Tom Stienstra

This week is giving new meaning to "Happy Birthday." "You are looking so good that I think most people who see you would have no idea what you've been through," said Dr. Steven Chang , who supervised six brain surgeries and six CyberKnife radiation burns for melanoma cancer. https://t.co/QvAwWfvmWh

A magic moment When you're out there, you never know what you might see. Today it was the spectacular view of Mt. Shasta, two hoof prints from elk, and the nearby mating calls of blue grouse. Go. The only guarantee is that if you don't go, you are guaranteed not to see anything. https://t.co/6j6oTt69tg

We ran into our first bear of the year this morning. We then heard the classic sound of a blue grouse calling for a mate, another first for the year. A moment later, a whir of a hummingbird sailed over my head. Photo by Larry Ferguson, near his cabin at Tahoe. https://t.co/gj4Q0Xq0kV

As spring takes hold, momma deer are giving birth, and all phases of the outdoors are coming to life. For our favorite places to to go, https://t.co/ijoL6HsFp8 https://t.co/7HDNYMzE7r

Man's Best Friend Your best chance to live a long, fit life, says pal Larry Yant, is by having a dog (and maybe s cat, too). "Many believe those with doggy friends live longer than those that don't because they become just like their dogs, they need to go for a walk every day," https://t.co/lJhNcT6i7D

Signs of Spring Late winter rain and melting snow in the high country feeds even small creeks, rivers and waterfalls. One of my favorites, Squaw Creek Falls off a PCT spur trail, has again been brought to life. https://t.co/WrKlCNmXvx

A pal of mine from Spokane, Washington, Rich Landers, had climbed all of the Cascade peaks but Shasta, asked me to help guide him up 14,179-foot Mount Shasta, and took the shot above a storm (below). He just sent me this pic he found in his slides. https://t.co/kAu4JKgio9

Shasta dumping water Giant Shasta Lake is 80% full as of Friday, down from 90% last weekend, after outflows were doubled. That is 120% full of normal (down from 135% in seven days) for the date. Shasta spans 365 miles of shoreline and is the largest reservoir in California. https://t.co/MVdY4VeJW6

Shasta starting to dump water Giant Shasta Lake is 89% full, down from 90% Saturday, after outflows were doubled. That is 133% of normal (down from 135% Friday) for the date. Shasta spans 365 miles of shoreline and is the largest reservoir in California. https://t.co/CkQCjQWBTz

Shasta Lake, California's largest reservoir with 365 miles of shoreline, hit 89% full today, 134% of normal for the date. The Upper Sac, hit a high of 17,000 CFS earlier this week at the gauge just above the lake along I-5 https://t.co/wQSErZqZa7

Look at all that water, cont. Giant Shasta Lake is 86% full. That is 130% of normal for the date. Shasta spans 365 miles of shoreline and is the largest reservoir in California; will certainly hit the 90+% mark this spring. https://t.co/ap5Kk4gzJi

Look at all that water The Upper Sacramento River, just above Shasta Lake near I-5, is running today 16-17,000 CFS, more than 50 times summer flows. Giant Shasta Lake is 84% full. That is 124% of normal for the date. Shasta spans 365 miles of shoreline, the state's largest res. https://t.co/0XB61KnY1R

Doctors at Stanford tested me in MRI, PET and CAT scans. They found no active lesions in my brain; cancer had been cleared from my lungs, liver and other sites, and were otherwise diminished and not active, and that there were “no obstructive disease" in arteries feeding my heart https://t.co/vaZUo4nt66

Dusty Baker credited his love of fishing, hunting, travel and his guidance as a boy from his dad -- and his favorite partners on trips, his wife, Melissa, and children Darren and Natosha -- for his passion of the outdoors, when inducted into the California Outdoors Hall of Fame. https://t.co/MwBSSlRJcj

The renowned Dusty Baker will lead this year’s inductees into the California Outdoors Hall of Fame. The inductions will be held on Saturday, beginning at 11:30 a.m. at the International Sportsmen’s Exposition at Cal Expo. Go to the corner of the Adventure Theater in Building A. https://t.co/JbMq7Ur1pQ

Will new national monument stand? President Biden designated Medicine Lake and its surrounding 200,00-acre landscape as “Sáttítla Highlands National Monument.” President Trump will find it difficult to reverse the order; more likely to shrink it in size; that too, reversible. https://t.co/4kp8jxADp9

Happy New Year: Colonel Mortimer doesn't seem to know what to do about that bass before we release it. For our favorite places to go, check out my books at . . . https://t.co/c8PLezwbCW https://t.co/RyVXHhrpxl