Mountain Communities – The Windy Fire and KNP Complex in Tulare County continue to cause smoke impacts across the San Joaquin Valley. As a result, the District has issued an Air Quality Alert with the National Weather Service to remain in place while smoke impacts continue, or until the morning of Thursday, September 23 when a trough is expected to ...

It wasn’t a long hike up to Elizabeth Lake and it shared a million different views with me as I walked around it. Those beautiful granite mountains took that morning sunlight and cast ever changing reflections as the hazy smoke drifted in and out. Where: Yosemite National ParkDistance: 5.5 Miles (About 4.6 Miles from the trailhead up to and not ...

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) announces the scheduled project to remove and replace existing asphalt pavement, seal pavement cracks and upgrade existing road signs, at various locations, of a 21-mile stretch of State Route 41 in Madera County. The following will occur:  The rehabilitation project will happen at various locations, starting about two miles north of road 208 and ...

VALLEJO, Calif., — Sept. 14, 2021. The USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region will end the regional closure order affecting National Forests in California at 11:59 pm on Wednesday, Sept. 15, two days prior to the original end date of Sept. 17. However, forest-wide closures will remain in place and be extended until midnight on September 22nd on the Los Padres, ...

Mountain Communities  – Large amounts of smoke being produced by the KNP Complex Fire and Windy Fire in Sequoia National Park has prompted air quality officials to issue an air quality advisory for the Valley counties of Fresno, Kings, Tulare and the Valley portion of Kern. In addition, the Caldor Fire and other Northern California fires are sending smoke into ...

Hiking to a pretty lake never gets old, especially when it reflected the surrounding mountains in its crystal clear water and I had the lake to myself. Where: Yosemite National ParkDistance: 12.35 MilesDifficulty: Moderate to StrenuousElevation Range: 7,490′ – 9,635′Elevation Gain: 2,590′Date: September 2, 2021CALTOPO: Grant Lakes HikeDog Hike? NoLeaving the house early, I headed into Yosemite National Park via ...

Madera County – Madera County is reporting a fatality from West Nile Virus (WNV). The fatal case, an adult male, was one of the first two cases identified in August. Both cases required hospitalization and the second, non-fatal case has improved and been discharged from the hospital. Following investigation, these two were considered unrelated. WNV is transmitted to people through ...

Yosemite – Recent testing has yielded positive results for small amounts of toxic algae in Tenaya Creek in Yosemite Valley, and toxic algae may exist in other sites in Yosemite Valley. Toxins are concentrated within algal mats themselves and are released episodically into the water when the algae dies or is disturbed. What does this mean for me? For your ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY – The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will perform various operations on State Routes 49 and 140 next week in Mariposa County. Work is scheduled to be performed as follows: Route 49 • Intermittent lane closures from the Madera/Mariposa County Line to Varain Road for striping operations beginning Sunday, September 12, through Friday, September 17, 2021, from 6:00 ...

Escaping the heat and smoke, I took a Day Vacay at Marina Dunes Beach.  I headed west, over Highway 152, 101, and toward Monterey. It took me about 3 hours to drive over to the Marina Dunes Preserve, just a little east of Monterey. Parking on the road, I grabbed my stuff and headed to the beach. There are many ...