The day after a rather exhausting hike to Shadow Lake, I opted for a shorter hike from Reds Meadow to Rainbow Falls. The route is popular with day-trippers who shuttle down from Mammoth Mountain, and it’s easy to see why. The trail is about 3 miles round trip and gently undulates through forest and meadow. The reward is Rainbow Falls, a 101-foot waterfall, the highest on the Middle Fork of the San Joaquin River. A carpet of lupines and coyote mint. The hike begins in the fore

What's in a Name? Perhaps there is no better time to hike the Eastern Sierra than during wildflower season. While the blooms at lower elevations in California have largely faded, the meadows and forests of the Ansel Adams and John Muir Wilderness areas are at their colorful peak. My favorite base is the rustic Reds Meadow Resort, within easy reach of some of the region’s finest trails. During this trip, I hiked to Shadow Lake, Rainbow Falls, and the Johnston Lake area. At fir

I recently returned from 9 days of hiking in the Eastern Sierra. Many wildflowers were still in bloom, especially above 8,000 ft....