OAKHURST – You gaze, mesmerized, at the scene before you:  majestic Half Dome — known as Tis-sa-sak to the first settlers of this valley — crowns Tenaya Canyon leading to the Yosemite high country. El Capitan, sentinel of Yosemite Valley, guards the western edge. The scene is pure majesty, a valley ringed by mountains approaching 10,000 feet in elevation. You ...

NORTHERN HEMISPHERE — The colors of fall in the Sierra are spectacular, without comparison — perhaps especially so in the foothills. This time a year ago we had a wee bit of rain, just enough of a taste to make the mouth water. Now, until the forecast changes, we’ll have to settle for the beautifully changing light, and put those ...

SACRAMENTO – Today’s snow survey at Phillips Station tells a more positive story than it did before the recent storm, but totals are still well below average. Despite the recent late-winter storm that brought much-needed snow to the Sierra Nevada, the snow water equivalent (SWE) is 9.4 inches, which is 39 percent of normal for early March. “California has unquestionably ...

MOUNTAIN AREA — The National Weather Service is reporting that heavy rain and gusty winds will develop over much of central and southern California by Monday, Jan. 7, which may result in debris flows and mudslides due to the recent wildfires. Winter Storm Warning  In Yosemite, a Winter Storm Warning is in effect from 10 p.m. Monday, Jan. 8 to ...

NORTH FORK — The local Boosters Club is raising money for a very good reason: the plan is to pay for a new gas range and possibly other upgrades to the North Fork Town Hall. This weekend, they’re staging an elaborately entertaining event to help the cause, as the Granite Gambler Motorcycle Poker Run will wind through the foothills on ...

SACRAMENTO – The Sierra Nevada snowpack continues to build during one of the wettest winters in California’s recorded history. Today’s manual snow survey by the Department of Water Resources (DWR) at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada found a snow water equivalent (SWE) of 43.4 inches. February’s Phillips survey found 28.0 inches of SWE, and January’s reading was 6.0 inches. ...