Leaf Peeping season has officially begun. . . . so Mom and I decided to take a day road trip through Yosemite Valley to see how those fall colors were shaping up. Where: Yosemite National ParkDifficulty: EasyElevation Range: 3,996′ – 4,184′Date: October 7, 2018Dog Hike? Maybe It was a bit early for prime leaf colors in Yosemite but Mom and ...

NORTH FORK–The Creek Fire, which began in the area of Shaver Lake during late afternoon of September 4, 2020, roared through much of the Sierra National Forest high country including areas of Big Creek, Huntington Lake, Shaver Lake, Mammoth Pool, San Joaquin River Canyon before being declared 100 per cent contained on December 24, 2020. For those wanting to observe ...

Camping with my dogs, we wandered where miners knew they would be striking it rich as soon as they hit “The Great Silver Belt.” Back in 1882, a town was started up to accommodate the needs of up to 50,000 miners when that happened. Well, the big strike didn’t take place but the remains of the town named Bennettville and ...

Submitted by the Raymond Museum We know this is the old Shaw Brothers store, located across from the Raymond General Store, that at one time housed the Raymond Post Office. Can anyone identify this lovely woman on the porch and give us the years of the vehicles in the photo, especially the mail truck? And can someone tell us what ...

Smoky reflections in a lake named for a sheepdog and her puppies, Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frogs, fishless lakes, and Tuolumne Meadows Campground’s closure played starring roles in my blog this week. Where: Yosemite National ParkDistance: 5.76 Miles (About 5.2 Miles from the trailhead at the parking lot up to and around the lake)Difficulty: Easy to ModerateElevation Range: 8,583′ – 9,189′Elevation ...

MARIPOSA — John C. Fremont Hospital turned 70 years old on September 30, but due to COVID-19, celebrations are on hold. John C. Fremont Hospital has been serving the Mariposa community (Mariposa County, parts of Madera County [Ahwahnee, Nippinawassee, & Oakhurst], Yosemite National Park, Fish Camp, Coulterville, Greeley Hill and Lake Don Pedro) with healthcare services since 1951. An article ...

By Sal Maccarone Even from the most isolated place on earth, humanity has managed to express itself artistically for the ages. Shrouded in mystery, Easter Island truly lies in the middle of nowhere. Among other things, this tiny island in the Pacific Ocean has become famous for its one thousand, or so surviving monolithic sculptures. Now, a UNESCO World Heritage ...

BASS LAKE — There’s no two ways about it. When you’re at The Forks Resort on beautiful Bass Lake, you’re family. If you’re not Ron and Leslie Cox, current owners of the property (for “only” 40 years) or their children, Adam and McKenzie, you become family by association. Many of their employees have been with the Coxes for decades, some ...

FROM THE EDITOR: Sal Maccarone will be taking a brief hiatus from article writing at SNO. In his absence, he has asked us to republish some of his more popular articles from the past. This week: The Gilded Age Mansions. Enjoy! Originally published October 11, 2020. By Sal Maccarone During the years following 1870 America was beginning to enjoy a bustling ...

Submitted by Don Grove The old Ponderosa Minarets movie theater on North Fork’s Main Street has been sitting idle for many years. This month’s History Mystery is about the memories of those who attended the theater. Please share your memories as comments here or as an email to NorthForkHistoryGroup@gmail.com. We are also interested in knowing where you parked if you ...