YOSEMITE – Fires are inundating not only California, but most of the western United States, leaving both unprecedented smoky skies as well as widespread damage in their wake. Fire is an important part of the wilderness ecosystem, however. The National Park Service will let fires, such as this one just below the Tioga Road in Yosemite, burn naturally, allowing them ...

Like everyone else, I spent the past week closely watching the progress of the Creek Fire, along with so many other fires. There was too much smoke to do any hiking and while hiding inside from that smoke, it seemed like a good time to tell you about Fannie the Corgi’s hiking wardrobe. She recently joined my hiking team and ...

NORTH FORK — Lisa Saroyan is the proud new owner of the Red Barn Coffee Co., a drive-though coffee stand located here in North Fork, CA. Lisa originally lived in Fresno but has always wanted to relocate to the area, so when she and her husband saw an opportunity to buy a house, they happily relocated to the area. Lisa ...

Charles Gaines is a pivotal figure in the field of Conceptual Art. Gaines’ works are often on paper and acrylic glass. His photographs, drawings, musical compositions, and video installations investigate how rule-based procedures influence representation and construct meaning. Visitors to the Fresno Art Museum will find the image below on permanent display near the entrance to the Bonner Auditorium. Charles ...

For the interactive 360° virtual reality experience, go to: https://www.virtualyosemite.org/virtual-tour/#node254 The hike to Lukens Lake is a relatively easy one by Yosemite standards, in spite of the 8,200′ elevation.  The trail extends about 0.8 miles from Tioga Road, and only climbs about 200 feet. This is a good trail for young kids (not too long and not too steep.) As ...

Camping with the dogs for four days in the Tioga Pass area was a great getaway from the smoke. Sally, Fannie and I did a little hiking, a little wandering, a little relaxing, some wading, and we all took a few good naps. Where: Harvey Monroe Hall Research Natural Area, Hoover Wilderness, Inyo National ForestDistance: 5.94 MilesDifficulty: Moderate to StrenuousElevation ...

MADERA – Madera County Arts Council Board is proud to announce their new Executive Director, Jim Kocher, who has been the Interim Executive Director since January 2020. Kocher was unanimously selected by the Madera County Arts Council Board, as it is apparent that he shares the same level of commitment to the values and vision of the Council. Kocher, who ...

FRESNO — The Roots mural (see above) was created by students aged 10-17 in the Fresno Art Museum’s Summer 2017 ArtAcademy class. It was completed under the direction and guidance of muralist, graffiti artist, and educator Erik Gonzalez, assisted by FAM Art instructor Cat Dellavalle and former ArtAcademy student (now current art instructor) Ariana Hernandez. Students explored FAM’s Pre-Columbian collection ...

For the interactive 360° VR experience, go to: https://www.virtualyosemite.org/virtual-tour/#node263. Here at 12,400′ elevation on the Mt. Dana trail, you’re only 600 feet below the summit. There is very little plant life, as you are well-above the timber line in the alpine zone. Weather here can deteriorate rapidly. On this day, the sky was completely cloudless and temperatures were in the ...

MARIPOSA – The Mariposa County Board of Supervisors gave its final approval on Tuesday to acquire the last major piece of land needed to build the northern extension of the Mariposa Creek Parkway. The 187-acre property, located between the Mariposa County Jail and Fournier Road in Mariposa, provides direct access to Mariposa Creek and is anticipated to also be used ...