YOSEMITE — The Wawona Loop Trail is wide and relatively easy to walk – 3.5 miles that meanders around the margin of the meadow from the Wawona Hotel and across the golf course. You will likely see an array of woodpeckers and meadow birds, and perhaps some uncommon birds at the end of the migration season. Bring binoculars, lunch, snacks, ...

NORTH FORK — Local lumberjack Nate Hodges will compete next month in the 2019 Stihl Timbersports World Championships. The event, which takes place Nov. 1-2 in Prague, Czech Republic, brings together more than 100 of the world’s best timbersport athletes from nearly two dozen countries. Hodges, 35, is a local lumberjack legend who has won the North Fork Loggers Jamboree ...

OAKHURST — Eastern Madera County SPCA’s 21st annual Animal Faire brought the bark to Oakhurst Community Park Sunday. Bailey, an eight-year-old Chihuahua, was among the canines taking center stage today. He was rescued along with another small dog after a concerned neighbor alerted authorities to the dogs’ unhealthy condition. Bailey had to have extensive medical and dental work procedures, according ...

Fall made a grand entrance on the east side of the Sierra. There is something about seeing the leaves turning their brilliant reds and yellows, along with that first brisk weather to really get you in the mood. I discovered a perfect place to do this by horseback at the oldest working guest ranch in California–the Hunewill Ranch out of ...

MOUNTAIN AREA — Sierra Art Trails 2019 is expected to draw thousands of visitors to the Yosemite foothills this weekend to celebrate art — and the local artists working throughout the area. The three-day event takes place Friday through Sunday (Oct. 4-6) and is one of the highlights of the year for the mountain area art community. Exhibits are underway ...

In general, an illustrator is a type of narrative artist whose job it is to enhance a subject, which is written or spoken, by providing supportive visual representation. Illustrations are used for a wide variety of reasons which include books, newspaper and magazine stories, advertising, directions and for a multitude of scientific uses. In addition to all of those differences, ...

By Sarah Jackson Special to Sierra News Online OAKHURST – The mountain community gathered in Old Mill Village Shopping Center Tuesday evening for National Night Out, a collaborative event that started in 1984 as an annual campaign to promote police-community partnership and neighborhood camaraderie. Eastern Madera County has expanded upon that mission in recent years to make National Night Out ...

COARSEGOLD — Gabby the Miner has not had a lot of company lately — or attention. The 10-foot-tall statue that greets motorists on Highway 41 just north of Coarsegold is perched next to the Broken Bit, a restaurant and one-time tourist attraction that’s been closed and boarded up for years now. In January 2015, the Broken Bit was purchased by ...

By Sarah Jackson Special to Sierra News Online OAKHURST — The importance of volunteerism and preservation of local history were the themes of the 2019 Mountain Heritage Days Parade — which took place Saturday morning in Oakhurst. The annual parade, which benefits the Fresno Flats Historic Park, is a celebration of the mountain community and its rich history. Beginning and ...

Three weeks ago we attempted this hike up through wobbly rocks and boulder-strewn glacial remains, but a member of our party started showing symptoms of altitude sickness so we aborted our plan. It was time for us to finish what we had started. We visited all 5 of the Dana Lakes then headed up to Dana Plateau to exit but ...