The Carrizo Plain and foothills that border it were popping with sweeping displays of wildflower in yellow and purple hews. It was a heck of a long, one day drive from the Oakhurst area but it was so worth it! If this sounds like a drive that you want to take, you had better do it quick because it won’t ...

Lupine really really showing off their dramatic purple long plumes of flowers but they weren’t the only wildflowers I saw as I hiked along Millerton Lake. Where: Millerton Lake State Recreation Area, San Joaquin River Gorge Special Management Area, Bureau of Land Management Distance: 6 Miles, but you can go shorter or longer Difficulty: Easy to Moderate Elevation Range: 575′ ...

OAKHURST — After several months of planning, local veterinarian Dr. Kevin Lazarcheff will take the reins of Oakhurst Veterinary Hospital. Dr. Mark Nagel, OVH owner since 1997, will stay on three days a week as an additional doctor in practice. Kevin Lazarcheff, DVM, is a native of Reno, where he attended the University of Nevada, receiving a Bachelor’s of Science in ...

My adventure this week was full of beautiful green foothills with small streams and lovely waterfalls. A historic railroad bed, gold mining, and the Sierra Newt all played a prominent role! Where: Sierra Foothill Conservancy, McKenzie Preserve Distance: 8.36 Miles Difficulty: Moderate Elevation Range: 629′ – 1,501′ Date: February 5, 2017 Maps: Academy, Millerton East Topographic Quads Dog Hike? No, ...

OAKHURST — The EMC SPCA just reached out with a request for everyone to be on the lookout for a home for one special guy. A couple of weeks ago, they say, in the middle of a rainstorm, Mack found a house with a friendly person to take him in. The dog’s owner had passed away and her daughter reportedly ...

Sometimes you just to need to get outside in winter and take a brisk walk on a dirt road through rolling green foothills with cows. Where: Near Raymond and Coarsegold, following a dirt road. Distance: 9.89 Miles Difficulty: Easy Elevation Range: 1,171′ – 1,752′ Date: December 19, 2016 Maps: Ben Hur and Daulton Topographic Quad Maps Dog Hike? Yes, depending ...

Storms were scheduled to come in later in the day and we were thinking of a hike close to home, so we headed up the Lewis Creek Trail, traveling back in time as we walked along what was once the Sugar Pine Madera-Sugar Pine Lumber Company flume. Where: Sierra National Forest Distance: 3.81 Miles Difficulty: Easy to Moderate Elevation Range: ...

Imagine there are two people hanging out at a park enjoying lovely fall weather, when they see a dog in the near distance trotting toward them. The first person gets a big smile on his face, as warm and fuzzy hormones like oxytocin start flowing through his body. He squats down for some doggy love and is very happy about ...

MADERA COUNTY — The newly reinvigorated K9 program at the Madera County Sheriff’s Office has just received another major financial boost with the donation of over $24,000. Chief Civil Deputy Mike Motz, president of the Madera County Deputy Sheriff’s Association (DSA), presented a check for $24,300 to the Board of Supervisors this morning, bringing their fundraising total for the K9 ...

OAKHURST — It’s official: yoga is ubiquitous. Opportunities for practice seem nearly unlimited, it’s true, but what if you’re feeling limited in what you believe you can do with your body? If you wobble in Warrior pose or tend to get dizzy, like I do, in Downward Dog, or if for any reason you think yoga may not be right ...