Fresno has already seen record-setting rain this week. After a brief break, more wetness is on the way, forecasters say. A powerful storm driven by the Pacific jet stream dropped 0.76 of an inch on Fresno on Thursday. That set a record for the date, though the existing record was...
Red-Legged Frogs Thriving in Yosemite After Long Absence
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK — Red-legged frogs made famous by Mark Twain are thriving in Yosemite Valley after a decades-long absence. Ecologists this spring found clusters of eggs in meadows and ponds, proof of the first breeding by the frogs in Yosemite since 2017, when adult red-legged frogs were reintroduced after...
Beto O'Rourke Unveils Climate Plan With Yosemite as Backdrop
EL PORTAL — Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke has announced his first major policy initiative, a $5 trillion plan to combat climate change that he says will keep the Earth from sliding past the point of no return in less than a generation. The former Texas congressman unveiled his proposal on Monday...
Time for Yosemite and Humanity to Take a Break?
The road to Mariposa Grove in Yosemite National Park is closed to cars, and the shuttle bus wasn’t running. Would the Three Stooges—my sons, ages 10, 8 and 5—agree to a 2 ½ mile uphill hike to see Yosemite’s signature sequoias? This month I made my first trip to Yosemite...
Yosemite to Remain Open for Skiing 2 Weeks Longer
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK — Yosemite National Park officials say parts of the park will remain open for skiing and snowshoeing two weeks longer than usual thanks to the abundance of snow. Park officials said Thursday the area surrounding Glacier Point Road will remain open for winter recreational use through April...
Woman Killed by Falling Rock on Closed Yosemite Trail
Officials say a woman hiking in Yosemite National Park was killed after being struck by falling rock and ice on a dangerous trail that was closed to the public. Park officials said Monday 56-year-old Xuan Wang, of Cupertino, was killed Sunday while hiking on the Mist Trail. They say the...
Have You Seen the Video of Snowy Yosemite Rock Slide?
Video posted on Twitter captured a rock slide at Yosemite National Park's Sentinel Rock on Monday. As of 12:30 p.m. Wednesday it had been viewed nearly 26,000 times. Photographer/hiker Billy DeKom of San Francisco tweeted that actually heard two rockslides Monday from his location at Yosemite Valley Lodge. Sentinel Rock...
Video Shows Helicopter Rescue of 2 Hikers in Yosemite
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK — The California Highway Patrol has released video of the dramatic rescue of two British tourists who were trapped on the edge of a massive granite cliff overlooking the Yosemite Valley. The video above shows a CHP helicopter crew pulling up the two unidentified men one by one from...
Human Waste, Trash Overwhelm Yosemite Amid National Shutdown
Human feces, overflowing garbage, illegal off-roading and other damaging behavior in fragile areas were beginning to overwhelm some of the West's iconic national parks, including Yosemite, on Monday, as a partial government shutdown left the areas open to visitors but with little staff on duty. "It's a free-for-all," Dakota Snider,...
Indian Couple Who Died in Yosemite Took Risks for Photos
SAN FRANCISCO — She was a self-described "adrenaline junkie," and he took "wow-worthy photos" of the couple posing at the edge of cliffs and jumping from planes that appeared on social media and a travel blog that attracted thousands of followers. In one post at the Grand Canyon this spring,...