MOUNTAIN AREA — We decided to do something different this weekend, so the hubs and I took off from our home in Coarsegold on Saturday morning for a quick trip over Tioga Pass to see what we could find. Typically, we are reservation-type people, but on this particular jaunt over to the Eastern Sierra, we decided to play it by ...

Our hike took us off the trail, up through boulder-strewn moraines where we were almost blown over by wind gusts, but it was all so worth it when we reached the beautiful high lakes fed by the Dana Glacier. Brightly colored mountains and rocks framed the views for us and this isn’t the first time a curious critter welcomed us ...

Submitted by Paul Hall – COARSEGOLD – The Coarsegold-based Sierra Shadow Casters Motorcycle Club (SSC) is holding its annual Sierra Moonshine Poker Run on Saturday, Sept. 8, to benefit the Caring Veterans of America, Inc. (CVA) Mountain folks are familiar with the beautiful new monument that stands majestically on the corner of Highway 41 and Road 415 in Coarsegold. On ...

OAKHURST – Registration is now open for the mountain area’s youth triathlon as the sixth annual Bass Lake MY*Tri returns on Saturday, Sept. 8. This super-fun triathlon is open to kids ages 5 – 17. Hosted by Miller’s Landing Resort on beautiful Bass Lake, just miles from Yosemite National Park, MY*Tri offers the perfect outdoor mountain venue and challenging courses for ...

Riding horses in Yosemite’s beautiful high country is always a special treat. Riding along the trails in the Tuolumne Meadows area gave me a different perspective of the country, viewing the country through my horse’s ears. My friends were staying in one of the horse campsites at Tuolumne Meadows and invited me to come up and ride with them. How ...

MADERA COUNTY — Local business and law enforcement were recognized at the 15th annual Business and Education Shareholders’ Luncheon on Tuesday, Aug. 28 — sponsored by the Madera County Compact. The Madera County Compact is a coalition of business, community and education leaders working collaboratively to improve the quality of life in Madera County by promoting business partnerships with schools. ...

OAKHURST — Years ago, Wyatt Leaf was a student who faced challenges, he says, including a penchant for schoolyard fights and a lack of academic focus. This fall, he’s headed to Stanford. “It wasn’t a straightforward path to get where I am now,” says the 2016 graduate of Yosemite High School. Leaf will enter Stanford University as a junior this ...

MOUNTAIN AREA — This could be the sweetest thing you read all week. Earlier this month, we heard from Angie Borba, owner of Mariposa Martial Arts Academy in Oakhurst and Mariposa. Angie wanted us to know about a little girl named Hannah. “Black belt candidate Hannah Farris from the Oakhurst dojo of Mariposa Martial Arts Academy spent much of her ...

We headed off-trail to check out the country above the Mono Pass Trail. We never know what we will find and that is part of the excitement. The 30 percent chance of thunderstorms didn’t deliver the lightening, thunder or rain but they did deliver beautiful reflections of white clouds in those beautiful high lakes. Where: Yosemite National Park Distance: About ...

FISH CAMP – With the crowds of summer preparing to dwindle, now is the perfect time to spend a day with friends and family at the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad. Just 15 minutes from Oakhurst and 4 miles south of the entrance to Yosemite National Park, the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad offers excursions with authentic, historic Shay locomotives ...