BASS LAKE — The mama-razzi and the paparazzi were out in full force for a time-honored tradition, taking pictures of the 18 students who are deemed Pitman Award recipients for Yosemite High School’s graduating class of 2017. Click on images to enlarge. Photos by Virginia Lazar. The 31st annual Paul and Martha Pitman Awards Banquet was held on the Gazebo Deck at ...

NORTH FORK — A family is homeless this morning after a fire swept through their rented house at the end of Church Street in North Fork. Just before midnight, firefighters were called out to a structure fire reported in the neighborhood across from the North Fork Market. A sheriff’s deputy was first on scene and ran to the mobile home ...

OAKHURST — Our friend Kevin Musso, Chief Meteorologist at ABC30, was visiting his parents at their home near Oakhurst today, when everyone was reminded once again of the very real danger posed by mountain lions, even in the middle of the day. “My daughter was video taping deer outside the window of my parents’ home near Oakhurst, when suddenly a ...

We hiked up and up 600 plus steps on the Mist Trail to check out two of Yosemite’s famous waterfalls, Vernal and Nevada Falls. Where:Yosemite National Park Distance: 8.59 Miles Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous Elevation Range: 3,983′ – 6,056′ Date: May 3, 2017 Maps: El Capitan Topographic Quad Dog Hike? No dogs allowed on this trail We had planned on ...

SIERRA NEVADA – The manual snow survey conducted on May 1 by the Department of Water Resources (DWR) at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada found a Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) of 27.8 inches, 190 percent of the May 1 long-term average there of 14.6 inches. Electronic measurements indicate the water content of the statewide snowpack as of May 1 ...

BASS LAKE – Residents and anyone visiting the Bass Lake area on Saturday, May 13, should be aware of activities that may disrupt their travels during the morning hours. Vacation Races, an event company that produces half-marathon and ultra-marathon races, will be holding its annual Yosemite Half Marathon. Starting with a race expo on Friday, May 12, runners and spectators ...

Editor’s Note: Here’s our second report from experienced climber, world traveler and longtime Oakhurst resident Bob Kaspar, who is riding coast to coast from California to his hometown near Boston, Massachusetts. Last week, Bob left town with his 14-ounce tent and little else, and posted from the road, Biking Across America: Bob Kaspar Goes Home.  This week, we pick up with Bob ...

MADERA COUNTY – Following are details from the Madera County Sheriff’s Office of reports taken locally from Monday, Apr. 24 to Sunday, Apr. 30, 2017: Coarsegold motor vehicle stop On Monday, Apr. 24 at 2:16 a.m. a deputy made a traffic stop in the area of CA-41 and Lucky Lane regarding false tabs. The driver was cited and the vehicle ...

Not the amazing display of poppies in the Hite Cove area this year, but plenty of other wildflowers were showing off as we hiked where miners walked as they searched for their fortunes in those gold mines long ago. Where: Sierra National Forest with some stretches through private property Distance: 8.21 Miles Difficulty: Moderate Elevation Range: 1,412′ to 3,187′ Date: ...

Contributed by Len McKenzie, YAAS — The arrival of spring each year heralds a time of rebirth, renewal and the emergence of new life forms. Among the myriad plants and wildlife species that ornament, refresh and animate the spring landscape are the “odes” of the insect world, members of the order Odonata (“toothed ones”), more commonly known people as dragonflies ...