YOSEMITE — Dozens of volunteers have willingly descended on trails and walkways in one of the country’s busiest national parks to make sure that Yosemite remains pristine and beautiful through the government shutdown. Park employees, residents and volunteers from around the area turned out in droves today to pick up trash all along the public areas, even as park officials announced ...

MARIPOSA — After tireless work by Caltrans maintenance crews and partners, District 10 and the California Highway Patrol have reopened State Route 140 in the area of the Ferguson Fire burn scar as of noon on Friday, Nov. 30. The roadway closure began overnight at 2 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 29, and is still in place for now, say authorities. ...

MARIPOSA — With portions of Highway 140 closed for public safety during the current storms, Caltrans says crews are working tirelessly to patrol, clear, maintain, and eventually re-open the roadway in the Ferguson Fire burn scar in Mariposa County. Midpines Maintenance Supervisor Jess McCoy provided these photos of his crew at work as mud, rocks, vegetation and other materials cover ...

MARIPOSA – Caltrans is pre-emptively closing State Route 140 in Mariposa County in the area of the Ferguson Fire burn scar, for approximately 17 miles from Bear Creek (south of Briceburg) to Foresta Road (on the west side of El Portal). The closure begins overnight at 2 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 29, and will end depending on the impact of ...

MOUNTAIN AREA — Winter weather is on its way again this week, with a potential for flash flooding in the lower country and heavy snow in the higher elevations. The National Weather Service in Hanford has issued a Flash Flood Watch for towns including Ahwahnee, Coarsegold, Mariposa, North Fork, Oakhurst, and O’Neals. The Flood Watch is in effect from Wednesday ...

NORTH FORK – Sierra National Forest Officials have announced the temporary seasonal closures for campgrounds and picnic areas along the Merced River, Highway 140 corridor. The locations scheduled for closure will include four picnic areas – McClendon Beach, Indian Flat, Red Bud, and Cranberry Launch – and two campgrounds – Dirt Flat and Dry Gulch. These locations are being closed ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY – The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is planning a preemptive closure of State Route 140 into Yosemite National Park to protect public safety in the Ferguson Fire burn scar area due to a storm event that they say is likely to impact the roadway. The National Weather Service is forecasting 1-3 inches of rain in a one-hour ...

MOUNTAIN AREA — We decided to do something different this weekend, so the hubs and I took off from our home in Coarsegold on Saturday morning for a quick trip over Tioga Pass to see what we could find. Typically, we are reservation-type people, but on this particular jaunt over to the Eastern Sierra, we decided to play it by ...

FISH CAMP — Mother nature may have canceled summer plans in Yosemite, but the park is back open and Tenaya Lodge, recent winner of Sunset Magazine’s 2018 Travel Awards for Best Park Classic hotel, has all the makings for a big fall getaway. Just minutes from the newly renovated Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, Tenaya’s fall season includes everything from ...

YOSEMITE – Yosemite National Park officials have announced that Glacier Point Road will reopen to all vehicles at 8 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 30. Glacier Point Road has been closed since July 19 due to fire activities associated with the Ferguson Fire, which began on July 13. Firefighters have been removing hazard trees and falling tree branches and mopping up ...