-
-
-
-
July 23, 2018Trump’s “yuge” success? Students...
Few Bay Area young people have given their hearts and minds to President Donald Trump; a student poll at my once-conservative school measured 85 perce... -
June 27, 2018Discover delights beside the John Muir T...
Hikers turn their minds to backpacking season in summer, and thousands of them covet a journey along the magnificent John Muir Trail, the 210-mile tre...
Education
Trump’s “yuge” succe...
Few Bay Area young people have given their hearts and minds to President Donald Trump; a student poll at my once-conservative school measured 85 perce...
Trump’s “yuge” success? Students’ letters show concern, insight
Few Bay Area young people have given their hearts and minds to President Donald Trump; a student poll at my once-conservative school measured 85 percent disapproval. But when it comes…
Discover delights beside the John Muir Trail
Hikers turn their minds to backpacking season in summer, and thousands of them covet a journey along the magnificent John Muir Trail, the 210-mile trek from Yosemite to Mount Whitney….
Sierra ski trek: “The Mountains Let Us Through”
Setting out under heavy packs near the gateway town of Lee Vining, we knew the day ahead would test our strength. Sixteen miles separated us from our first destination, the…
’97 Giants left lasting legacy
Before Brian Johnson won the Giants’ biggest game of the 90s, Rod Beck saved it. And together the 1997 Giants put San Francisco on the baseball map in a way…
Giant sequoias’ namesake park deserves a visit
Grand as they are, it’s easy to overlook giant sequoias, even for those who visit the Sierra Nevada range often. Tahoe skiers and Yosemite climbers don’t even pass close to…
Don’t cheer a cheater
Barry Bonds will make a dramatic return to 24 Willie Mays Plaza when the Giants add him to their Wall of Fame on June 8. Thousands of excited fans will…
Moderate Obama deserves GOP gratitude
With Inauguration Day behind us, Republicans at last can embrace a president who promotes the ideals of their party: Barack Obama. Though Republicans reviled, opposed and obstructed him for eight…
Be proud of Kap
Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers gave their fans a long-awaited gift on Christmas Eve: a rousing, comeback win over the Los Angeles Rams to snap their 13-game losing streak. The…
Kilimanjaro: “Cool as a banana in the fridge”
Summit day started with a 1 a.m. wakeup call, a quick bite and final equipment check before setting out into a dark and freezing night. A line of climbers’ headlamps…
Honnold: super or suicidal?
Alex Honnold wants us to know that there’s more to him than the difficult rock climbs he ascends without a rope. Then again, he titled his new book “Alone on…
Like father, like sons on Dad’s High Sierra Hike
For a middling fisherman like me, a nibble in a backcountry lake is a big deal, especially the first one after eight days on the trail. I eagerly reeled in…
Roust the rebels from our mountains
“May God have mercy on Bobby Lee, for I will have none,” decreed Union General Joe Hooker during the Civil War. His druthers are my druthers. Confederates have invaded the…
Lawrie: hustle, hunger, heart
His line drive to right scored a run against the Rockies, putting the Athletics comfortably ahead in the eighth inning, 7-1, but Oakland’s new third baseman did not let up….
Rush delivers a musical high
Talk about “Clockwork Angels.” Playing for perhaps the last time in Northern California, Rush took more than 10,000 fans on a celestial journey through time at San Jose’s SAP Center…
Angels assist the weary on Pacific Crest Trail
Though hundreds of hikers per year attempt the 2,600-mile Pacific Crest Trail, my cousin Zach Padlo and I hit the wall around mile 26. We weren’t rookies but the first…
How the other half lives in Yosemite
When my wife and I carried our bags down the red carpet into a plush lobby, I could still hardly believe it. In all the years we had visited Yosemite,…
Get SBAC off our backs
Common Core has changed public education in recent years as teachers revised practices to help students achieve greater “depth of knowledge.” But those who created a deeply flawed testing system…
Scholastic journalism rewards students, teachers
Seven of us waited pensively for the sold-out program to begin. Our meeting was supposed to take place after it ended, but then word arrived that we were wanted backstage….
Savor the Giants’ golden age
With one out to get for the 2014 World Series title, a colossally bad defensive play threatened to lose the Giants a championship. San Francisco center fielder Gregor Blanco missed…
McCartney, Candlestick combine for fine finale
Maybe I’m amazed. For nearly three hours, Paul McCartney beautifully serenaded 50,000 adoring fans in San Francisco on Aug. 24. The former Beatle made the sellout crowd dance and sing…
Find free fun in San Francisco
After the 1906 earthquake and fire, San Francisco took the nickname “The City That Knows How” as it rebuilt itself from the rubble. Today one might call it The City…
Moab: more climbing, more hiking, more fun
Those who climb the Kor-Ingalls Route of Castleton Tower, a classic adventure on a coveted desert tower, face a choice on the third pitch. There are two ways to scale…
If the NRA ran our schools…
During our national search for answers following the Sandy Hook massacre and the United States’ spike in mass shootings, the National Rifle Association contributed this surprising revelation: what schools need…
Donaldson gives and takes for Athletics at third
In his first full year with Oakland, Josh Donaldson has shown what he can give the club. Time after time, the third baseman has delivered clutch, run-scoring hits in crucial…
Journey through time on forgotten Yosemite road
Dawn arrived on a clear and chilly day, revealing a gentle stream, wooded hills and a dirt road that extends beyond the horizon. From this spot beside Bower Cave in…
Super Bowl XLVII: Kaep faces loss like a champ
NEW ORLEANS – In a span of three months, Colin Kaepernick rose from an unknown backup to a starting quarterback to a postseason sensation, leading the Forty-Niners to exhilarating wins…
Super Bowl XLVII: Niners lose but hospitality wins
NEW ORLEANS – Looks like I should have paid that street magician who promised to fix the game with a spell, but though the Niners lost the Super Bowl, the…
Super Bowl XLVII: Fans let loose
NEW ORLEANS – Under normal circumstances, this city runs to wild. In the lively French Quarter, street performers, musicians, adult entertainers and free-flowing alcohol entertain tourists from all over the…
Yosemite’s “Little Big Wall”
My turn to lead on Yosemite’s Washington Column arrived about halfway up the 1,100 foot rock face. The climb’s sixth pitch was a suitable choice because it’s the easiest segment…
Some Republican ideas won in 2012
President Obama’s re-election and the Democrats’ generally good showing at the polls have caused the GOP a good deal of despair and anguish. But Republicans should take heart that many…
Wilson: great player, better person
Giants of recent glory years are even better people than they are players, General Manager Brian Sabean says. Share this:
Zito at the Bat
The outlook wasn’t brilliant as the Giants left the Bay. They trailed the Reds by two games in Division Series play. But they rallied in game three; in game four…
Don’t fall for deceptive Prop. 32
Coming soon to California schools near you: larger classes, fewer courses, and an end to sports and arts programs. All of this and much worse could come to pass after…
True Tea Party endorses President Obama
Tea Party activists have made history in recent years and our movement will continue to shape the nation’s future. To fully promote our conservative principles, the True Tea Party wishes…
Rafting the Tuolumne: “Each visit changes your life forever”
As we headed towards a raging Clavey Falls, I took a deep breath and gripped my paddle with white knuckles. During the biggest runoff in a decade on the Tuolumne,…
Matt’s interview with Robin Fahr
Robin and I talked about Yosemite, the Giants, more Giants and more Yosemite. Share this:
Beware Death Eaters, tea partiers and other extremists
Lord Voldemort killed Harry Potter’s parents and tried, many times, to slay him. Draco Malfoy only broke Harry’s nose and the two eventually made up. There’s a lesson here for…
Americans, Germans ponder political future
Though separated by a language barrier and an ocean, Germany and the United States have both common political ground and varying challenges in a time of great political change. Such…
Help win education’s STAR Wars
Forcing Carl to focus through a week of STAR testing was harder than beating Darth Vader in a light saber duel. Share this:
How to love your job
Noelia could always make a teacher’s day, so I was glad to do the same for her. A 17-year-old who moved to the country just recently, she told me she…
“Don’t ask” repeal offers hope for greater equality
Rousing hymns, stirring prayers, a candlelight procession and blissful smiles filled one of the most beautiful weddings I’ve ever attended. Happiness permeated the recent ceremony in Oakland for my wife’s…
Before winning golden trophy, Giants gave golden memories
I’ve felt out of sync since the World Series ended, like a hitter swinging late at a fastball. Now that my pulse has finally slowed from a month of heart…
Peak bagging, paragliding highlight Bavarian trek
Though we’ve climbed our share of mountains, we’d never ascended one like this. Instead of trudging uphill for days in boots and backpacks, my brother Dan and I didn’t even…
This crazy Congress shows courage
When the government bans homework, lowers the drinking age and prohibits senior citizens from driving all on the same day, there can be only one explanation: those yahoos in Congress…
Recent Comments