Tune In to the Sounds and Stories of the Sierra
Join us on the Sierra Rec Now podcast as we explore the beauty, history, and adventure of the Sierra Nevada. Hear from local experts, outdoor enthusiasts, and passionate storytellers.
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Why do we keep coming back to the mountains? That simple question shaped one of the most thoughtful conversations we’ve had on Sierra Rec Now. This week, Charlie Pankey sits down with backpacker, fly fisherman, and creator behind Juan Backpacks , Juan Veruete, to discuss the John Muir Trail, the Tahoe Rim Trail, ultralight backpacking, … Read more
Few experiences in the Sierra Nevada are as powerful as stumbling across an old cabin tucked into the forest and wondering who built it, who lived there, and what life looked like in these mountains long before modern trails and recreation. This summer, outdoor enthusiasts have a rare opportunity to do more than simply admire … Read more
For many visitors, Yosemite National Park begins and ends in Yosemite Valley. They’ll marvel at Half Dome, photograph Yosemite Falls, and spend a few unforgettable days exploring one of America’s most iconic national parks. But according to Yosemite guide Kara Maceross of Lasting Adventures , the real magic often begins when you leave the pavement … Read more
When people think about California National Parks, Yosemite, Sequoia, and Joshua Tree usually dominate the conversation. Yet tucked away in Northern California is a park many travelers have never explored—one filled with steaming geothermal features, volcanic landscapes, alpine lakes, wildlife, and surprisingly few crowds. On this week’s episode of the Sierra Rec Now Podcast, I … Read more
Mountain music, pine forest camping, Gold Rush history, and one of California’s most enduring Sierra traditions. For years I’ve driven through Grass Valley on my way to Sierra adventures. Like many people, I usually thought about the historic downtown, the Gold Rush roots, maybe a stop along Highway 49, or cooling off in the Yuba … Read more
Why Tioga Pass feels like a completely different way to experience Yosemite National Park. Every year when Tioga Pass opens for the season, something shifts in the Sierra Nevada. The mountains suddenly feel connected again. Backpacking trailheads reopen. Snow-lined roads begin winding back into the high country. Tuolumne Meadows slowly wakes up after another long … Read more
Snowfields, hidden waterfalls, Pacific Creek, Kinney Lakes, and one of the wildest scenic drives in the Sierra Nevada. Every year when Ebbetts Pass opens for the season, I feel the pull to go. Not because I have some big objective or adventure planned. Honestly, most years it’s just a classic Sierra “dink around day.” A … Read more
Most people don’t realize this until after they’ve driven it once: Sonora Pass Highway 108 out of Sonora California isn’t just a scenic drive… it’s a sequence of moments. The problem is, if you don’t know where those moments are, you’ll drive right past them. I did. More than once. So if you’re heading up … Read more
Sonora Pass Is Open: What to Expect Driving the Sierra Right Now Every year in the Sierra, there’s a moment when everything starts to come back to life. The roads that have been buried all winter begin to open. Snowbanks line the edges of the pavement. Waterfalls start pouring off granite walls. The rivers rise, … Read more
Twelve miles deep in the Emigrant Wilderness, life slows down. Morning light cracks through the trees. My tired body rolls out of the hammock. The birds are already singing. Somewhere down the trail, I can hear horses moving through camp—another group starting their day before the sun fully breaks. And for me… There’s one thing … Read more
There’s a moment on every trail where things shift. Maybe it’s mile three. Maybe it’s mile ten. Maybe it’s that first overnight when the noise fades and it’s just you, your thoughts, and the dirt under your feet. For me, that shift often happens somewhere in Tuolumne Meadows —a place that continues to redefine what … Read more
Yosemite, Travel, and The Landmark Project on This weeks Podcast There’s a moment—and I don’t know exactly when it happens—but if you’ve spent any real time in a place like Yosemite National Park, you know it. It’s that feeling when you’re leaving… and you’re already thinking about coming back. That’s really where this conversation with … Read more
This week on the Sierra Rec Now Podcast, we step outside our normal trail talk and into something a little more uncomfortable—and maybe more important. A Different Kind of Episode We just released our 25th edition of Sierra Rec Magazine—our Spring Gear Guide. Hundreds of products.New innovations.Gear we genuinely love. And then we recorded this … Read more
What Sierra Backpackers Need to Know About Permits in the West After more than a decade of backpacking in the Sierra Nevada, I’ve developed a rhythm to planning trips. I know how to read snowpack. I know how to map routes. And over the years, I’ve figured out how to work within the permit systems … Read more
Rae Lakes Loop Backpacking Tips: Discovering One of the Sierra Nevada’s Most Iconic Trails One of California’s Most Desired Backpacking Loops For many hikers exploring the Sierra Nevada, the Rae Lakes Loop in Kings Canyon National Park sits high on the bucket list. The route is legendary among backpackers for good reason. Over roughly 40 … Read more
If you’re starting to think about backpacking trips in Yosemite this year, you’re not alone. Spring is the season when hikers across California begin opening Recreation.gov, checking wilderness permit dates, and planning the routes they hope to explore in the Sierra Nevada. On this week’s episode of the Sierra Rec Now Podcast, I sat down … Read more
A Story About Preparedness, Perspective, and Why the Little Things Matter on the Trail There are moments in the mountains that stay with you — not because of the view, but because of what they teach you. This week’s Sierra Rec Now episode opens with one of those memories. A late-afternoon descent from Cathedral Lakes … Read more
The Lost Sierra has long been one of California’s most quietly spectacular regions — vast forests, winding rivers, and small mountain towns that feel a world away from the crowds of Tahoe and Yosemite. In this episode of Sierra Rec Now, I sat down with Greg Williams, the visionary behind the Connected Communities initiative, to … Read more
Car camping in the Sierra is having a moment. With lighter snowpack this year and more families looking for flexible ways to get outdoors, we’re seeing a real shift in how people approach camping across the Sierra Nevada. Campgrounds are often full. Permits can be competitive. And more and more people are looking at dispersed … Read more
Sierra Rec Now Podcast with Jim Morrison and Christina “Lusti” Lustenberger For most of us in the Sierra Nevada, a “big day” in the mountains might mean a long approach, a steep climb, or timing conditions just right. For ski mountaineers Jim Morrison and Christina “Lusti” Lustenberger, that idea scales to an entirely different level. … Read more
Snow has finally arrived across the Sierra Nevada—and for many holiday travelers, that first fresh storm brings both excitement and questions. What if the ski resorts are crowded?What if you don’t ski at all?Where can families go to enjoy the snow without the chaos? In today’s Sierra Rec Now Podcast, host Charlie Pankey shares decades … Read more
By Charlie Pankey | Sierra Rec Magazine Lake Tahoe is often described as impossibly clear, impossibly blue, and impossibly pristine. But beneath the surface — far beyond what swimmers, paddlers, and boaters ever see — another story is unfolding. In the latest episode of the Sierra Rec Now Podcast , I sat down with Jenny … Read more
Sierra Rec Now Podcast — Episode Feature By Charlie Pankey | Sierra Rec Magazine A New Mountain Home — But the Same Spirit of Adventure After 18 years beneath the peaks of Lake Tahoe and the High Sierra, my family has officially begun a new chapter in Washington State. We now call Mount Vernon home … Read more
A New Mountain Home and Sierra Winter Update By Charlie Pankey, Sierra Rec Magazine In this week’s Sierra Rec Now Podcast, I share a major personal update that will shape the next chapter of Sierra Rec while keeping the Sierra Nevada firmly at the heart of everything we do. After nearly a decade rooted in … Read more
Audrey Payne’s 2,650-Mile Pacific Crest Trail Journey: From Carson City to Canada on the Capital to Canada Quest This summer, long-distance hiker Audrey Payne set out to do what few ever complete—walk the entire Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada.As the first participant in the Capital to Canada Quest, Audrey became the only hiker … Read more
When most travelers picture winter in the Sierra Nevada, they picture Tahoe. Deep snow. Packed parking lots. Lift lines. High elevation drama. What they rarely picture — is Carson City . And honestly, that might be one of the biggest misses Sierra travelers still make every year. Because Carson City in winter is not a … Read more
By Charlie Pankey, Sierra Rec Magazine For more than a decade, Carson Valley has been home base for Sierra Rec Magazine — the place where our adventures begin and where we always return. It’s where the open spaces meet the Sierra front, where trails climb into the Pine Nut Mountains, and where small-town festivals keep … Read more
By Charlie Pankey | Sierra Rec Magazine For most people, when you say “Nevada,” one image comes to mind — flashing lights, crowded casinos, and the non-stop buzz of Las Vegas. But for those of us who live along the Sierra Front, we know a different Nevada — one filled with wide-open basins, wild mustangs, … Read more
By Charlie Pankey | Sierra Rec Magazine The Sierra Nevada isn’t just a destination—it’s a legacy. Few people embody that truth better than Brian Martz, this week’s guest on the Sierra Rec Now Podcast. Known to thousands of California students as the Water Guy, Brian’s life story runs far deeper than his classroom mascot role. … Read more
By Sierra Rec Magazine When you head into the Sierra Nevada for a weekend of dispersed camping near Mammoth, an overlanding trip down Highway 395, or a snow-filled RV adventure at Blue Lakes, one question always comes up: how do you keep everything powered without the drone of a generator? This week on the Sierra … Read more
Every fall, the quiet town of Genoa, Nevada—the oldest settlement in the state—transforms into one of the busiest places in the Sierra. Known for its historic charm, stunning Carson Valley setting, and small-town hospitality, Genoa is also home to one of Nevada’s most beloved festivals: the Candy Dance. In this week’s Sierra Rec Now Podcast … Read more
This week on the Sierra Rec Now Podcast, we welcome back returning guest Paul Wagner — author, blogger at BackpackingSierra.com , and longtime volunteer for multiple wilderness areas across the Sierra Nevada. Paul joins host Charlie Pankey for a wide-ranging conversation about backpacking adventures, trail stewardship, volunteering in Desolation Wilderness, and hidden gems in the … Read more
Looking for open spaces, fewer crowds, and a chance to truly disconnect this Labor Day? The Sierra Nevada holds more than 17,000 miles of free, legal, dispersed camping opportunities — and thanks to new tools from OnX Off-Road, finding your next hidden campsite just got a whole lot easier. Discovering the Sierra’s Wild Side In … Read more
Sierra Rec Now Podcast | August 19, 2025| Episode 44 When it comes to outdoor adventures, sometimes it’s the gear that defines the experience. This week on the Sierra Rec Now Podcast, host Charlie Pankey sat down with Stuart Rudolph, co-founder of Travoca, to talk about how one brand is changing the way we think … Read more
By Charlie Pankey | Sierra Rec Now PodcastListen now on YouTube , Spotify, or Apple Podcasts Last week I sat down for what turned out to be one of the most inspiring interviews I’ve done in a long time—right from the heart of Taylorsville, CA, with Jonathan Kusel and Ariana Bernstein from the Sierra Institute … Read more
A Journey of Hidden Gems, Remarkable Stories and Healing Landscapes in the Sierra What does it mean to find your true nature in the Sierra Nevada? For author Lisa Michelle, it meant trading the rodeo arena for hidden ridgelines, misty alpine lakes, and the quiet lessons the wilderness is willing to teach those who slow … Read more
By Charlie Pankey | Sierra Rec Magazine Tucked along Highway 50 just west of South Lake Tahoe, Lover’s Leap rises like a storybook cliff out of the pine-covered canyon. With its towering granite face and layered climbing routes, it draws climbers from around the world—and legends from long ago. But to truly understand what makes … Read more
Podcast Feature: Sierra Rec Now – Episode with Owen White, Visit Alpine County If there’s one place in the Sierra Nevada that still feels like it belongs entirely to the mountains, it’s Alpine County. Tucked between towering volcanic ridges and granite peaks, Alpine County has long been my go-to escape—especially when I need a day … Read more
Sierra Rec Now Podcast Interview: An Insiders view of the Opening of Crystal Cave and how it shapes your visit to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks By Charlie Pankey | Sierra Rec Magazine | June 2025 After four years of closure due to wildfire damage, floods, and landslides, Crystal Cave in Sequoia National Park … Read more
By Charlie Pankey | Sierra Rec Magazine | Trail-Tested Stories Podcast Thinking about visiting Yosemite this summer or fall? Confused by the reservation system, unsure where to stay, or want to avoid the crowds? You’re not alone—and you’re in the right place. Earlier this spring, I had the chance to drive Highway 49 through Mariposa … Read more
