Sally and I packed up the vehicle to head over the Sonora Pass to the east side of the Sierras for a few days, looking for early signs of fall color, some hiking, some fishing and some relaxing. We achieved all of our goals plus some!

OAKHURST – A tour bus driver is facing felony charges for releasing raw sewage from his charter service vehicle in an Oakhurst parking lot. Witnesses to the crime described the bus, similar to the one pictured below, California License Plate CP93382.

OAKHURST – The works of a record number of artists will be on display for the 11th annual Sierra Art Trails Open Studio Tour, taking place October 4 – 6. Based in Oakhurst, which is located about 20 minutes south of Yosemite National Park, the region has a reputation for having more artists per capita than anywhere else in the ...

YOSEMITE – The Rim Fire has now burned 255,858 acres – over 400 square miles – and is now 81% contained. As of today, Sept. 15, 11 residences have been lost and 3 commercial properties destroyed, along with 98 outbuildings. There are 323 structures still listed as threatened.

YOSEMITE – Tioga Road has reopened to through traffic as of noon on Saturday, Sept.14. State Route 120 (Tioga Road) had been closed from Crane Flat to White Wolf, within Yosemite National Park. Visitors will have access to Yosemite Valley from Highway 395 via SR-120. However, due to continued fire activity in the area, stopping along the roadway is strictly ...

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK – The first half of our day at the Rim Fire led us through areas that had already been burnt out or bypassed by the flames. Now we were headed into the more active fire area – Hetch Hetchy in Yosemite, and things were about to get interesting. The gates to the Park were closed and locked ...

Submitted by the artist Bob BoomerSierra Art Trails 2013 Catalog # 89 Coming from a long line of woodworkers and fine cabinetmakers, Bob Boomer’s own love of working in wood sprouted at a young age. He recalls carving figures in this medium as early as age twelve. Boomer went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Industrial Technology, ...

O’NEALS – A young lady from Raymond missed an appointment this afternoon when she was involved in a single car accident on Road 200 near the Circle J Ranch Road. Dezaray Corwin, from Raymond, was eastbound on Road 200 at about 12:35 p.m., on her way to a sales call in North Fork, when she says she looked down for ...

YOSEMITE – Repairs to the Wawona Tunnel in Yosemite National Park, located along the Wawona Road (Highway 41) are scheduled to begin on Sunday, Sept. 8. The historic tunnel, completed in 1933, leads to “Tunnel View,” one of the most iconic and beautiful vistas in the National Park System. Millions of visitors flock to “Tunnel View” each year to witness ...

TUOLUMNE COUNTY – The Rim Fire is now 80% contained, and personnel assigned to the incident has been drawn down by nearly 1,000. Effective at noon on Tuesday, Aug. 3, the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office has lifted all evacuation advisories county-wide. This includes North Tuolumne Road, Ponderosa Hills, and the south side of Highway 108 from the North Tuolumne Road ...