Tony Krizan receives achievement from his high school back in Ohio

Tony Krizan of Oakhurst recently received a Hall of Achievement Award from his alma mater, Bishop Fenwick High School in Franklin, Ohio.

Krizan traveled back to Ohio where he was presented with the award and gave a speech. He is a 1957 graduate of the school.

Krizan is a well-known hiker, adventurer, author, photographer and local historian based in Oakhurst. His life’s work reflects a rare blend of wilderness exploration, storytelling and World War II aviation history, earned through decades of hands-on experience in the Sierra Nevada.

Krizan’s interest in hiking began during his adolescence in Ohio as a member of the Boy Scouts. His hometown library helped nurture early dreams of exploring the mountains of the American West.

Growing up near Hook Field in Middletown further shaped his interests, sparking a lifelong fascination with aircraft, particularly World War II fighter planes. This early exposure laid the foundation for his later work in aviation history and aircraft identification.

After graduating from Fenwick High School, Krizan married his high school sweetheart, Janice Snyder. They raised two daughters, Diane and Donna.

Seven years later, the family moved to Burbank, Calif., where Krizan joined Lockheed Aircraft. During this period he worked on highly classified Skunk Works projects, contributing to the U-2 and SR-71 programs; an experience that deepened his passion for aviation history.

While living in California, Krizan began hiking in the Sierra Nevada, a passion that would define the next several decades of his life. Over more than 30 years, he explored both well known and forgotten trails throughout the range.

His extensive backcountry experience includes challenging high elevation routes and cross country travel. Most notably is the Sierra High Route, a demanding 45 mile wilderness trek from South Lake near Bishop to Roads End in Kings Canyon that crosses remote passes and peaks ranging from 9,768 feet to 12,300 feet.

Krizan later advanced into a sales career with General Motors which took him to Pontiac, Mich., for engineering studies focused on heavy duty trucks. After returning to California, he spent the next 17 years in sales management before transitioning into real estate.

He continued in that profession after relocating to Oakhurst in Central California. Living near Yosemite National Park helped refine his love of hiking and marked the beginning of his work as a writer and presenter.

In 2002, the Sierra Star newspaper invited Krizan to write about his hiking adventures in the Sierra Nevada. That relationship lasted 15 years and launched a prolific writing career.

He has since contributed hiking columns and feature articles to publications including the Mariposa Gazette, offering trail guidance, historical insight and personal experiences.

Krizan’s work expanded into three books, Wilderness of My Years, Discover Yosemite’s Forgotten Trails and Mountain Secrets Revealed (2016) which chronicles his multiyear search for World War II aircraft crash sites in the Sierra Nevada’s.

He is particularly recognized for identifying and documenting the crash sites of five Curtiss Wright P-40 Tomahawk fighter planes that crashed on Oct. 24, 1941. Combining his firsthand exploration, historical research and photography, Krizan has preserved these sites as his broader body of work which includes the Sierra Nevada Series.

This blends narrative and photography to inspire readers to explore and protect the natural world. His experiences also evolved into popular slideshow presentations featuring hiking adventures, lost aircraft and wartime aviation history.

His presentations are hosted at venues such as the Oakhurst Library, Yosemite Southgate Hotel, Mono Hot Springs, Mariposa Museum and History Center, Sierra Club of California and local schools.

His lectures frequently feature pilots and aircraft from both Allied and Axis forces.

In recent years Tony has embraced the automotive world, founding the highly successful Oakhurst Yosemite Auto Show. Over the last three years this event has raised funds donated to local teachers and students.

Community involvement is central to the show with local high school students creating trophies for award winners.

Today, Krizan continues to write for the Mariposa Gazette, the oldest weekly newspaper in California. Mariposa is a neighboring town of Oakhurst.

He also guides audiences through forgotten trails and lost aircraft stories. Whether hiking remote mountain passes, preserving aviation history or engaging his local community, Krizan remains committed to exploration, education and sharing his passion and he is always ready for his next adventure.