Tom Stienstra Blog Posts
Above is a video I shot Tuesday afternoon of a mystery set of waterfalls. Where is this? How difficult are they to reach? Can anybody get there? Yes, about anybody can get there. I'll answer 10 questions below my family has asked me about them. By the end, you'll know the spot; that is, if you don't figure it out first. From now through mid-June is the best time of the year to [...]
1. $60 "Sensei Stix" premium saltwater fishing rod This is the best $60 saltwater rod I’ve ever seen. It is designed for halibut and works for rockfish, lingcod, sturgeon, albacore and salmon trolling. It’s a one-piece, six-foot rod, composite graphite/fiberglass, with top-quality guides, gimbal for fighting belt (for those with back problems), triangular and hand-shaped fore and aft grips. The fit and finish is first-class. Handles weights to 16 ounces. I’ve showed it [...]
The first active bald eagle nest in a century at Crystal Springs Watershed on the Peninsula gives hope that chicks could be born by mid-April. To help visitors see the phenomenon, the Sequoia Chapter of the Audubon Society said it would post volunteers with spotting scopes on weekends during the nesting season. Several Chronicle field scouts have reported seeing bald eagles this past winter at Crystal Springs. George Chrisman of Burlingame spent [...]
The first glimpse of Berry Creek Falls is framed by redwoods in deep forest. Courtesy Ryan Commons / Walkifornia.com. For short video of Berry Creek Falls, click on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmAbr_u32ss Berry Creek Falls is the No. 1 hiking destination of any park in the greater Bay Area's nine counties. It's one of my favorite spots in the world. I try to hike it every year in the spring for a personal birthday present. Ryan Commons [...]
All factors aligned last week to create a phenomenon where refracted light in frozen ice falls at Yosemite Valley made it appear that “lava” was pouring over the brink of the canyon. The effect only lasts for a minute or two. For comparison, one photo is of the "fire falls" of the 1960s. To enlarge, click on photo twice. All photos courtesy Scott and Bethany Gediman, Yosemite National Park.
Click here to buy Sierra Crossing at the Apple iBookstore. Click here to buy Sierra Crossing at Amazon.com. Sierra Crossing is the story and photographs that describe and capture the epic 70-mile crossing of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range from east to west, as the first pioneers and trailblazers would have seen it. As a week-long trek, it is adventure anybody from across America could aspire to. [...]