We headed up the San Joaquin River to check out the water in Stevenson Falls and still had lots of energy so we continued our hike up to Dam Six. One of the stars of this adventure were the early wildflowers, especially those beautiful poppies!

YOSEMITE – Repairs to the Big Oak Flat Tunnels in Yosemite National Park, located along the Big Oak Flat Road/Highway 120, are scheduled to begin on Tuesday, Feb. 17. The historic tunnels, completed in 1937, consist of three tunnels along the Big Oak Flat Road.

OAKHURST – Mark your calendars for the semi-annual Soroptimist Soup & Salad Luncheon set for Thursday, Mar. 19, 2015, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Oakhurst Community Center. The local chapter organizers for Soroptimist International of the Sierras say everyone is welcome to attend this delightful and deliciously festive event. Guests can look forward to a salad bar ...

OAKHURST – Tickets are on sale now for the Oakhurst Ragtime Festival, in town Friday through Sunday, Apr. 10 – 12. The three-day event features top-notch talent including pianists Tom Brier, Larisa Migachyov, Jack & Christ Bradshaw, and John Reed-Torres. Instrumentalists include Steve & Robyn Drivon on drums and tuba, with Julia Riley playing flute. Venues include both the Oakhurst ...

Sally, Raven and a group of us headed up Mammoth Pool Road through 2014’s French Fire to Shuteye Pass where we saw an approaching storm dust the surrounding mountains with snow. We had gorgeous views of clouds, the Minarets, Mammoth to the east and the numerous Domes in the area.

MADERA COUNTY – The Oakhurst office of the California Highway Patrol has a new Commander. Lieutenant Jason Daughrity stepped into the job on Jan. 2 when Lt. Sandra Adams retired after serving in the post since 2003. Daughrity, 41, comes from a law enforcement family, and knew from a very early age that this was his calling. “I had a ...

SIERRA NATIONAL FOREST – Those who hike along the Lewis Creek Trail have likely been surprised and a bit saddened to see that the bridge nearest the parking lot north of Cedar Valley on Highway 41 is gone. A call to Steven Beri, National Resources Specialist and Trail Supervisor for the Sierra National Forest, shed some light on why the ...

YOSEMITE – Yosemite National Park announces entrance fees and campground fees will increase beginning March 1, 2015. The new fee structure includes modifications to the October 2014 draft proposal based on public input.

YOSEMITE – Sad news out of Yosemite National Park as rangers report a climbing accident on Sunday afternoon, Jan. 25, in which a Fresno man was killed. Cody Byers Long, 24, was climbing the Royal Arches in Yosemite when he fell more than 400 feet, according to Park Ranger Kari Cobb.

MADERA – At the heart of good gardening is good soil, and anyone who wants to know more about what that means is invited to attend a Free Soils Workshop for Home Gardeners, hosted by Madera County Master Gardener Sandy Hallam.