stories
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History
Jedediah Smith’s Travels Through Northern California – Part 2: Strong Was His Middle Name
Every time he visited California he got arrested. When a grizzly bear chewed off his hair and ear, he had…
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History
Jedediah Smith’s Travels Through Northern California – Part 1: The First White Settlers of NorCal
There is little doubt the standards have changed for what it means to qualify as a “bad dude.” NorCal has…
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Stories
Man Claims to Have Recently Visited with Lemurians Inside Mount Shasta
Since diving deep into the legends of Lemurians in Mount Shasta (and posting my findings on this website), I have…
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Stories
Inside Union Pacific’s Harrowing Attempt to Save the Dry Canyon Bridge During the Lava Fire
The Lava Fire damaged the Union Pacific Dry Creek Bridge. UP is working on repairs and estimate the bridge to…
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Photography
Behind the Photo: Capturing Historic Structures at a Drought-Ridden Shasta Lake
With another drought causing low water levels in Northern California, we wanted to revisit a unique story of historic structures…
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History
9 Fascinating Historical Gems to Visit in Siskiyou County
Brought to you by Discover Siskiyou Photo by Richard Lee When gold was discovered in the American River in the 1800’s,…
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Sports
Meet Tahoe’s Youngest Pro Snowboarder – 5-Year-Old Leland the Falcon
Instagram/@lelandthefalcon When Chuck Vogt, founder of Tahoe Longboards, took 2-year-old Leland to the slopes with a tiny snowboard for the…
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Stories
The Dumbest Things I’ve Done in NorCal: Swimming Across the Sacramento River
Photo by Tony Webster Don’t try it. Redding in the summertime is a study in contrasts, contrasts that can be…
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Stories
The Dumbest Things I’ve Done in NorCal: A Poison Oak Nightmare on Hatchet Creek
If you buy into the notion that we learn best from our mistakes, I must be one of the smartest…
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Outdoors
Searching for Fishing Solitude in Northern California
Reasons people have for needing to escape the rat race are endless, but the fact remains that we all do.…
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Stories
This Northern California Town is the Closest to ‘Shangri-La’ According to the Author Who Coined the Term
Photo: California Outdoor Propoerties Shangri-la is a fictional place featured in the 1933 novel Lost Horizon written by British author…
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Stories
Meet the Women Who Kayaked 450-Miles from Mount Shasta to San Francisco Bay
Instagram/@sacsource2sea The Sacramento River is a vital waterway in Northern California. Bursting out of the rocks below Mount Shasta and…
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History
Ishi: The Last California ‘Wild Indian’ We Never Really Knew
Ishi making a wood harpoon in Deer Creek in 1914 Most California school kids have heard the story of Ishi,…
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Stories
The Naked Truth: Stories of Skinny-Dippers and Fly Fishing in Northern California
I have nothing against naked people, and particularly respect their ability to garner interest at the beginning of a story.…
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Destinations
Hiker Discovers Tree Growing Over the Trail in Redwood National Park
The Redwood National and State Parks are full of many wonders. The park system holds the three tallest trees in…
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Wildlife
How Wildlife Officials Survey Northern California’s Dead Salmon to Help the Living
Curtis Brownfield, fish biologist for the Service, checks the tag number on a salmon carcass pulled up from the depths…
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Stories
How ‘Euro-Nymphing’ Originated in Northern California
Joe Kimsey was a fishing legend on the Upper Sacramanto River If you refer to that fly rod as a…
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Stories
Short Film Celebrates the World’s Highest Elevation Composting Toilet Atop Mount Shasta
With the many people visiting the high elevation areas of Mount Shasta each year, various organizations go to great lengths…
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North Coast
Sasquatch: Get a Sneak Peak at Hulu’s New True Crime Documentary About Bigfoot in Northern California
Hollywood is once again diving deep into the world of Bigfoot, this time through a true crime documentary set in…
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Stories
Point Reyes Has a Big Poop Problem
Photo by Claude Piché Point Reyes National Seashore is one of the gems of the National Park System in Northern California.…
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Destinations
The 10 Natural Wonders of Northern California
Photo by Casey Horner The outdoor surroundings of Northern California make it one of the most beautiful places on the planet.…
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North Coast
Redwoods Rising is Putting Northern California’s Damaged Forests on a Better Path
Save the Redwoods League, California State Parks, and National Park Service staff touring a Redwoods Rising restoration site in Redwood…
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Stories
Getting High on Mount Shasta with John Muir
“If I were you,†he said as he passed by, “I’d head back down the mountain. Storm’s brewing.†His words…
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Shasta Cascade
6 Legendary Road Trips for Outdoor Adventurers Near Redding, California
Road tripping is a time-honored tradition for outdoor adventurers. There’s nothing like feeling the excitement of your upcoming trip while…
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Tahoe
The Time I Snowboarded with Olympic Gold Medalist Shaun White in Tahoe
It was a normal spring day at Northstar-at-Tahoe in 2009. This was my fifth consecutive winter with a season pass…
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Stories
The Mystery Behind Rattlesnake Dick’s Lost Treasure in the Trinity Mountains
Richard Barter AKA “Rattlesnake Dick” Richard Barter lived a life of crime in the Gold Rush era of the 1800’s…
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Tahoe
This Zillow Listing for a House in Tahoe is the Weirdest Thing You’ll See Today
On the surface, a house for sale in South Lake Tahoe is pretty standard. The multi-family home is just over…
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Stories
Getting High on Mount Shasta with John Muir – Part 3 Finale
Read Part 1 Read Part 2 Lightning, heavy winds, hail and deepening snow pummeled intrepid mountaineers John Muir and Jerome…
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Stories
Getting High on Mount Shasta with John Muir – Part 2
John Muir and Jerome Fay made it to the summit by 7:30am on that fateful day in 1875. That’s right…
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Stories
Getting High on Mt. Shasta with John Muir – Part 1
“If I were you,†he said as he passed by, “I’d head back down the mountain. Storm’s brewing.†His words…
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Stories
Artist Builds Giant Buddha Snow Sculpture in Downtown Mount Shasta
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mei Drucker (@meidrucker) Snowmageddon 2021 brought plenty of snow to Mount…
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Waterfalls
Will the Yosemite Firefall Happen in 2021?
Photo by Steve Corey During a two-week span in February, photographers and nature lovers alike flock to Yosemite’s Horsetail Falls…
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Stories
Potter Creek Cave: the Coolest Northern California Cave You Can’t Visit
It’s larger than Shasta Caverns. Extinct ground sloths were found there, the first ever in California. Sharp-faced bears, the most…
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Weather
The Top 10 Weather Events of the Past Decade in Northern California
The landscape of Northern California is especially diverse. From the Pacific Ocean beaches to the snowy peaks of the Sierra…
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Stories
The Most Read Active NorCal Articles of 2020
2020 is in the books… Thank goodness! We can all admit that this year has been rough for everyone. With…
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Outdoors
The River Why? A Little-Known Movie That Any Angler Would Enjoy
The novel was published in 1983, and the movie came out in 2010. So why are we finally getting around…
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Stories
Monolith Photographed Over Lake Tahoe Revealed as Prank
You’ve probably seen the numerous monoliths appearing around the world, beginning with the famed structure found in rural Utah in…
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Shasta Cascade
Biking from the Sundial Bridge to Shasta Dam on the Sacramento River Trail
We’ve all felt like we were going in circles at some point in our lives, but just maybe there’s an…
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Tahoe
Tour a $44 Million Lake Tahoe Mansion with a Private Beach
Let’s be honest – we all have dreamed of living in a mansion on Lake Tahoe. With money pouring into…
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History
Ski A Volcano: The History of the Lassen Ski Area
Large groups of skier in Lassen – 1936. PHOTO BY JERVIE HENRY EASTMAN, COURTESY DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, GENERALLIBRARY, UNIVERSITY…
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Stories
How Will Dam Removal Impact Fishing on the Klamath River?
Northern California is pretty famous for good fishing. In fact, I‘ve often wondered how much this may have to do…
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Tahoe
We Asked What Squaw Valley’s New Name Should Be. Here’s What You Said.
Squaw Valley Resort has a monumental task of coming up with a new name, following their announcement that they would change it…
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Destinations
Winter Bucket List for Outdoor Adventurers in Redding, California
Lassen’s Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center It’s officially winter in Northern California, which means we’ll be trading our shorts and sun-tan lotion…
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Stories
Rivers of a Lost Coast is a Must-Watch Documentary for NorCal Fishermen
When you think of what California is best known for, obvious answers might include Hollywood, surfing, giant redwoods, the Golden…
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News
NPS Hiring Park Ranger Positions Throughout Northern California
Want to get paid to be outdoors in one of Northern California’s most beautiful areas? That’s what’s being offered at…
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Events
Redding Garden of Lights Brings a ‘One Million Light Experience’ to Northern California
Brought to you by Visit Redding The Holiday season is about traditions. Whether you decorate your house the day after…
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Stories
Meet Griff – The Viral Dancing Park Ranger from the Humboldt Redwoods State Park
When quarantine hit in March of 2020, State and National Park throughout California were forced to close their gates to…
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Sports
The E-Biking Craze Has Arrived in Northern California
“Dang,†I said to myself. “My legs are on fire. Time to downshift.†The grade was steep, and as I…
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Stories
Spend the Holidays in Northern California’s Undiscovered Wine Country
Clear Lake State Park. Photo: @karenpavonephotography By Trudy Wakefield Sure, COVID has made 2020 anything but our average year, but…
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Tahoe
What Should Squaw Valley’s New Name Be? Here Are a Few Ideas.
Photo: Squaw Valley Squaw Valley Resort has a monumental task of coming up with a new name, following their announcement…
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Tahoe
Take a Look Inside Lake Tahoe’s ‘Bonanza’ House Which Sold for Record $38 Million
Photo: Sierra Sotheby’s International Realty Lake Tahoe is known to have some epic homes, including the now world-famous $75 million…
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Stories
History Tells Us That Fire Season May Be Just Getting Started in Northern California
The past couple weeks have been very successful for fire officials as the largest and most damaging fires currently burning…
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Stories
Is This a Photo of Bigfoot in the Humboldt Forest? We’ll Let You Be the Judge.
Photos recently published on a Humboldt Bigfoot website show a shape in the trees of the Sequoia Park Zoo (future…
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Wildlife
Firefighters Rescue Mountain Lion Cub Severely Burned in Zogg Fire
Burned Mountain lion cub upon arrival to Oakland Zoo Veterinary Hospital Only four to six weeks old, an orphaned mountain…
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Video
Man Wins GoPro’s Million Dollar Challenge with Insane Yosemite Rock Swing Stunt
View this post on Instagram Overwhelmed by all the positive messages I’ve gotten in the last couple days since finding…
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Outdoors
How Will Big Basin Redwoods Recover from Wildfire? Here’s a Beautiful Lesson from the Humboldt Redwoods
With the news that the Big Basin Redwoods State Park had suffered extensive damage from the CZU Lightning Complex Fire,…
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Stories
Vacaville Man Uses 36-Rack of Bud Light to Extinguish Wildfire Approaching His Home
When a wildfire comes close to your home, you’re bound to do anything to save your personal property from being…
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News
Astronauts Send Their ‘Thoughts and Prayers’ from Space to People Impacted by NorCal Wildfires
Photo: NASA The wildfires from Northern California are so big that they can be seen from space. That’s why astronauts…
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History
8 Must-See Historic Gems Near Redding, California
Brought to you by Choose Redding While Redding, California is known to be the home of the some of the…
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Stories
The Perseid Meteor Shower is Returning to the Sky this Week. Here Are the Best Places to See it in NorCal.
On the nights of August 11th and 12th, the Swift-Tuttle comet will put on an extraordinary show. When the Earth plows…
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Stories
Firefighters are Using Pack Mules to Deliver Supplies into the Trinity Alps Wildfires
Mike McFadden getting mules ready. Photo by US Forest Service/Jay Burkhalter The Red-Salmon Complex Fire has grown to 4,278 acres…
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Photography
Farewell Neowise: Here Are the Best Photos of the Historic Comet Over Northern California
The summer of 2020 turned out to be historic, not just for the Covid-19 pandemic impacting everyone’s lives, but also…
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Stories
Photo of Comet Neowise Over Wildfire Illustrates a Wild Month in Northern California
Photo: Patty Hood Photography Everyone can admit that 2020 has been one of the craziest years in our lifetime. Not…
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Stories
Lightning is Shooting Out of the Smoke Plume from the Hog Fire
Just when you thought 2020 couldn’t get any worse… As Lassen County’s Hog Fire continues to send massive amounts of…
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Video
Get an Overhead Tour of Northern California with Aerial America
The Smithsonian Channel does a fantastic job of getting an overhead view of Northern California, showing the entire region and…
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Photography
The Best Photos of Comet Neowise Over Northern California
The Neowise Comet has been giving astro-enthusiasts the show of a lifetime this week as it passes by Earth for…
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Stories
The Man Who Wrote ‘God Bless the U.S.A.’ is a Northern California Native
Melvin Lee Greenwood is a world-famous country music artist who has released more than 20 albums and charted more than…
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Stories
How E.T. the Extra Terrestrial Paved the Way for Blockbuster Movies Filmed in Northern California
When Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster film E.T. the Extra Terrestrial hit theaters in 1982, it broke every record for box office…
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North Coast
Fort Bragg Residents Voice Their Opinion on the Town’s Potential Name Change at City Council Meeting
The small town of Fort Bragg along the Northern California coast made headlines last week when it announced it would…
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Wildlife
Beware of the Shark-Infested Waters of Northern California’s Infamous Red Triangle
On the Northern California coast, starting in Bodega Bay and spanning down through the San Francisco Bay and all the…
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Video
Odyssey 700: Watch Bikers Ride 700 Miles Through NorCal in Epic ‘Bikepacking’ Adventure
Ladies and Gentlemen, Ryan Spitz is at it again. First, he ran 330-miles from Arcata to Mount Shasta to create…
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Outdoors
Ooowee! Brand-New Outdoor Company Offers Guided Trips in Northern California
Have you ever wanted to rock climb Castle Crags? Or maybe ski in Lassen? Or backpack the Trinity Alps? Or…
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Stories
Opinion: Places are Beginning to Reopen in NorCal. Can We Please Be Smart About This?
Tahoe’s crowded Sand Harbor Beach. Photo by Steven Feather This week saw a litany of reopenings throughout Northern California as…
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History
A Northern California Couple Found Historic Coins Buried in their Backyard. The Discovery Landed Them $10 Million.
In 2013, a couple was walking their dog on their rural Northern California property when they discovered an unusual scene.…
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News
Subaru is Donating 2.3 Millions Meals to Northern California Food Banks
The Covid-19 outbreak will have a significant impact on communities around the world and Northern California is no different. Lost…
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Eating
These 6 NorCal Breweries Were Named “Top 100 Brewers in the World”
For everyone who lives in Northern California, it’s well-known that we have some of the best craft beer in the…
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Stories
This Week’s ‘Super Pink Moon’ Will Be the Biggest and Brightest of 2020
Photo by Ganapathy Kumar Another supermoon will appear over the night sky this week, and it will be the biggest and…
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Wildlife
Stuck Inside? The Monterey Bay Aquarium is Live Streaming its Exhibits For All To See!
Photo: Monterey Bay Aquarium As many Northern California residents sit in their homes in self quarantine due to the Coronavirus,…
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Tahoe
Silver Lining: Travel Ban Could Significantly Improve Tahoe’s Water Clarity
At the outset of the Coronavirus outbreak in California, the visitor’s bureaus in the Tahoe asked people not to visit…
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News
Netflix’s ‘Murder Mountain’ Director Hoping for Second Season
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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Stories
How You Can Support Local NorCal Businesses During the Coronavirus Crisis
It’s been an unprecedented year around the world and one that peaked in Northern California recently as the Coronavirus (Covid-19)…
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Outdoors
The Redwood Route Rail Bikes Might be the Most Unique Adventure in Northern California
Photo by Benjamin Bateman There’s no place on the planet like the giant redwoods of Northern California. Towering high above…
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Tahoe
Lake Tahoe Home Featured in Godfather II Up For Sale
Photo: Sierra Sotheby’s International Realty The Godfather trilogy is one of the most heralded cinematic achievements of all-time and many…
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Stories
National Media Gets Giddy Over Mount Shasta’s Lenticular Clouds
Welcome to the party, Washington Post. Following our viral post of the Alien Sunrise over Mount Shasta this week, WaPo…
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Stories
Something Weird Happened at Kirkwood Mountain Resort this Week
Kirkwood Mountain Resort Kirkwood Ski Resort is known to be a local favorite of anyone on the south side of…
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Outdoors
Resurrecting Hat Creek – A Wild Trout Legacy in Northern California
That magical, terrifying, intense time between the late 1960s and early 1970s saw change sweeping across America in steady waves.…
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Stories
The Story Behind the Secret JFK – Marilyn Monroe Rendezvous in Castella, California
You may have passed Castella, California while driving on Interstate 5 just south of Mount Shasta, although it’s difficult to…
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Video
Playing with Fire: Get an Inside Look at the Lives of Smokejumpers in Northern California
When it comes to firefighters, there are none more brave and respected than smokejumpers. The forest service recently released a…
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Tahoe
This 3-Year-Old Tahoe Kid Might be a Better Snowboarder Than You
If you’ve ever been riding at a ski resort near Lake Tahoe, you may have noticed a little shredder passing…
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History
This Man is the Namesake of Lassen Volcanic National Park. His Murder Remains a Mystery.
You’ve surely seen the name Lassen plastered throughout Northern California, but behind the name sits a wild west murder mystery.…
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Tahoe
Everyone is Fawning Over Milton – Squaw Valley’s Newest Ski Patrol Dog
View this post on Instagram Meet Milton, the newest patrol puppy at Alpine Meadows. Welcome to the @alpinepatroldogs team, Milton!…
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Politics
What’s the Deal with Sites Reservoir? Northern California’s New 13-Mile Lake is Gaining Steam
As water storage has become one of the major issues California faces in the modern age, officials are looking for…
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History
The Adventures of Mark Twain in California – Part 4: The Stand Up Comedian
While it might be a stretch to describe Mark Twain’s ascent to literary rock-stardom as luck, he truly did not expect…
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History
How this Man’s ‘Hell’ Became One of Northern California’s Most Popular Destinations
Bumpass Hell is a popular destination for people traveling through Lassen Volcanic National Park. Lassen is chock-full of hydrothermal activity,…
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History
The Adventures of Mark Twain in California – Part 3: Jackass Hill and Jumping Frogs
Who knew that Mark Twain, beloved American author and humorist, creator of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, spent seven wild…
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North Coast
NorCal Residents Fight for the Trees of their Beloved Redwood-Lined Road
Photo: Change.org Sitting between the small towns of Crescent City and Fort Dick is a 2.5 mile remote roadway that…
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Cannabis
Remembering the Time it Rained 6,000 Pounds of Marijuana on Yosemite
Photo: Rick Schloss In 1977, Yosemite National Park was a much different place. Rock climbers traveled the world over to…
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Destinations
NorCal’s Frozen Gem – The Siskiyou Ice Rink is a Unique Winter Experience
Whether it’s a sunny day under the shadow of Mt. Shasta or a cold night under bright, illuminating stars, the…
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History
The Chronicles of Mark Twain in California – Part 2: Getting Fired in San Francisco
San Francisco’s Cliff House in the 1800’s By the time Mark Twain (formerly Sam Clemens) made it to San Francisco…
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Outdoors
Scientists Believe Thousands of Meteors Could Fly Over the Night Sky Tonight
Not since 1995 has an alpha Monocerotids meteor storm been seen over the night sky, but that could be the…
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