By Greg M. Stock —  YOSEMITE — Yosemite faced a number of challenging events in 2018, including floods and fires. Fortunately, serious rockfalls were not among them. Forty-one events (including rockfalls, rockslides, and debris flows) were documented in 2018, below the recent (2006-2017) average of 53 events per year, and less than half of that documented in 2017. Rockfalls in ...

MOUNTAIN AREA — While the National Weather Service in Hanford will allow a Winter Storm Warning and a Winter Weather Advisory in our area to expire with the passing storm, freezing temps will occur overnight. The warning took effect at 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 1 and continues through 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 5. The advisory began at 4 ...

It has been a couple of years since I hiked to Stevenson Falls and am revisiting this hike from 2016 because this is the perfect time of the year to go .  . . plus I didn’t have another blog ready for this Sunday. I have updated it a bit from the original blog and reformatted some of the pictures. ...

I thought you might like to know what I do to determine the weather for the day, whether I am hiking or just hanging out. I have a bit of a routine and there is no need to keep it a secret in case it might help you. I have several weather pages set to open on my start tabs ...

A good post-holiday workout hike took us up a dirt road on the north side of Redinger Lake. Checking out the wildlife tracks along the way kept our minds occupied while we gained about 2,000 feet in 4.5 miles. Where: Sierra National Forest Distance: 9.19 Miles Difficulty: Moderate Elevation Range: 1,424′ to 3,314′ Date: January 4, 2019 Maps: Auberry Topographic ...

YOSEMITE – As the federal government shutdown drags on into the new year, Yosemite National Park remains open, however reports have been flooding in of people using the roadsides as bathrooms, discarding trash everywhere and endangering natural resources. Park officials announced today that there will now be limited access to the park along the Highway 41 corridor from the South ...

NORTH FORK – The North Fork Rancheria has developed a Tribal Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan for approval by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Prior to review and approval by FEMA, the Tribe would like the community to review the plan. The Plan is available online and in the Tribal Government Offices for your review from Dec. 14, 2018 to Jan. ...

ARLINGTON, VA. – Across America, national wildlife refuges offer unparalleled opportunities to experience the great outdoors amid scenic beauty. And they do it on awe-inducing landscapes that range from Oregon’s rocky cliffs to Texas lagoons, from Maine wilderness to woods and fields inside the city of Philadelphia. Thirty refuges that normally charge entrance fees will offer free admission on these ...

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 – If you are interested in helping animals when disaster strikes your area, this is your chance to make a difference. The Central California Animal Disaster Team (CCADT) is hosting a volunteer orientation workshop on Wednesday, Nov. 14, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Mariposa Government Center. The CCADT is recruiting volunteers who live in Mariposa County and ...