Fall creates such intense orange and red colors in this area, you probably will think that I doctored the pictures but I didn’t. And those reflections in Chittenden Lake look like a painting, but they are not. Where: Sierra National Forest, Ansel Adams Wilderness Distance: 14.18 Miles Difficulty: Moderate Elevation Range: 7,507′ – 9,222′ Date: September 20, 2016 Maps: Merced ...

Mount Dana is the second highest mountain in Yosemite (after Mount Lyell), reaching 13,061 feet tall. “Slow but steady” was our motto as we climbed the 3,000′ gain in elevation over 2 1/2 miles. Where: Yosemite National Park Distance: 5.21 Miles Difficulty: Strenuous Elevation Range: 9,930′ – 13,061′ Date: September 15, 2016 Maps: Falls Ridge and June Lake Topographic Quads ...

OAKHURST — Artists are often influenced by their surroundings, and Monique Wales is no exception. The printmaker is inspired by the natural world, including the majesty of Yosemite National Park; its towering trees, monumental rocks, abundant wildlife and exceptional vistas. She’s also affected by the more intimate surroundings of the home she and husband Tim built in the foothills, from the ground up. ...

Written by Annabelle Lowndes — O’NEALS — Over the past few years, the Minarets Volleyball program has made a name for itself, not only in the mountain community, but in the entire Central Valley. They have proved that, with excellent coaching staff and hardworking players, they can rise up to any challenge. Each year, there is a tremendous turnout of ...

OAKHURST — October is breast cancer awareness month and soon the world as we know it will be awash in pink. Right now, though, it’s still September, and one local survivor wants to remind all women of another cancer and a different color: teal represents awareness for ovarian cancer. “I am so passionate about this disease because I am a survivor going ...

MADERA RANCHOS — There’s an uplifting event taking place on Saturday, Sept. 24 that’s free to the public and family-friendly, as the Fresno Radio Modelers host a radio controlled jet model rally at their field in the Madera Ranchos. Modelers, both local and out of state, are flying real turbine engine powered and electric model jets for three days, and the main day ...

BASS LAKE — It’s that time of year again — fall is in the air and the Smokey Bear Run / Walk returns to the shores of beautiful Bass Lake. Saturday, Sept. 24, runners and walkers of all ages will gather at Recreation Point on the south shore for one of the year’s most anticipated events. Organizers have been working ...

NORTHERN HEMISPHERE — The signs are all around us, from the withered buckeye and earlier darkening skies, to little hints of temperatures dropping that send us running to the closet to pull out just one long sleeved shirt, for a change! The autumnal equinox, when days and nights are approximately equal in length, arrives this year on Thursday, Sept. 22 ...

OAKHURST — Spectators lined Road 426 and School Road on Saturday, Sept. 17, to cheer and wave as some 40 entries passed by in the 20th annual Heritage Days Parade. From fire engines to mounted patrols, colorful floats and classic cars, the nearly 90-minute parade kicked off a day of festivities at Fresno Flats Historic Park. We have complied a ...

MOUNTAIN AREA — With summer nearly over and many of the crowds dwindling, it’s nice to know that local people are out cleaning up our environment on the weekends. In two separate though not random acts of kindness, a pair of groups stayed busy on Friday, Saturday and Sunday picking up trash: the Girl Scouts of Troop 132 and volunteers with Keep Our Mountains Beautiful (KOMB). ...