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. ...

Sally and I searched for the footprints that miners made in the Tioga Pass area long ago. We found a few of them but also discovered beautiful reflections in high lakes and caught a few trout while we wandered in the high country. Where: Hoover Wilderness Distance: 8.74 Miles Difficulty: Moderate Elevation Range: 10,094′ – 10,524′ Date: September 7, 2016 ...

BASS LAKE — The 4th annual My*Tri at Bass Lake was a huge success this year as the event that’s all about youth fun and family fitness drew more than 40 community sponsors, over 85 volunteers, and a record-breaking number of enthusiastic participants. My*Try is hosted by Miller’s Landing Resort at Bass Lake, and sponsored by the Children’s Educational Foundation. The swim-bike-run took ...

We hiked up to lakes that were smooth as glass and full of reflections. A really nice, big, flat rock made a dandy place for lunch and a siesta. Where: Sierra National Forest Distance: 9.19 Miles Difficulty: Moderate Elevation Range: 9,130′ – 8,434′ Date: September 1, 2016 Maps: Merced Peak Topographic Quads Dog Hike? Maybe We drove up Beasore Road ...

We like to hike with our dogs, so where are those great dog hikes in our area? You have seen my dog Sally tagging along with me on some of our hikes. Now is your turn to share your favorite dog hikes for inclusion in dog hikes in our area. I envision a living document that we can add more ...

AHWAHNEE – Oakhurst Sierra Sunrise Rotary tees up on Saturday, Sept. 24 for the Dale Miller Memorial Golf Tournament at River Creek Golf Course. It’s the 26th year Rotary has sponsored the golf tournament in this area. Click on flyer to enlarge. Money raised will go to Oakhurst Sierra Sunrise Rotary to support local charities, say organizers. Sponsors for the tournament include ...

Climbing up a loose and rocky chute, hopping boulder to boulder, sometimes with a surprise of a wobbly rock, pushing our way through knarly willows, and pulling ourselves up and over boulders the size of a small house were the tougher parts on this hike. The easy part was admiring the wonderful view of some of the high lakes in ...

OAKHURST — Bob Kaspar has always been ahead of the curve. He built his first telescope at the cusp of his teenage years. When he was 14, the Massachusetts native rode a bicycle alone from southern California to Yosemite. At 15, he spent six weeks solo off-trail hiking and climbing through the High Sierra. Turning 16, Kaspar rebuilt his first car, ...

Sally led the way as we hiked up to 6 beautiful lakes in the Hoover Wilderness. Some had beautiful reflections, 1 had lots of polliwogs and 1 served as our lunch spot underneath Mount Conness. Where: Hoover Wilderness, Inyo National Forest Distance: 7.13 Miles Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous Elevation Range: 9,533′ – 10,375′ Date: August 18, 2016 Maps: Falls Ridge ...

Written by Wendy Fisher — As a lifelong wilderness enthusiast at heart, I have been exploring the Sierra on foot for well over 20 years. When I am not out exploring, gardening, or parenting my lovely twin girls, I am proud of my day job working as a plant/wetland ecologist with Live Oak Associates. Live Oak is an Oakhurst based ecological ...