Sierra Rec

16/09/2025

🍬 What brings 40,000 visitors to a town of just 225 people?

It’s the Candy Dance in Genoa, Nevada—a 106-year-old tradition that blends homemade sweets, live music, and one of the Sierra’s biggest craft fairs.

This week on the Sierra Rec Now Podcast, I sat down with Jody Brunz, Town Manager of Genoa, to share the story behind Nevada’s sweetest festival. We talk about:

The origins of the Candy Dance and how it keeps Genoa alive today

Tips for visiting Genoa during the festival weekend (parking, lodging & more)

Why you’ll want to come early for the fudge, divinity, and toffee

Hidden gems of Genoa: trails, hot springs, golf, and history

🎉 Candy Dance 2025 runs September 27–28 and is FREE to the public.
Town of Genoa, Nevada Visit Carson Valley Sierra Rec

09/09/2025

🎙 New Episode: Sierra Rec Now Podcast
We’re excited to welcome back Paul Wagner (BackpackingSierra.com) — author, blogger, and longtime wilderness volunteer — for a conversation full of trail stories, hidden lakes, and off-the-beaten-path adventures.

In this episode, Paul and Charlie dive into:
✅ The challenges & beauty of going off-trail in the Sierra
✅ Volunteering in Desolation & other wilderness areas
✅ Hidden gems from Emigrant to Yosemite
✅ Gear insights & Paul’s wilderness mystery book series

🎧 Tune in on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube → https://youtu.be/3pBKzHr-1dM

What’s YOUR favorite hidden lake or off-trail adventure in the Sierra? Share in the comments ⬇️

Join Charlie Pankey on the Sierra Rec Now Podcast for tales of places, people, and gear that fuel our Sierra adventures! He recounts a recent backcountry, of...

05/09/2025

A first trip down four mile trail off Glacier Point in Yosemite. What a beautiful trail with epic views. Cant believe it took me this long to experience.

28/08/2025

Yesterday in Carson City, Visit Carson City and Mayor Bagwell along with about 30 fans greeted Julianne Mahoney back into Carson City after completing her 1600 mile Capital to Canda Quest. Trail Named Hiccup after series of interesting days on trail Julianne accomplisbed this feat in just about 7 weeks and set the stage for hikers in the future as the first person to complete this epic stretch between Carson City and Canada. Read all about it today . Visit Carson City

CARSON CITY, Nev. — August 27, 2025 — The steps of Nevada’s State Capitol turned into a stage of celebration yesterday morning as family, friends, and

26/08/2025

🌲 17,710 Miles of Free Camping in the Sierra Nevada? 🌲

This week on the Sierra Rec Now Podcast we’re talking with Chris Cordes from OnX Off-Road about a brand-new tool that makes finding free, legal, and vehicle-accessible dispersed campsites easier than ever.

From Humboldt-Toiyabe to Tahoe National Forest, there are hidden camping opportunities all across the Sierra — and OnX is the only app mapping them with verified data. Whether you’re planning a Labor Day escape or dreaming of next summer’s overland trip, this episode is packed with tips to help you camp smarter and avoid the crowds.

🎧 Listen now:
👉 Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/17-710-miles-of-free-camping-in-the-sierra-nevada/id1740191775?i=1000723642692
👉 Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/sierra-rec/episodes/17-710-Miles-of-Free-Camping-in-the-Sierra-Nevada-with-OnX-Off-Road-e37bunm

👉 Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GzTj2MeVa-k

💬 After you listen, let us know: Where’s your favorite spot to get away from the crowds in the Sierra?

21/08/2025

This a great weekend to be in The Carson Valley! Visit Carson Valley

🎈✈️🚗 Wings & Wheels is back!
Join us for Discovery Day at Minden-Tahoe Airport on Saturday, August 23, 2025 • 8 AM–2 PM!

We’ll be there with standing balloons! 🎉 come see balloons inflated on the ground, chat with our pilots, and say hi!

FREE ENTRY 🌟 Enjoy flights, food, live music, car show, skydiving demos, kids’ activities & more!

📍 Minden-Tahoe Airport, 1146 Airport Rd, Minden, NV

20/08/2025

To maximize my reach, I teamed up with Aspen Meadow Pack Station for their Backpacker’s Assist program. A stock horse and mule team would carry my gear 14 miles in to Upper Bucks Lake, freeing me to start light, travel faster, and save energy for off-trail exploring.

It looked like the perfect plan — until Mother Nature reminded me that the Emigrant is not a place you “conquer.” Out here, heat, granite, and distance all fight back, and the wilderness will quickly humble anyone who forgets it.

Over the next four days, we covered more than 35 rugged miles, swam in alpine waters, refilled our bottles countless times, and visited 15 unique lakes — each one its own reward for the work it took to reach it.
https://sierrarecmagazine.com/four-days-deep-in-the-emigrant-wilderness-conquering-granite-and-lakes/

13/08/2025