Wildflower season has definitely arrived in the Merced River Canyon. And, it was a 15 newt day on the Hite’s Cove Trail! If you don’t feel like going the distance that I did on the Hite’s Cove Trail, the most concentrated area of poppies is within the first 1/2 mile or so. But that is also the most concentrated area ...

Sierra National Forest continues with the winter/spring prescribed burning within the Bass Lake Ranger District. CLOVIS — The Sierra National Forest (SNF) will continue prescribed burning within the Bass Lake Ranger District, beginning Monday, March 14, as weather and air quality is optimal to start ignitions. These treatments will consist of understory burning. This includes removing fuels created during tree ...

Just a pretty blue sky day to get out on nearby dirt roads up to the Lone Sequoia for some exercise. Then those little white puffy clouds started showing up . . . Where: Sierra National ForestDistance: 11.14 Miles (but you can go shorter or longer)Difficulty: Easy to ModerateElevation Range: 3,417′ to 4,427′Elevation Gain: 1,135′Date: January 25, 2022CALTOPO: Hiking From ...

Historic photographs help paint the picture of what it must have been like to ride a stagecoach up this old road back in the day. Not having a stagecoach available I did the next best thing, walking up that dirt road though the snow, ice and mud.Distance: About 6 Miles (but you can go shorter or longer)Difficulty: ModerateElevation Range: 3,401′ ...

CLOVIS — The Sierra National Forest is proposing to charge new fees at developed recreation sites. The Bass Lake Ranger District is proposing a new fee of $20 per night at Jerseydale Campground with a $5 extra vehicle fee over two vehicles. The High Sierra Ranger District is proposing a new fee of $20 per night at Kirch Flat Campground with ...

The Sierra National Forest (SNF) has updated its Closure Order for  elect recreation sites, roads, and trails. Forest Order 05-15-00-21-26 will be effective on December 16, 2021 through January 20, 2022. This order supersedes Forest Order 05-15-00-21-23. Many of the areas listed  in this closure are seasonally closed during the late fall/winter months. Forest Order No. 05-15-00-21-26 Sierra National Forest ...

I kept watching and watching. Every day I drove north on Hwy 49 I could see those oaks up on Pilot Peak and Silver Knob turning more yellow and I wondered what a walk up on those dirt roads might show me in the fall color arena. The north side of Pilot Peak has quite a few dogwoods at the ...

Wildfire devastation gives way to silver linings in the Sierra National Forest. This powerful new production explores the Sierra Vista Scenic Byway, now a journey with front-row views of a forest in a state of rebirth.  NORTH FORK, CA – Another episode of “Outside Beyond the Lens” hits close to home for the mountain communities in California living with the ...

I had been walking the old wagon roads near my house for a while from the Nipinnawasee side, exploring the old homesteads from the 1880s. Many of them tie in with the old Miami Mill area and I was curious how the Sugar Pine side of Miami Mountain Road looked after our January Mono Wind event, especially the Westfall Burial ...

Armed with an old Topographic Map and homestead records, I followed the old wagon and stagecoach roads above Nipinnawasee through 1880’s era homesteads. I climbed over, under and around about a million down trees from January’s Mono Wind Event as I tried to figure out the routes of travel, neighbor relationships and a few stories from back in the day. ...