Today let's take a drive to Yosemite National Park. It is early spring,with our daytime temperatures in the 70-degree range. Could the trail to the top of Yosemite Fall be open this early in the season?

My hiking buddy Clem and I depart Oakhurst around 8 a.m. on a Sunday. The light traffic is surprising, maybe because the tourist season hasn't arrived quite yet.

Searching for low elevation hiking areas during the winter months can sometimes be difficult, especially when one tries to combine areas that are not populated and offer a gain in elevation.

Recently the Sierra Foothill Conservancy opened up, by appointment only, 2,960 acres of range land with elevations from 800 to 1,800 feet.

During the winter months, it's sometimes difficult to locate areas to hike. Our national parks are covered with snow, and many trails are closed for the average hiker. If you cannot snowshoe or cross country ski, your options are limited. Within the last few weeks, I came across two new hikes that are moderate, with elevations between 1,500 and 3,200 feet.

The first hike will be to Ferguson Ridge in Mariposa. Depart Oakhurst on Highway 49 toward Mariposa. Turn right on Triangle Road, then turn right again on Jerseydale Road. Drive past the Jerseydale Fire Station and follow the road through Mariposa Pines to Forest Service Road 4S22 on the left. Follow this dirt road until you arrive at the junction Forest Service Road 3S04. It's sometimes called Apperson Mine Road. This will be the parking area and the road to start your hike. Be sure to stay on the main ridge road to Ferguson Ridge. This is a class one hike of approximately 3.8 miles each way.

During the winter months, sometimes it's difficult to find mountains and canyons that are not covered with snow. A few weeks ago, I joined the sierra hiking seniors group and shared their adventure that followed the Merced River in Mariposa. This hike was led by one of their seasoned hikers, Blair Stewart.

We departed Oakhurst on Highway 49 en route to Mariposa, and then continued on Highway 140 past Midpines. At Briceburg, we turned left just before the bridge crossing the Merced River. Then we drove across the one-lane suspension bridge and followed the old railroad spur three miles to the parking area. This drive to the trailhead is an adventure of its own following the Merced River. Lining its banks are the spectacular high cliffs formed from centuries of water erosion.

During the winter months, sometimes it's difficult to find mountains and canyons that are not covered with snow. A few weeks ago, I joined the sierra hiking seniors group and shared their adventure that followed the Merced River in Mariposa. This hike was led by one of their seasoned hikers, Blair Stewart.

We departed Oakhurst on Highway 49 en route to Mariposa, and then continued on Highway 140 past Midpines. At Briceburg, we turned left just before the bridge crossing the Merced River. Then we drove across the one-lane suspension bridge and followed the old railroad spur three miles to the parking area. This drive to the trailhead is an adventure of its own following the Merced River. Lining its banks are the spectacular high cliffs formed from centuries of water erosion.