Sierra Rec Magazine

When I started Sierra Rec, I simply wanted to help people discover more of the Sierra Nevada.

Today, Sierra Rec videos have been viewed more than 250,000 times.

But this milestone isn't really about numbers.

It's about the stories.

The guides, historians, photographers, destination experts, volunteers, outdoor advocates, and adventurers who have shared their knowledge and passion through Sierra Rec.

Every view represents someone planning a hike, discovering a new place, learning about Sierra history, or finding inspiration to get outside.

Thank you for being part of this journey and helping us continue to tell Sierra stories.

What Sierra Rec video, podcast episode, guest, or destination has stuck with you the most?

I'd love to hear your favorite Sierra memory below. ⛰️

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 0

Sierra Rec Magazine

Which Yosemite backpacking destination would you choose?

1 month ago | [YT] | 0

Sierra Rec Magazine

This week’s Sierra Rec Now episode on Ebbetts Pass is a little different for me.

Normally opening weekend on Highway 4 is one of my favorite Sierra traditions. For years now, if the gates opened and conditions allowed, there was a pretty good chance I’d be somewhere up there wandering around waterfalls, snowfields, rivers, and hidden pullouts along the pass.

This year I won’t make it.

I’m traveling for my uncle’s funeral.

My aunt asked me to speak at the service, which is an incredible honor… but honestly, I’ve struggled a little putting those thoughts into words. The emotions are still close, and the memories are coming in waves.

Oddly enough, sitting down to talk about Ebbetts Pass felt easier.

Maybe because places like this have always been part of how I process life. The Sierra has a way of slowing things down and helping you breathe again when the world feels heavy.

So this episode became less about a “travel guide” and more about sharing one of those places that has always helped lower my blood pressure and reset my perspective.

If you’re heading over Ebbetts Pass this week, slow down a little for me. Listen to the rivers. Stop at the waterfalls. Take the extra pullout you normally would’ve skipped.

Hope you enjoy the episode.

1 month ago | [YT] | 0

Sierra Rec Magazine

12 miles deep in the Emigrant Wilderness…
morning light breaking through the trees…
birds already calling, trail horses moving out…

…and a cup of coffee waiting.

That moment right there is why I love the backcountry.

Lately, I’ve been carrying Coulée Coffee EcoPour filters—and honestly, it’s changed my mornings out there. Simple. No mess. And it just feels right in places like this.

This episode is less about coffee…
and more about slowing down and enjoying where you are.


What’s your go-to backcountry coffee setup?

#GoExplore #BackpackingLife #SierraRecMagazine
▶️ Watch the full episode here:

2 months ago | [YT] | 1

Sierra Rec Magazine

Ever meet someone completely random on a trail… and end up hiking together for miles?

It happens all the time out there.

New episode with Josh Sprague (Orange Mud) dives into why trail runners, hikers, and bikers seem to connect instantly—no matter where you are.

There’s just something about dirt.

👇 Where’s the friendliest trail you’ve been on?

2 months ago | [YT] | 0

Sierra Rec Magazine

Be honest…

Have you ever pushed yourself further than you thought you could outdoors?

New Sierra Rec Now episode with Josh Sprague (Orange Mud) is all about that moment when things shift—and you realize you can go further.

👇 What was that moment for you?

2 months ago | [YT] | 0

Sierra Rec Magazine

We just dropped our Spring Gear Guide this week…
hundreds of products, new gear, all the things we get excited about.

And then I recorded this podcast.

And found myself asking a different question…

👉 Do we actually need all of it?

This week’s episode is a little different for us.
Not a trail guide. Not a gear review.

Just a real conversation that honestly made me stop and think about my own closet.
https://youtu.be/Xe2qXSEz21k

Curious where you land on this…

Do you feel like you’ve dialed in your gear?
Or are you still adding pieces every season?

3 months ago | [YT] | 1

Sierra Rec Magazine

25 editions later…

Looking back at the first issue of Sierra Rec Magazine, it’s hard not to smile a little.

No real design background. No big plan. Just a desire to get outside and share more of what the Sierra has to offer beyond the obvious.

That first cover—standing at the base of a waterfall, arms up—that moment still sums up what this has always been about.

Now we’ve just published our 25th edition.

A lot has changed. The design. The storytelling. The perspective.

But the core idea hasn’t.

Get outside.
Go a little further.
Discover more of the Sierra.

If you’ve followed along at any point—thank you.

👉 Explore all 25 editions: sierrarecmagazine.com/explore-sierra-rec-magazine/

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3 months ago | [YT] | 1

Sierra Rec Magazine

It’s interesting…

After 10+ years of always finding a way backpack into the Sierra,
I got denied twice here in Washington this year for Permit lotteries.

Same season. Same experience level.

Different systems.

Starting to realize it’s not about popularity—it’s about how access is managed.

Anyone else seeing this shift?
Got denied at Mount Rainier this year…
Then denied again at North Cascades.

But somehow Yosemite still said yes.

That didn’t make sense to me at all.

Are permits getting harder where you are?
Or is it just how different parks manage access?

👇 Curious what your experience has been this year

3 months ago | [YT] | 3

Sierra Rec Magazine

The Rae Lakes Loop might be one of the most iconic backpacking trips in the Sierra Nevada.

About 40 miles.
Granite canyons.
Glen Pass at nearly 12,000 feet.
And one of the most beautiful alpine basins in California.

This week’s Sierra Rec Now Podcast dives into the story behind the trail with author Rob Scott.

If you're planning a Kings Canyon backpacking trip this summer, you might enjoy this one.

🎥 Watch the episode here:
[Paste Video Link]

And I’m curious…

What’s the best campsite or lake on the Rae Lakes Loop?

3 months ago | [YT] | 0