Outdoor – The Fresnan

Things I Might Do In Fresno This Weekend

February 28, 2026February 28, 2026 The Fresnan Leave a comment

I am going to try out a new segment for the site/nesletter, and cross my fingers that I stick with it so you can check back here on The Fresnan or Fresno!Fresno! on Fridays or Saturday mornings for this (someone hold me to it, please).

These are literal things I might do this weekend. Like, if I have enough money, or time, or energy, I would do one or all of these things. Hopefully, it helps you figure out something for yourself.

Hike around the San Joaquin River. Wildflowers are coming out. Things won’t be greener. The weather will only get hotter. There is snow to look at on the Sierra. Choice. Checking an almond orchard before the blossoms are gone can be a related activity.
Record swap in River Park at Barrelhouse – Saturday from 12 to 5.
Play pinball at Summer Fox (Santa Fe) – they have a Star Wars pinball I really want to try.
Eat a Me & Ed’s pizza (it’s been, like, three long weeks since I’ve had some).
Buy a discounted puffy jacket at Eddie Bauer’s in Fig Garden, since they are all closing.
Have a colab beer at Out Of The Barrel, all day on Saturday (they’re having a ‘colab fest’).
Rogue Festival. It is an important, annual cultural event for Fresno. Check out the schedule.

Rogue Fest goes through to next weekend, so I might push that back. Hell, I might push all of it back, it’s how I operate.

Even if I do one of these things, I’ll be happy.

-Mike

I’m advising you to take a moment and look at the mountains today

February 20, 2026February 20, 2026 The Fresnan Leave a comment

The first chance you get today, if you’re on the East side of the SJ Valley, find a spot to take a look at the mountains. You won’t be disappointed. 🗻🏔️

Hike Fresno: Mount Stevenson

September 20, 2025September 20, 2025 The Fresnan

IMG_8503-1024x768 Hike Fresno: Mount Stevenson — The beginning of the Mount Stevenson trail

This is a series I am doing here on The Fresnan; I hike somewhere around Fresno, and then I post about it. Is that cool? Yeah? Good good. I am trying to do more personal posts here, but still have a tie to life in Fresno. This is that kind of content.

I went up to Mount Stevenson above Shaver Lake. Wanted to have a quick drive up four-lane and do a quick morning hike. This fit. I have lived in Fresno a lot of my life, and I have never heard of this mountain or who the crap is Stevenson. I am sure he was a cool dude.

Really, I just wanted to hike somewhere and then go get lunch at the Hungry Hut.

Review of the Mount Stevenson Trail

I enjoyed it. It bums you out, though, you see what the fire has done to it and know how much nicer it used to be. There are still trees left, but you can tell there were way more so it bums you out.

The trail is also a service road for Cal Edison and the radio towers up there. That I didn’t like either as I prefer a traditional hiking only dirt trail, but it was okay otherwise.

If you go in the Summer, go early as it gets hot. There is little shade.

The top of the ridge is the best part as to the East you can look out at Shaver Lake and the Eastern Sierra. On the West side of the ridge, you look out over the San Joaquin Valley all the way to the Coastal Range (if the air is clear enough).

A nice hike for a morning run up the hill. I may do it again in the Spring when there are more flowers; I probably won’t bother with it otherwise.

Before you go, bring plenty of water, some sunscreen, and maybe bug spray (but I didn’t encounter many).

Video of my hike:

17195-1955618 Hike Fresno: Mount Stevenson

Shithead Walks Across Palm at Night

September 2, 2025September 20, 2025 The Fresnan

Nobody come near me, I’m doing things like walking home at night. Not very Fresno but I do it anyway.

This is what I call “Palm Hill” – the section of Palm between Clinton and Shields. There are not many areas of town that have any kind of hill, but this one does.

I have read that this area and other areas of town like it have these “hilly” parts because of an ancient river bed. I will take their word for it.

-Mikey

Buy Me a Taco!

Weather Report: A Wave Of Brutality

August 20, 2025August 20, 2025 The Fresnan

Over the four or five days I have two words for you: night swimming

Find someone with a pool. Tell them you’re bringing over beer. Happen to have a swim suit on. Hope for some hospitality and a pool owner that picks up on visual cues.

The brutality:

IMG_8563-1019x1024 Weather Report: A Wave Of Brutality

But then the release:

IMG_8564-1024x590 Weather Report: A Wave Of Brutality — *(next weekend’s forecast)*

Just try to enjoy things when the sun goes down and know that the end of Summer is getting close.

A Certified Fresno Habitat

August 6, 2025August 6, 2025 The Fresnan

AD_4nXfSqGJJz0ah7SNPUGn2SPlzrNl1i8hAwhYF0VebZF_n_2zqWlL-M-62mXJOrtg96zb19d3-4w6pDQtyhS4o5xv2xesELshfxhpeIjSQfzESYC0h0SqpJw0zmqO4AdgQ-XidKs7-?key=XaxNWPlPbJUGwXSuHct8mg A Certified Fresno Habitat

I saw this sign on a fence in front of an Old Fig house while on a walk the other day and now I want to have my own yard certified!

Okay, well, I don’t have a house or a yard at the moment, but if I ever get one again, I am totally doing it!

Things you need to do to get your Fresno habitat certified:

Food: Your habitat needs to provide a minimum of three natural food sources for wildlife.
Water: Your habitat needs to provide clean water for wildlife to drink and bathe. If an existing water source is visible from and adjacent to your property, that can count for this requirement.
Cover: Your habitat needs at least two places for wildlife to find shelter from the weather and predators.
Breeding Ground: Your habitat must have at least two places for courting, mating, and raising.
Sustainable Practices: Your habitat must practice at least two from a list if options.

Check https://www.nwf.org/Native-Plant-Habitats/Create-and-Certify/At-Home for a detailed list of requirements.

Go to nwf.org/garden for more details on the requirements and more info.