Outdoor Adventures

The view of Hearst Castle from Highway 1. Photo by author Steven T. Callan.
March 13, 2020
in Fish and Wildlife, Outdoor Adventures
by Steve

In the Shadow of the Castle

Share
The view of Hearst Castle from Highway 1. Photo by author Steven T. Callan.

I tried to find the most interesting view of Hearst Castle from Highway 1. The huge rock on the left made the difference. Photo by Steven T. Callan.

Kathy and I have always been fond of California’s Central Coast. We try to make the trip down Highway 1, from Monterey to Morro Bay, at least once every year. Weather permitting, we do it during late winter, when most of the tourists are away and the gargantuan beachmaster elephant seals are rumbling up and down the shore, chasing would-be suitors from their harems.

Continue reading
Share



Every fall, aspens put on a magnificent display in California’s Eastern Sierra. Photo by Steven T. Callan.
October 4, 2019
in Conservation Issues, Outdoor Adventures
by Steve

Golden Trout and Golden Trees

Share
Every fall, aspens put on a magnificent display in California’s Eastern Sierra. Photo by Steven T. Callan.

Every fall, aspens put on a magnificent display in California’s Eastern Sierra. Photo by author.

The first time I experienced the awesome grandeur of California’s Eastern Sierra was in 1975, when, as a rookie Fish and Game warden, I drove there on assignment to work the Crowley Lake trout-season opener. That spring, the majestic mountains to the west were covered with snow, and the entire scene, from Mount Whitney to Mammoth Lakes, looked like something you’d see on a Christmas card. Over the years I’ve visited again and again, sometimes in the spring, sometimes in the summer, and sometimes in the fall.  Whatever the season,  the Eastern Sierra always offers an eyepopping display of color and natural beauty.

Continue reading
Share



Mount Shasta as it appears from Castle Crags State Park.
July 12, 2019
in Outdoor Adventures
by Steve

Siskiyou County: The Land Beneath the Great White Mountain

Share
Majestic Mount Shasta as it appears from Castle Crags State Park.

Majestic Mount Shasta as it appears from Castle Crags State Park. Photo by author.

When the Outdoor Writers Association of California chose Siskiyou County as the site for this spring’s writers conference, I couldn’t have been more pleased. I’ve had a soft spot in my heart for this unspoiled land at the top of the state since I first discovered it fifty-three years ago.

Continue reading
Share



A herd of bighorn sheep in Valley of Fire State Park. Photo by Author Steven T. Callan.
April 12, 2019
in Outdoor Adventures
by Steve

Just Add Water

Share
A herd of bighorn sheep in Valley of Fire State Park. Photo by Author Steven T. Callan.

What a thrill to encounter bighorn sheep during our visit to Valley of Fire State Park. Photo by author.

When people describe the desert, words like hot, dry, desolate, bleak, bare, brown, inhospitable, and intimidating are often mentioned. Those descriptions change dramatically when water is added to the mix!

Continue reading
Share



Every fall, aspens put on a magnificent display in California’s Eastern Sierra. Photo by Steven T. Callan.
October 26, 2018
in Conservation Issues, Outdoor Adventures
by Steve

Golden Trout and Golden Trees

Share
Every fall, aspens put on a magnificent display in California’s Eastern Sierra. Photo by Steven T. Callan.

Every fall, aspens put on a magnificent display in California’s Eastern Sierra. Photo by author.

The first time I experienced the awesome grandeur of California’s Eastern Sierra was in 1975, when, as a rookie Fish and Game warden, I drove there on assignment to work the Crowley Lake trout-season opener. That spring, the majestic mountains to the west were covered with snow, and the entire scene, from Mount Whitney to Mammoth Lakes, looked like something you’d see on a Christmas card. Over the years I’ve visited again and again, sometimes in the spring, sometimes in the summer, and sometimes in the fall.  Whatever the season,  the Eastern Sierra always offers an eye-popping display of color and natural beauty.

Continue reading
Share



Setting out on our Safari West adventure, we left civilization behind. Photo by Alex Coburn.
September 7, 2018
in Outdoor Adventures
by Steve

On Safari

Share
Setting out on our Safari West adventure, we left civilization behind. Photo by Alex Coburn.

Everyone was excited as we left civilization behind and set out on our Safari West adventure. Photo by Alex Coburn.

With camera in hand, Kathy and I have spent much of the last thirty years enjoying nature and searching for wildlife wherever we could find it. We’ve meandered through mountains, marshes, and meadows in seven states; we’ve trekked across deserts in California, Arizona, and Nevada; we’ve kayaked with great whales in Monterey Bay; and we’ve dived to the depths of the ocean in California, Hawaii, Key Largo, and the Caribbean. One place we’ve never gone in search of wildlife is Africa.

Continue reading
Share



September 8, 2017
in Outdoor Adventures
by Steve

Tiny Fish and Gentle Giants

Share
Kathy pointing at a pod of passing humpbacks in Monterey Bay out of Moss Landing. Photo by Steven T. Callan

Kathy pointing at a pod of passing humpbacks. Photo by author

It was early September when Kathy and I arrived in Pacific Grove to find the whole town buzzing with excitement. Something strange was going on, the likes of which no one had ever seen. Water temperatures in Monterey Bay were reportedly five degrees warmer than normal for this time of year. Baitfish numbers were off the charts, and wherever anchovies, sardines, and other prey species swam, congregations of larger fish, seabirds, and marine mammals followed. Among the marine mammals in relentless pursuit of these tiny, silver-sided fish were sea lions, dolphins, and the largest creatures on earth—the whales.

Continue reading
Share



July 7, 2017
in Outdoor Adventures
by Steve

Revisiting the Eastern Sierra

Share

Mount Whitney, the tallest mountain in the lower forty-eight states, is the peak in the background with the jagged spires. Photo by author.

My first opportunity to visit California’s magnificent Eastern Sierra came in late April 1975, while I was a young Fish and Game warden stationed on the Colorado River. During the next three and a half years, I was sent to the Eastern Sierra six more times. My assignments included working the opening weekend of trout season at Crowley Lake, the opening weekend of deer season near Walker, and covering the June Lake Loop while district warden “Bigfoot” Johnson was on vacation. Regardless the duty, I couldn’t wait to go.

Continue reading
Share



July 2, 2016
in Outdoor Adventures
by Steve

A Hot Summer’s Day on Chico Creek

Share

I’ve been exploring Northern California’s streams—above and below the surface—for most of my life. One of my most memorable adventures took place on a hot summer’s day in 1964, not long after my sixteenth birthday. My fishing buddy, Paul Martens, had heard that some trophy browns could be caught in upper Chico Creek. The only way into this treacherously steep canyon was an overgrown Caterpillar track that hadn’t been traveled or maintained in years. Throwing caution to the wind, I shoved my 1947 Chevy pickup into first gear, gingerly stepped on the gas, and inched down the steep embankment.

Continue reading
Share



The Middle Fork American River and Ruck-A-Chucky Falls. Photo by Eric Peach.
June 10, 2016
in Outdoor Adventures
by Steve

Rafting and Reflecting on the American River

Share
The Middle Fork American River and Ruck-A-Chucky Falls. Photo by Eric Peach.

The Middle Fork American River and Ruck-A-Chucky Falls. Photo by Eric Peach.

When I looked at the list of outdoor activities for this year’s Outdoor Writers Association of California (OWAC) spring conference, a rafting trip down the American River practically jumped off the page. “Let’s do this!” I said to Kathy. “I haven’t rafted the American River since 1973, when I was a graduate student at Sacramento State.” I had also worked as a paid intern for the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors during that time and learned firsthand about a fledgling organization called Friends of the River. Friends of the River was mounting a campaign to stop the proposed Auburn Dam project. It seemed that certain political heavyweights were pushing to bury the breathtakingly pristine north and middle forks of the American River under several hundred feet of water. Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed and the project was eventually abandoned. Natural treasures like the American River Canyon are never completely safe, however. Like a bad cold that just won’t go away, the plan to build Auburn Dam still rears its ugly head from time to time.

Continue reading
Share