The Approach Trading Post

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The Approach Trading Post Your last stop before Yosemite! Independent family-owned gear shop in Mariposa, CA. Plus handcrafted Mostly Sweet Jewelry & Yosemite Batiks in our gift shop!

From day hikes to backpacking, climbing to fly fishing— The Approach is where adventure begins.

Art shows usually goes one way for us. Load up, close up, drive.Not this time.Sierra Art Trails is this weekend, and thi...
10/02/2026

Art shows usually goes one way for us. Load up, close up, drive.

Not this time.

Sierra Art Trails is this weekend, and this trail runs right through our front door. The Approach is stop 62, featuring three days of the Mostly Sweet Jeweler behind the counter.

Twenty shows a year, once upon a time. Some weekend street shows. Some 4-day music festivals. Some a whole summer strung...
09/09/2026

Twenty shows a year, once upon a time. Some weekend street shows. Some 4-day music festivals. Some a whole summer strung end to end, one festival to the next. That's how Mostly Sweet Jewelry rolled.

With a shop door to unlock, we're down to four now; the gems worth the schlepping and the miles between. Capitola Art & W**e is one, and it's this weekend.

So the jewelry heads to the coast, and The Approach goes dark Friday through Sunday, September 11–13.

Today and tomorrow are your window.

Back Wednesday the 16th, with new fall hours: Wed–Sun, 10:30 to 6.

A headlamp has always been in my pack. The phone earned its way in later: photography, navigation, and now a satellite c...
09/03/2026

A headlamp has always been in my pack. The phone earned its way in later: photography, navigation, and now a satellite connection when there's no signal for fifty miles. Used appropriately, it's a versatile backcountry device.

But devices need power, and power needs managing. In the backcountry this summer, I realized I wasn't satisfied with how I was doing it. So I came home and went looking for a better answer.

Nitecore kept coming up — the brand JMT and PCT hikers have been carrying for years. I ordered a few in to test.

They sold out before I got around to writing this post. (I fixed that problem too.) Now that they're back in stock, come see our new range of ultralight power.

Five days in Virginia Canyon was the reset we needed. But you don't stop being a shop owner at the trailhead — if we're ...
08/08/2026

Five days in Virginia Canyon was the reset we needed. But you don't stop being a shop owner at the trailhead — if we're closing the doors that long, the pack goes out loaded with gear to test.

One piece came home a must-have for The Approach: Bedrock sandals.

They kept earning promotions. Camp shoes the first night. Layover dayhike shoes by day three. And on the morning we spent crisscrossing the creek, the only shoes I bothered wearing. Real miles, loaded and unloaded, over granite slab, DG trail, and boulder-strewn creekbed — the Vibram grips like an approach shoe. The pair weighs just over a pound, so it rides outside the pack without an argument.

We came home and opened an account. The first pairs are on the shelf. Come give some a try!

We've heard about your alpine lakes, passes, and mosquito counts. Time to see for ourselves. The store will be closed Fr...
07/22/2026

We've heard about your alpine lakes, passes, and mosquito counts. Time to see for ourselves.

The store will be closed Friday July 24–Tuesday July 28 for a family trip to the park boundary with the Hoover Wilderness. Come grab what you need before then, or we'll see you when we reopen Wednesday the 29th.

Summer hours start this week: Now open 6 days, Tuesday-Sunday, 10:00-6:30. Two ultralight packs just hit the gear exchan...
07/07/2026

Summer hours start this week: Now open 6 days, Tuesday-Sunday, 10:00-6:30.

Two ultralight packs just hit the gear exchange. Gratuitous photos to grab your attention.

The jewelry display at The Approach will be empty from July 4 through July 18, as Mostly Sweet Jewelry travels to the Or...
07/01/2026

The jewelry display at The Approach will be empty from July 4 through July 18, as Mostly Sweet Jewelry travels to the Oregon Country Fair.

Friday, July 3 is your last chance for Jewelry at the Approach for a few weeks. If you've had your eye on a piece, swing by before then.

The Approach remains open the whole time for all your non-jewelry needs.

One year ago we opened our doors with only a hunch that Mariposa wanted what we were scheming. You didn't keep us guessi...
06/27/2026

One year ago we opened our doors with only a hunch that Mariposa wanted what we were scheming. You didn't keep us guessing long.

You told us what products you wanted close to home. You told us what brands you trusted on trail. You filled our Switchback Gear Exchange with your quality used gear. The hunch was ours. What grew from it is yours.

Thank you, neighbors. Keep participating. Here's to the trail ahead.

School year, we keep Sundays clear for family. School's out, so we'll open Sundays for summer. Speaking of summer sun da...
06/11/2026

School year, we keep Sundays clear for family. School's out, so we'll open Sundays for summer.

Speaking of summer sun days: squint less, see more with a new pair of shades. Suncloud just joined the lineup. A Hikrs restock is on its way (local sunnies sported by a Grove House fashion influencer). Knockaround and Pepper's round out the rack. And if you've got your eye on the good glass, we can order you a pair of Smith's anytime.

We've got Totem Cams! The first shipment nearly sold out in a weekend, forcing us to hold our new product post until we ...
06/04/2026

We've got Totem Cams! The first shipment nearly sold out in a weekend, forcing us to hold our new product post until we had a restock. Come by soon to add Totems to your rack and enjoy bomber placements in the Valley's flared cracks and pin scars.

Address

5081 California Highway 140, Suite A
Mariposa, CA
95338

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 6:30pm
Wednesday 10am - 6:30pm
Thursday 10am - 6:30pm
Friday 10am - 6:30pm
Saturday 10am - 6:30pm
Sunday 10am - 6:30pm

Telephone

+12097422575

Website

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