Sally and I hiked in the footsteps of miners who searched for their fortunes way up on the higher peaks in the Tioga Pass Area. The May Lundy Mine was one of the few gold mines in this area that paid off big. It paid off big for me because it is full of old mining stuff. Where: Inyo National ...

Written by Jazmin Neri — Minarets High School came into existence in 2008, intended and succeeding to be an educational and fun environment for the students attending. For eight years, it has helped students develop professionalism in a subject or skill they enjoy. Our culture at Minarets has become a wonderful thing. Our teachers are remarkable and truly have a great ...

Written by Linda Giampa — CALIFORNIA — Whether heading out for a long backpacking trip, local day hikes, or an all-terrain run with our dogs, all of us are consistently aware of the need to pack provisions for varying weather, terrain and potential dangers. However, very few of us would stop to think about ticks or the dangers of tick-borne ...

Climbing up a loose and rocky chute, hopping boulder to boulder, sometimes with a surprise of a wobbly rock, pushing our way through knarly willows, and pulling ourselves up and over boulders the size of a small house were the tougher parts on this hike. The easy part was admiring the wonderful view of some of the high lakes in ...

MADERA COUNTY — Sheriff Jay Varney is very pleased to welcome the two newest additions to the Madera County Sheriff’s Office. “Nacho” is a one-and-a-half year old Belgian Malinois and “Gastone” is a two-year-old Belgian Malinois. Both dogs were imported from France. Deputy Logan Majeski will be Nacho’s handler and Deputy Eric Jackson will be Gastone’s handler. All four just ...

We headed over to Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park for a hike on a trail that had been blasted into granite slab with a sheer dropoff and amazing views. As we hiked up to 4 lakes, we were happy to see colorful wildflowers along the trail. Where: Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park Distance: 12.94 Miles Difficulty: Moderate to ...

NORTH FORK — Imagine driving home from a day of shopping and getting a text that says your house is on fire. That’s what happened to Leia Wentworth, 26, of North Fork, who was living with her father and daughter in the first house that went up in flames during the Fork Fire. The fire started just before 6 p.m. ...

I caught up with my friend and fellow mom Tammi Kudra just after she’d returned to Oakhurst from taking her oldest daughter Dakota to Southern California for her sophomore year at college. We asked Tammi five questions about what it’s like to see your kids become independent and she had a lot to say. SNO: This time of year people ...

Reflections of snow streaked mountains in seasonal tarns called us to the 20 Lakes Basin in the Hoover Wilderness. What a wonderful surprise to see so many wildflowers in bloom, especially those graceful columbine. Where: Hoover Wilderness Distance: 9.35 Miles Difficulty: Moderate Elevation Range: 10,057′ – 10,407′ Date: July 12, 2016 Maps: Falls Ridge and June Lake Topogs I just ...

OAKHURST — Ever wondered what there is to do around the mountain area? Come to the Oakhurst Branch Library to hear Judi Hussain explain the plethora of activities this marvelous area has to offer. Judi has been the Visitor Center Coordinator at Yosemite Sierra Visitor Center (now called Visit Yosemite | Madera County) for the past five years, and this weekend she’ll ...