Stories
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Jan- 2019 -24 January
Northern California Chinook Salmon up for Endangered Species Consideration
Spring Chinook Salmon. Photo courtesy Michael Humling, US Fish & Wildlife Service The recent volatility of Northern California waterways has…
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23 January
UberSKI Now Offered in the Tahoe Area
Photo courtesy of UberSKI Back in my day, taking a trip to the ski resort for some snowboarding including jamming…
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15 January
A Total Lunar Eclipse Called the ‘Super Blood Wolf Moon’ is Happening this Week
The first significant celestial event is slated to occur this week and it should be visible from Northern California. On…
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14 January
Lady Bird is a Beautiful Love Letter to Northern California
When Lady Bird was released to the public on December 1st, 2017, there was no massive marketing campaign or high-flying…
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13 January
Northern California Town Uses Goats to Prevent Catastrophic Wildfire
Just 47 miles southeast of Paradise, California sits Nevada City, a town of about 3,000 people which has seen wildfires…
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4 January
Two Hospitalized After Plane Crashes into the American River
Photo: SACRAMENTO FIRE DEPARTMENT For anyone driving across the Jibboom Street Bridge over the American River near Discovery Park in…
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4 January
Netflix’s Smash Hit ‘Bird Box’ has Strong Northern California Connections
Netflix announced that it’s new thriller film starring Sandra Bullock, Bird Box, made a record-breaking debut with over 45 million…
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Dec- 2018 -30 December
The Top 10 Active NorCal Stories of 2018
By Zach O’Brien, Founder of Active NorCal Phew! What a years it’s been! In 2018, we really caught our stride…
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20 December
Dramatic Footage Shows Rare Meteor Cloud in the Sky over NorCal
No one knew what was going on in the Northern California sky this week, as a bright, streaking cloud appeared…
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15 December
Yosemite Park Retires 32-Year-Old Veteran Patrol Horse
Ben, a 32-year-old patrol horse that has worked for the National Park Service in Yosemite National Park since 1992 has…
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9 December
Dog Found After Waiting for Weeks at Home Burned Down by Camp Fire
When the Camp Fire erupted in Paradise on November 8, Andrea Gaylord was unable to return to her home to retrieve…
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8 December
The Conflicted History of the Lava Beds National Monument
By Ryan Loughrey This past summer, we visited the desolate and beautiful Lava Beds National Monument to try to escape…
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Nov- 2018 -28 November
Now Brewing: Sierra Nevada’s Resilience Butte County Proud IPA to Support Camp Fire Victims
On November 27, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. continued their efforts to fundraise for Camp Fire victims by starting the brewing…
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17 November
History Reduced to Rubble: Remembering the Honey Run Covered Bridge
The Camp Fire took many victims as it spread through Butte County on November 8th, the most significant being lost…
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17 November
Sierra Nevada Releasing Craft Beer to Support Camp Fire Victims
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., which rose to prominence as one of the original craft brewers in the United States, has…
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Oct- 2018 -30 October
An Inside Look at Mt. Shasta Search and Rescue Training
Make no mistake about it – our beloved Mount Shasta can be a very dangerous place. In the midst of…
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26 October
New Study Claims Mt. Shasta Poses a “Very High Threat” of Eruption
The U.S. Geological Survey updated its comprehensive volcano threat list for the first time since 2005 and it named Mount…
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25 October
NorCal Elementary School Now Offers Fishing Class as Elective
Students of Castle Rock Elementary School are offered 14 different elective classes to choose from for kindergarteners through eighth grade. And…
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17 October
Digging for Answers-Where Did The 60-Foot Hole in the Side of Mt. Shasta Come From?
Around 10 years ago, a 60-foot hole mysteriously appeared in the side of Mount Shasta. Even with its incredible size,…
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9 October
Bulls vs. Bears: Northern California’s Bloody Spectator Sport of the 19th Century
In the 1800’s, when Spanish conquistadors and early gold rush optimists flocked to the newly settled areas of Northern California,…
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5 October
Puppy Abandoned in Northern California Creek Becomes Online Sensation
When a good samaritan found an abandoned puppy in a dry creek bed in Northern California, they immediately took it…
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Sep- 2018 -26 September
Exploring the Underworld of Humboldt County’s “Murder Mountain”
Deep in the wilderness of Northern California’s North Coast sits the Emerald Triangle, the world-famous location of the underground illegal…
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18 September
History Tells Us That Fire Season is Just Getting Started in Northern California
The past few weeks have been very successful for fire officials as the largest and most damaging fires currently burning…
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16 September
Stories from a Carr Fire Evacuation Center
Now that Redding has returned to a state of relative normalcy, we’ve been able to reflect on the Carr Fire…
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12 September
A Beacon Of Northern California History: The Battery Point Lighthouse
A D.C. socialite, the Gold Rush, shipping lines, San Francisco, Crescent City and Battery Point Lighthouse intertwine in history to…
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10 September
How Northern California Inspired Otis Redding’s Famous Song (Sittin’ on the) Dock of the Bay
Otis Redding had become a world-famous singer/songwriter by the bright age of 26-years-old when a visit to Northern California inspired…
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7 September
How Your Selfies Are Killing Northern California’s Seal Puppies
During seal pupping season on the coast of Northern California, baby seals will be basking in the sunshine on the beach…
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7 September
Ellen Surprises Firefighter Who Lost Home in the Carr Fire
During the Carr Fire, Eric Johnson was fighting the Ferguson Fire in Yosemite when the Carr Fire broke out in…
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6 September
Freak Accident: Did a Burning Hay Truck Start the Delta Fire?
As the Delta Fire plows along Interstate 5 between Lakehead and Dunsmuir near Lake Shasta, people are showing the aftermath…
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6 September
10 Amazing Northern California Motorcycle Rides
Northern California is flush with people who prefer to enjoy the amazing natural beauty of our North State on two…
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6 September
Symbol of the State: Bringing the Grizzly Bear Back to California
Although the grizzly bear sits front-and-center on the California state flag, the animal hasn’t roamed California in nearly 100 years.…
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5 September
Watch: Riding Down White-Water Rapids on Top of Six Rafts
Living the whitewater rafting life is fun. You get to take enthusiastic people on an exciting ride down the river…
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4 September
The Incredible Recovery of a Bear Cub Severely Burned in the Carr Fire
California wildfires can have devastating effects on humans living near the fires. These fires can also be equally devastating for…
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Aug- 2018 -31 August
The Ultimate Northern California Brewery-Camping Road Trip
By Zach O’Brien This journey began a few months ago, when I was lounging in my back yard, sipping on…
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31 August
Watch: Firefighter Works Out on His Gym that Burned Down in the Carr Fire
Rick Thompson is a firefighter and Crossfit enthusiast in Northern California. As he was going through the rubble of his…
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30 August
The 25 Best Instagram Accounts to Follow for the Ultimate Northern California Experience
We live in such a beautiful area and sometimes the best way to appreciate Northern California is through the photos.…
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29 August
Shasta Strong IPA Available Now! Drink Craft Beer to Support Carr Fire Victims
With a united goal, five Shasta County breweries have come together to create a special batch of beer in support…
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22 August
More than 50 Percent of this Northern California County has Burned Since 2012
In the United States, Northern California has become the epicenter for wildfire activity in the country. In Northern California, Lake…
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21 August
Q&A with Michelle Titus – the Owner of Northern California’s Premiere Fishing Lodge
In a short time, Michelle Titus went from a Bay Area city-dweller to a North Valley, horse wrangling “angletâ€. When she…
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21 August
Emotional Video Shows Devastating Aftermath for Carr Fire Victims
Vice News Tonight visited devastated Redding neighborhoods during the beginning of cleanup operations after the Carr Fire brought a destructive…
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17 August
Watch: The Singing Samoan Fire Crew Working on the Carr Fire
The “Singing Samoan Fire Crew” has captured immense love and respect from the people of Northern California. They hike through…
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12 August
Almost Climbing Mount Shasta: A Story of Misery and Life Lessons at 14,000 Feet
At four thirty in the morning no one saw the light from my tiny headlamp inching uphill in pitch darkness…
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11 August
The World Dog Surfing Championship in NorCal was the Cutest Thing You’ve Ever Seen
Sitting just south of San Francisco at Linda Mar Beach in Pacifica, California there are some mellow waves that any hardcore…
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8 August
Explorers Study Ancient Underwater Forests with a Submarine at Fallen Leaf Lake
Mapping out the history of our the outdoors can be a difficult task, one that requires time, money, and maybe…
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7 August
Firefighters from Australia and New Zealand Arrive in Northern California to Assist with Fires
Nearly 200 firefighters from Australia and New Zealand arrived in Redding on Monday to assist with the destructive wildfires across…
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7 August
Volunteers Clean more than 500 Pounds of Trash from Lake Tahoe
From it’s beautiful beaches to family-friendly resorts, Lake Tahoe is a centerpiece of outdoor recreation in Northern California. But with…
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3 August
The Singing Samoan Fire Crew in Northern California
The “Singing Samoan Fire Crew” has spent the last few years sharing their uplifting spirit and song amidst the Northern…
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Jul- 2018 -9 July
The Turbulent History of Mt. Shasta’s Old Ski Bowl
It was in 1959 when ambitious developers leased land from the Shasta-Trinity National Forest and opened a two-person chairlift on the…
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3 July
Flow State – An Inside Look into the Lives of Northern California’s Professional Cliffjumpers
By Zach O’Brien As Jay Briggs stands on a log perched 70 feet above the water in the middle of…
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Jun- 2018 -29 June
Chico State Students Use Their Education to Renovate a Park, Saving the City $135,000
The City of Chico was desperately looking to upgrade the Capres Acres Park, a Fairytale-themed playground featuring numerous activities and…
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29 June
Firefighters Rescue Baby Deer During the Creek Fire
As fires swept through Shasta County during the Creek Fire, firefighters rushed to save homes, evacuate nearby residents and contain…
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28 June
Lassen Peak is Sinking and Scientists Don’t Know Why
A paper written by Amy Parker in the Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research shows that Lassen Peak has been sinking since…
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28 June
NorCal Brewery Introduces “IPA Inspired” THC-Infused Sparkling Water
The Northern California brewery responsible for the #1 selling IPA in the world, is making a brand new drink that…
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27 June
This Northern California Outdoor Utopia is Up For Sale – But It’ll Cost You
The Lone Pine Ranch, a 27,000-acre property straddling Trinity and Mendocino counties, is a vast property of redwood forests, grassy…
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26 June
Secret Northern California Old-Growth Forest Will Be Open to the Public Soon
Save the Redwoods League, celebrating their centennial year as the only nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and stewarding coast redwood…
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19 June
The World’s Most-Viewed Photo is of a Northern California Hillside
It was in 1996 when Charles O’Rear pulled over to the shoulder of Highway 121 in Napa Valley when he…
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19 June
How Did Weed, CA Get It’s Name? A Story of Achieving the American Dream in the Wild West
You see many people snicker when you bring up Weed, California. After all, it seems to be named after Cheech and Chong’s…
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15 June
Daytrippin’ in Humboldt – Beach Bouldering and the Lost Coast Brewery
By Ryan Loughrey With the holiday season, traffic and locales around Redding have been busy. Not to mention the heat,…
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14 June
Gray Wolf Wanders into Sierra Nevada Mountains for the First Time in Over 100 Years
Northern California had not seen a gray wolf since the early-1900’s, not until famed wolf OR-7 traveled over the Oregon…
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13 June
Foreign Nationals Convicted in Northern California Plant Poaching Investigation
Three defendants caught in the global succulent poaching scheme happening in Northern California, have each pled guilty to two felonies…
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13 June
Plan That Would Make Northern California its Own State Headed for November Ballot
California’s 168-year run as a single entity state could come to a halt next year, as the radical plan to…
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12 June
Lake Oroville Eagles Find New Home Following Spillway Crisis
When the Oroville Dam spillway collapsed in February of 2017, officials had to rush to move electric towers that were…
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11 June
What’s in a Name? The Story Behind Hat Creek
Names almost always make for a good story, and Hat Creek is no exception. Of course, not everyone may agree…
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2 June
Road Trippin’ – Boards, Beers and Bucktail Streamers in Bend, Oregon
By Chip O’Brien For a town with 10,000 fewer people than Redding, Bend, Oregon is a lot cooler. Now, I could…
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2 June
A History of Bigfoot Sightings in Northern California
Stories and legends of Bigfoot and similar creatures pervade the history of the Pacific Northwest. In Teddy Roosevelt’s book, The…
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2 June
How Did Whiskeytown Get Its Name?
Whiskeytown began much like most other 1849 Gold Rush mining communities – as a modest collection of shabby tents. Young…
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1 June
The Heartwarming Story of President JFK Feeding Deer in Lassen Volcanic National Park in his Pajamas
When President John F. Kennedy visited Northern California in 1963, just months before his assassination, he made the rounds to…
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1 June
Wild Animal Encounters on Shasta Lake
As much as it seems that Shasta Lake is just a place to hop on a boat and have some…
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May- 2018 -30 May
Lake Siskiyou – One of Northern California’s Best Destinations
By Ross Lawrence An expected forty-five minute road trip to Lake Siskiyou had turned into an hour-and-a-half, and hyped up…
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30 May
Google Cats are Killing Endangered Owls in Northern California
Shoreline Park is a grass-filled 750-acre wildlife and recreation area sitting right in the middle of the technological boom that…
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23 May
NASA Studying the Lava Beds National Monument to Find Life on Mars
When lava flows down the slope of a volcano, it can leave behind an extreme environment ideal for unusual microbial…
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16 May
Rolling Through the Remote Ishi Wilderness – A Photo Essay
By Ryan Loughrey After visiting the Ishi Wilderness, it is easy to see how little effort it would take…
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15 May
More Than Just A Workout – Learning The Crossfit Lifestyle
By Ross Lawrence Breathing heavily, sweat pouring down my face and thoroughly exhausted, I stumbled through the last few steps…
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15 May
Meet the Kennedy Brothers – Northern California’s Favorite Fly Fishing Duo
By Chip O’Brien Neither of these Kennedys has been President of the United States, Attorney General or heir to a…
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9 May
What’s a Lemurian and Why Do People Believe They Live in Mount Shasta?
We like to hypothesize about the paranormal activity surrounding Mt. Shasta. From Bigfoot sightings to alien activity, there is no…
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9 May
Finding Cool “Off The Beaten Path” Destinations in San Francisco
By Ryan Loughrey Our weekend was spent in a common way – not enough time to do all the things we…
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9 May
A Day at Wake Island Waterpark – Northern California’s Water Wonderland
The Wake Island Waterpark in Sacramento is a dreamboat for anyone that enjoys water activities. The amount of fun you…
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8 May
The Weirdest, Most Grueling Northern California Race You’ve Never Heard Of
Flickr/sandwich The Kinetic Grand Championship is an annual event held in Arcata, CA where championship pieces of art race over…
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5 May
The Hike to Heart Lake – An Unforgettable Summer Experience
By Ryan Loughrey Castle Lake near Mt. Shasta is beautiful. Not only is it the deepest alpine lake in…
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3 May
A Million Salmon were Released into the Sacramento River and Some People Aren’t Happy About It
Eight truckloads full of a million juvenile chinook salmon were released into the Sacramento River just north of Sacramento…
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3 May
Shasta Lake Boasts Most Pot Shops Per Capita in California
Even though recreational cannabis was legalized in California this year, much of Northern California remains a pot desert while local…
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3 May
Your Complete Guide to Catching Big Trout in Keswick Reservoir
The security guard handed my driver’s license back and announced something into the burly walkie-talkie hoisted from his belt. There…
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1 May
A Tahoe Lightning Strike Left Destruction in its Wake
On what was supposed be a beautiful April day in Tahoe, a thunderstorm descended upon the north area of the lake and…
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Apr- 2018 -24 April
Lesson Learned from a Marin Hiker: Don’t Pick Up a Rattlesnake
It’s unknown what was going through the head of the 79-year-old hiker near Mount Tamalpais in Marin County who decided to…
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23 April
There’s a Global Black Market Plant Heist Happening Right Here in Northern California
The Dudleya farinosa is a beautiful succulent that grows on the coastal range of Northern California. And they’re now at the…
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19 April
Conservationists are Saving the Redwoods…By Cutting Them Down
The environmentalists who have dedicated their lives battling loggers to protect the ancient redwood tress of Northern California are now…
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8 April
The 25 Best Movies Filmed in Northern California
Northern California is a filmmaker’s dream. With beautiful landscapes, unique locations and its proximity to Hollywood, it’s hard to say no to…
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Feb- 2018 -2 February
13 Waterfalls in One Weekend: Northern California’s World-Famous Waterfall Loop
There is a legendary loop sitting in the Shasta-Cascade of Northern California that includes 13 incredible waterfalls to visit. Realistically, you…
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Aug- 2017 -14 August
A Solo Backpacking Excursion Through the Trinity Alps Wilderness
By Ryan Loughrey I’ve been to the Trinity Alps once before, but this was my first time this far north.…
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Jul- 2017 -26 July
Potem Falls is Northern California’s Most Blissful Swimming Hole
NorCal has a seemingly endless amount of gorgeous waterfalls and swimming holes and none of them provide the same experience:…
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Jun- 2017 -1 June
Strange Paranormal Encounters of Mt. Shasta
Flickr/Harold Litwiler It think we can all agree that Mt. Shasta is a magical place. Just being in its presence…
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