🏕️ Summer in Yosemite, Spring Snow in Mammoth: One Last Run, One First Memory

🌄 I Saw Yosemite For the First Time at Age 6… And It Still Takes My Breath Away

We pulled into the valley in our rusted-out Subaru, windows down, John Denver on full blast. My dad had worked two double shifts to get us there. My mom packed PB&Js and those neon-orange cheese crackers I used to love. I was six. My backpack was bigger than I was.

And then, we turned the corner.

El Capitan rose out of the mist like a giant’s doorstep. Bridalveil Fall spilled from the sky like magic. I thought I’d wandered into a fairy tale. That moment changed me. I knew then and there that the outdoors weren’t just “fun”—they were home.

Now, I get to take my daughter Quinn there. She’s six too. Watching her stare up at Half Dome, wide-eyed and slack-jawed, gave me chills. Same spot. Same sense of awe. That’s what Yosemite does—it rewinds time and anchors your soul all at once.

So whether it’s your first time or your fiftieth, Yosemite is always worth the trip.

📅 Ready to Camp Yosemite This Summer? Here’s the Scoop on Reservations

Here’s the good news: Yosemite is opening a wave of summer campground reservations this morning (May 15).

Here’s the tricky part: They’ll disappear fast. But if you’re quick, you’ve still got a shot!

🟢 Reserve NOW on Recreation.gov
👉 Click here to grab your campsite

🏕️ Here’s What’s Opening Today:

Released at 7:00 AM PDT (May 15):

• Upper Pines (Sites 1–124): Aug 15 – Sept 14

• North Pines: Aug 15 – Sept 14

• Lower Pines: June 15 – Sept 14

• Wawona A & C Loops: Aug 15 – Sept 14

• Hodgdon Meadow: Aug 15 – Sept 14

• Crane Flat: May 22 – May 29 only

Releasing between 7:00 AM – 7:30 AM PDT:

• Upper Pines (Sites 125–240): June 15 – Sept 14

• Wawona B Loop: June 15 – Sept 14

• Hodgdon Meadow (more): June 15 – Aug 14

📝 Future drops to mark on your calendar:

• June 15: Sites for Sept 15 – Oct 14

• July 15: Sites for Oct 15 – Dec 14
  🎯 Back to the normal release schedule after that.

🎯 What You’ll Need to Book:

• Recreation.gov account (free)

• Flexible dates (be open to weekdays!)

• 7 AM because slots don’t wait

🎿 Mammoth's 2nd Season: Catch the Last Turns Before It's Gone!

Mammoth’s still spinning chairs, but it’s winding down faster than a goggle tan fades.

Here’s what you need to know:

• ❄️ Lifts now run 7:30 AM to 2 PM for prime spring conditions

• 🎿 Snow is soft, sun is out, vibes are high

• ⛷️ Closing date isn’t set, but at least through Memorial Day and possibly through early June

This is spring skiing’s last call. It’s corduroy and corn snow, baby—leave the parkas at home and slap on the SPF 50.

Take a Friday off. Shred a few laps. Soak in the hot tub. It’s the perfect bookend to a wild SoCal season.

💡 Lesson of the Week: The Best Things Go Fast

Whether it’s a Yosemite reservation or Mammoth’s last powder day, the best moments don’t wait. Jump on them. Even if it’s last-minute. Especially if it’s last-minute.

Adventure favors the fast.

🧠 Proverb of the Week

“The early bird gets the campsite.”
🪶(Also the powder, the liftline, and the front-row s’mores spot.)

🔜 Coming Next Week

☀️ Ski Legs to Summer Quads

• My favorite SoCal trails to switch your skis for trail runners

• How to keep your legs strong all summer long

• A simple strength circuit that’ll light your glutes on fire (in a good way)

👋 Until Then, Find Your Flow

Maybe you’re hiking Yosemite. Maybe you're skiing Mammoth. Either way, you’re outside. You’re alive. You’re doing the thing.

So go chase waterfalls, book the trip, or bomb that last blue run. Just don’t let summer sneak past you.

Get outside. Breathe it in. Pass it on.

🙋‍♀️ Got Plans or Questions?

• 💬 Drop a comment: What’s your favorite Yosemite campsite or Mammoth spring run?

• ⭐ Save this for your next trip!

• 📩 Share with your camp-loving, snow-chasing crew!

Catch you on the trails, in the trees, or on the tippy top of Half Dome... just don’t forget your bug spray or your ski socks. 😎⛺🎿

Stay wild, stay weird, and stay outside.

— Sasha “Snowboots & S’mores” Everett

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