sierra nevada

10% of the World’s Sequoias Burned in a Single Wildfire Last Year

The climate crisis has put sequoias on a dangerous path. A draft report from the National Park Service indicates that 10% of the largest trees in the world were wiped out in last year’s Castle Fire. Sequoias can live for thousands of years. Trees alive today are our connections to deep time. As Christianity rose,…

Climate Change Brian Kahn Jun 3

The U.S. Faces a Rising Drought Crisis This Spring

The old saying goes that March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb. This year, that sheep is bringing along some worryingly dry conditions for the rest of the season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its spring outlook on Thursday and predicted that more than half the country may…

Earth Science Molly Taft Mar 19

Drought Caused California’s Mountains to Grow an Inch

The loss of water is associated with making things shrivel, but California’s five-year drought did the opposite to the state’s Sierra Nevada, according to a new study: It caused the mountains to expand. The NASA-led study, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, found that water loss from the Sierra range’s rocks and…

Earther Ari Phillips Dec 14

Sierra Nevada Recalls Beer in 36 States Over Concerns About Broken Glass

The Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. has announced that the company is recalling eight different beers in 36 states. The voluntary recall is in response to concerns that some bottles may have a flaw that could cause glass to break off and fall into the bottle. No injuries have been reported so far, according to the…

Tech News Matt Novak Jan 23

The United Nations Will Send Its First Mission to Space in 2021

The United Nations just announced a date for its first ever mission to space—and it’s pretty soon. The U.N. intends to send Sierra Nevada’s Dream Chaser spacecraft, which is currently still in its testing-phase, into a 2-week, low-Earth orbit flight in 2021. Sierra Nevada signed on to partner with the UN in June, but the…

Space & Spaceflight Ria Misra Sep 28

SpaceX, Orbital ATK, and Sierra Nevada All Just Booked Space Taxi Contracts with NASA

NASA announced that it has booked three private companies to ferry supplies up to the International Space Station through the next eight years—and the new contracts will allow them to add one new astronaut to their roster. Orbital ATK, Sierra Nevada, and SpaceX were all contracted for six missions each, though no specific missions have…

Space & Spaceflight Ria Misra Jan 14

The Hardest Hike In America? We Backpack The Sierra High Route

Stretching 200 miles through the Sierra Nevada, most of the High Route is off-trail, posing challenges both physical and mental as you attempt to navigate dangerous, unmarked terrain. It took us two solid weeks. Worth it? Well, at least the photos came out good. Brutal. That’s how I’d describe my experience on the Sierra High…

Tech News Chris Brinlee Jr Jul 16

I learned to Fly Fish!

When I was a kid, I used to think that fly fishing involved waving the fly around in the air until the fish jumped out of the water to eat it. I was wrong. A couple weekends ago, I finally got to try it for real. And look, I caught a monster! My wife Valerie…

Tech News Corey Hass Jun 24

Off-Roading Above 10,000 Feet In The 2015 Ford F-150 FX4

This weekend, we took the off-road version of the new Ford F-150 pickup through the highest elevation trail in California. It’d be a test for its new turbocharged engine and its ability on dirt, rocks and sand. Could America’s best selling vehicle hack it? 10,000 feet is a border between worlds. Below it, trees grow…

Reviews Wes Siler May 19

What I’ve Learned, Learning To Ride Mountain Bikes

I used to ride mountain bikes when I was a kid. They were a fun toy that took me places. But man, I never remember them being this much hard work! Looking for a little more adventure, I’ve been teaching myself to ride them again. This is what I’ve learned so far. That photo up…

Reviews Wes Siler May 18

You Don’t Know Turkey About Wild Turkeys

Did you know that turkeys kill rattlesnakes? Forgive me a little bit of a Ben Franklin moment, but I’m going to tell you about one of the most interesting wild animals that’s native to North America and what it’s like tracking them in the wild. Turkey Fact #1: They are actually named after the country.…

Tech News Wes Siler Apr 1

So You Want To Be An Adventure Photographer…

So you like photography and go on some pretty cool adventures too? Then adventure photography might be for you. We’ll teach you everything you need to know to get started. What Is Adventure Photography? The name is pretty straightforward. Adventure photography is simply the act of photographing adventures, typically in the outdoors. It’s a niche…

Tech News Chris Brinlee Jr Oct 23

Sierra Nevada Challenges NASA’s Crew Transport Contracts

When NASA awarded crew transport contracts to Boeing CST-100 and the SpaceX Dragon v2, a lot of you asked, “What about Sierra Nevada’s Dream Chaser?” Sierra Nevada is asking the same question, filing a legal challenge claiming their craft was ranked equally proficient and a hefty $900 million cheaper than Boeing. Dream Chaser at dawn…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Oct 4

Fermenting beer time lapse shows one beautiful breathing sludge monster

Watching the fermentation process of beer is a lot like seeing a brown sludge monster grow in strength. It’s not pretty. But then you remember how delicious beer tastes and how wonderful it makes you feel and you forgive it for looking so unsightly. Or at least I did. I think this time lapse is…

Sploid Casey Chan Aug 7

How to Plan an Epic Backpacking Trip

One of the most incredible ways to explore this planet is on foot, carrying everything you need to survive on your back. Here’s how to make backpacking as awe inspiring as possible. Choose an Epic Destination: My favorite part about living in LA is leaving LA. We are close enough to the Sierra Nevada that…

Tech News Chris Brinlee Jr Aug 3

How San Francisco’s Clean Drinking Water Destroyed The 2nd Yosemite

Did you know Yosemite Valley used to have an identical twin? It was dammed in the early 1900s to provide San Francisco with water it relies on to this day, but recently, conservationists have been calling for its restoration. Yosemite Valley is a spectacular glacial valley in the Sierra Nevada, forming the crown jewel of…

Tech News Wes Siler Jul 15

Wiley Meets Snow

Wiley discovered snow for the first time over the July 4th weekend. Won’t lie, this is pretty darn cute.

Tech News Wes Siler Jul 10

Adventure: High Sierra Trail

Alpine lakes, 14,000 foot mountains, Giant Sequoias and grassy meadows? The 60-mile High Sierra Trail has it all and literally passes through Valhalla. We did it last week. For many, the 210 mile-long John Muir Trail (which runs North-South through the Sierra Nevada) represents the quintessential thru-hike. However, it’s not always easy to leave life…

Tech News Chris Brinlee Jr Jul 8

Lara In Front Of University Peak

Lara, Wiley and I went camping in the Sierras this weekend; you’ll be reading about it on here over the next week or so. What’d you do? Let’s see pictures.

Tech News Wes Siler Jul 7

Watch This: Mile…Mile And A Half