also in 2001.听

Selah, who lives in Glenwood Springs, Colorado,听has climbing in her blood. Mike and Joy fell in love 15 years ago while climbing听El Capitan; when Selah was听just eight weeks old they brought her to the Valley, bathing her in a Rubbermaid tub in historic Camp 4. Selah has visited many of the most famous climbing areas in the country and she climbed , a five-pitch听5.8+ tower, on her seventh birthday.

But the Nose is much longer, 31 pitches of free and aid climbing. 鈥淪elah鈥檚 still learning how to lead trad, but she鈥檚 been picking up big-wall skills听for quite a while,鈥� Joy said.听鈥淚 was worried about her capacity to do that much work with such a small body. But I knew that Mike would keep her safe. I鈥檓 really proud of her.鈥�

Mike听owns , where he teaches ice climbing, sport climbing, and vertical self-rescue. Joy works as a registered nurse at Glenwood Medical Associates. Selah has three younger siblings:听Zeke, seven;听Sunny, five;听and Salome, 17 months. 鈥淶eke鈥檚 passionate about climbing and he wants to do the Nose with me next year,鈥� said Joy.

Selah led the first pitch and听the bolt traverse that crosses from Texas Flake to Boot Flake. 鈥淥verall the leading was fun but a bit scary at times,鈥澨齭he said.

And now, safe at the top? 鈥淚 want pizza,鈥� she said.听鈥淚鈥檝e been dreaming about it forever.鈥�

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On Sunday, April 21, the bodies of American Jess Roskelley and Austrians Hansj枚rg Auer and David Lama鈥攑rofessional climbers and members of 鈥攚ere recovered from avalanche debris at the base of 10,810-foot Howse Peak in Canada鈥檚 Banff National Park.

The team was climbing M16, a 3,280-foot route on the east face of the peak that was听first climbed in 1999 by Barry Blanchard, Scott Backes, and Steve House. The line听is considered one of the most difficult in the area.

According to a report by the : 鈥淛ess Roskelley鈥檚 phone was recovered, and photos indicate the three climbers had reached the summit on Tuesday, April 16 at 12:43 pm and looked to be in absolute joy.鈥�

After the men were reported overdue on Wednesday,听April 17, Parks Canada surveyed the area via helicopter, noting, in听a release, 鈥渟igns of multiple avalanches and debris containing climbing equipment.鈥澨齌he avalanche that swept the trio from the face was later classified as a size 3 on Canada鈥檚 five-point scale, which means it likely ran for around 3,200 feet and carried 1,100 tons of debris.

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Earlier this week, American Jess Roskelley and Austrians Hansj枚rg Auer and David Lama were attempting M16, a difficult climb up the 10,810-foot Howse Peak in the Canadian Rockies, about 70 miles from Banff,听when a large avalanche swept down the mountain.听

Canadian authorities searched the area via helicopter on Wednesday and found 鈥渟igns of multiple avalanches and debris containing climbing equipment,鈥� according to a news release.听The three alpinists are presumed dead.

鈥淭he pain that is felt is indescribable,鈥� wrote the Basque pro climbers and brothers Eneko and Iker Pou .

, 35, grew up in a small village in Austria. He was one of the world鈥檚 top solo climbers, having free soloed the 37-pitch on the south face of Marmolada in the Italian Dolomites (to name just one of his many ropeless climbs).

Roskelley, 36, from Spokane, Washington, was the son of famed American alpinist John Roskelley. The two climbed Everest together when . At the time, Jess was the youngest person from North America to reach the summit of the world鈥檚 highest peak. 鈥淛ess didn鈥檛 like the long expeditions. He wanted to put his skills and focus on lower objectives but much harder,鈥� after the climb. One of those objectives was the 8,500-foot , which Jess听completed with his friend Clint Helander in 2017.

, 28, a former teenage prodigy, was an accomplished all-around climber. He听freed the infamous Compressor Route on Cerro Torre and soloed the first ascent of the 22,621-foot peak Lunag Ri in Nepal. Lunag Ri took Lama several attempts, including听once when he had to retreat after听his partner, Conrad Anker, suffered a heart attack. Anker recovered but decided not to return to the mountain. He gave his blessing to Lama, who returned alone.

The three men were some of the best alpinists in the world and had already climbed many hard routes together this spring, including Andromeda Strain on Mount Andromeda.听鈥淭his route they were trying to do was first done in 2000,鈥� John听Roskelley told the , referring to M16. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just one of those routes where you have to have the right conditions or it turns into a nightmare. This is one of those trips where it turned into a nightmare.鈥澨�

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