It was going to be just another beautiful fall day. The air was fresh and crisp, the sky was a brilliant shade of blue and the leaves were aflame in hues of orange and red. But the peacefulness of this day was broken by enthusiastic shouts of encouragement and exhilaration echoing through the forest as a group of 15 valley ...

The alpine zone at the crest of the Sierra Nevada is the highest-elevation ecosystem in California. Yosemite National Park has a large number of relatively flat, cold, windswept, unglaciated alpine summits that are possibly the oldest habitats in the region, having escaped the scouring action of glaciers by virtue of their great height. Because of their age and environmental extremes, ...

A Round-up of Holiday Happenings – MOUNTAIN AREA – Time to get out your shiny red shoes, light-up Christmas ties or whatever it is that shows you’ve got spirit during the holidays. The mountain area does not disappoint when it comes to events and festivities to celebrate the season of light. Here’s a short list you of fun activities you ...

MADERA – Highway 99 is closed between Avenue 7 and Avenue 12 due to a gas line break, according to reports from the CHP. Traffic in the Madera area is snarled due to the incident, and motorists are being advise to please avoid this area.

OAKHURST – Area children are being offered the opportunity to learn a new language at The Children’s Museum of the Sierra. The museum began providing a Spanish immersion program on Sept. 11, with two classes each week, offering homeschool students a valuable addition to their education and their lives.

NORTH FORK – Everyone is invited to come out and help decorate the community Christmas Tree in North Fork on Tuesday, Dec. 4. The festivities will take place in the Post Office parking lot at 5:30 p.m., and all revelers are encouraged to bring an ornament to hang on the tree.

Submitted by the NFCDC NORTH FORK – On Sept. 25, the Community Development Council (CDC) launched a contest to name two roads at the mill site. One is the road on which the new fire station is located. The other is a cul-de-sac off of that road. You can see the map below. Sixty submissions were received. In some cases, ...

OAKHURST – The dental practice of Doctors Rodney Peter and Dennis Jones have a plan to put smiles on the faces of many local residents as they open their doors to offer free dental treatment on Friday, Dec. 7, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

FISH CAMP – The sounds of train whistles have fallen silent at the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad now that the season has ended, and have been replaced with sounds that haven’t been heard here in nearly a century. Logging operations have commenced at the railroad, which is surrounded by Sierra National Forest land. It is the first time the ...

OAKHURST – Get ready for not one but two inspiring Christmas concerts presented by the Oakhurst Community String Orchestra (OCSO). The concerts will be Tuesday, Dec. 4 at Oakhurst Lutheran Church, and Thursday, Dec. 6 at Sierra Pines Church. Both start at 6:30 p.m.