Alone, but not lonely, in the wilderness Oct 8, 2009
Summer in the Sierra Nevada has arrived in all its splendor, just in time for Memorial Day weekend ... Or take a week-long backpacking trip in the Sierra Nevada ... Perched atop the Sierra Nevada just southwest of Lake Tahoe, its spectacular, glacier-carved scenery and proximity to cities make it a backpacker's mecca -- not only for Sacramento-area residents, but for outdoors lovers among the Bay Area's nearly 7 million people. (Fresno Bee)
It's 'Chinatown' Oct 8, 2009
The DVD includes a new hourlong documentary on Los Angles' water-supply system, which uses aqueducts to pipe in water from hundreds of miles away in the Sierra Nevada mountains ... The DVD includes a new hourlong documentary on Los Angles' water-supply system, which uses aqueducts to pipe in water from hundreds of miles away in the Sierra Nevada mountains. (New York Post -- Entertainment)
The Changing Range Of Light Oct 6, 2009
Elizabeth Carmels Portraits of the Sierra Nevada. Elizabeth Carmel's photo essay and accompanying poems highlight the beauty and majesty of the Sierra Nevada with scientists explaining the consequences of Global Warming ... Carmel follows the footsteps of landscape photographers such as Ansel Adams in capturing the beauty of the Sierra Nevada and using the images in the fight to protect that beauty. (Suite101.com)
Sierra Nevada Birds Move In Response To Warmer, Wetter Climate Oct 5, 2009
The findings, to be published the week of Sept. 14 in an online early edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveal that 48 out of 53 bird species studied in California's Sierra Nevada mountains have adjusted to climate change over the last century by moving to sites with the temperature and precipitation conditions they favored ... The study, conducted in collaboration with Audubon California, a non-profit state program of the National Audubon Society, includes... (Science Daily)
The nation's weather Oct 3, 2009
Rain is expected over the southern Sierra Nevada after midnight today, with thunderstorms on Monday afternoon, the Weather Service says. Cold air was expected to bring rain Saturday to the Northeast and an autumn chill to the Northwest and Northern Midwest. (Fresno Bee -- Local)
'Robust Sequence' of Earthquakes Shake California Oct 3, 2009
The quakes' epicenters were just southeast of the town of Lone Pine in the arid Owens Valley below the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada, about 180 miles north of Los Angeles. "It's a very robust sequence," said California Institute of Technology seismologist Anthony Guarino. (Fox News)
Just the start Oct 2, 2009
The cannon is a replica of one that explorer John C. Fremont brought with him before abandoning it in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in 1844. THE LINE: Nevada by 3. (Notre Dame Sports -- Rivals.com)
Follow your art Oct 1, 2009
Or take a week-long backpacking trip in the Sierra Nevada ... Hunt-Pierson walks around her Sierra Nevada foothills home, one of the studios in the lineup of this years Sierra Art Trails. (Fresno Bee)
Floundering El Ninos Make For Fickle Forecasts Sep 30, 2009
In addition, there was heavy snowpack in the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains. In comparison, during the past four winters, Los Angeles has averaged only 24. (Science Daily)
Foliage from the water: Viewing spots for boaters Sep 23, 2009
And in California, the Mammoth Lakes region on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada range offers many places where you can rent a boat or bring your own. Best foliage is through mid-October, http://www. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Travel)
DEFORMED FROG PICTURE: Sign of Parasites on the Rise? Sep 23, 2009
The frog historically was found from northern Oregon south to the San Gabriel Mountains near Los Angeles, as well as higher elevations in the Sierra Nevada. The anchor worm is yet another blow to the vulnerable , the authors say, and climate change is expected to spur more parasite-favoring heat waves in California in the future. (National Geographic)
Tires catch of the day in San Joaquin River cleanup Sep 20, 2009
RiverTree was cooperating Saturday in a larger event sponsored by the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, which covers the entire 400-mile Sierra ... About 3,000 volunteers in 22 counties covered 140 river miles of the Sierra Nevada and cleaned more than 40 river and creek sites from Lassen to Yosemite, according to a news release from the conservancy. (Fresno Bee)
Evans hoping to gather pace for world title fight Sep 19, 2009
At the very least, Satutrday's time-trial will show Evans - for better or worse - how costly his puncture on the second last climb of last Saturday's 13th stage to the summit at Sierra Nevada really was. He believes the 1:23 he lost after starting the stage at 7s to Valverde - and a 10s penalty for taking a water bottle when he should not have - ruined his winning hopes. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Sport)
Abandoned mines are still leaking mercury Sep 18, 2009
Much of the liquid mercury was sent to Sierra Nevada gold mines, where miners spilled tons of it into streams and soil to extract the precious ore. "There's probably a water body near everybody in the state that has significant mercury contamination," said Dr. Rick Kreutzer, chief of the state Department of Public Health's Division of Environmental and Occupational Disease Control. (MSNBC -- Environment)
America's prettiest fall drives Sep 16, 2009
Along with Ohio's Appalachian Mountains, California's Sierra Nevadas and the White Mountains in Maine, both will soon be drawing day-trippers on the lookout for the first signs of fall ... Aspens, like those found along Route 168 in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, turn yellow ... David Mcnew / Getty ImagesSee the aspen, juniper and pine trees along route 168, in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Calif. (MSNBC -- Travel)
* Magic Mountain ]s_ Sep 5, 2009
They live on the imposing mountain massif whose foothills rise behind the city X the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Towering over the shores of northern Colombia, its the tallest coastal mountain anywhere in the world. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World Business)
News Briefs | Sept. 4, 2009 Sep 4, 2009
A year later, on Sept. 29, 2008, his identification cards were recovered in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California and investigators confirmed his death on Nov. 3, 2008. He was 63 years old. (Washington University Student Life, MO)
Couple deny California abduction Aug 29, 2009
He and his wife Nancy, 54, are accused of abducting her in the town of South Lake Tahoe, in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. CHARGES AGAINST THE GARRIDOS Kidnapping a child under 14 Kidnapping for sexual purposes False imprisonment by violence Six counts each of forcible rape Seven counts each of "forcible lewd act on a child". (BBC News)
Calif. firefighters wage fierce wildfire battles Aug 29, 2009
3-square-mile fire in Angeles National Forest was among the most dangerous in a siege of wildfires charring thousands of acres of brush from Southern California north to the central coast region and east to the Sierra Nevada. Triple-digit heat and very low humidity made many areas ripe for burning. (WSVN-TV Miami, FL)
Evacuations ordered in La Canada Flintridge fire Aug 28, 2009
Authorities have lifted the last evacuations near a wildfire in Northern California's Sierra Nevada foothills ... Firefighters are gaining ground on two large Northern California wildfires, while hundreds of residents remain under evacuation orders in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Sierra Nevada foothills ... Authorities are lifting some evacuations near a wildfire in the Sierra Nevada foothills as firefighters make progress against the flames. (Fresno Bee -- State)
Homes evacuated as fire burns outside Soledad Aug 28, 2009
Authorities have lifted the last evacuations near a wildfire in Northern California's Sierra Nevada foothills ... A wildfire in the Sierra Nevada foothills has reached 50 percent containment, allowing officials to lift all evacuations by Wednesday morning ... A wildfire in the Sierra Nevada foothills is 50 percent contained, allowing officials to lift all evacuations by Wednesday morning. (Fresno Bee -- State)
Park Tourists Rerouted Due To Pot Garden Aug 28, 2009
-- A section of this Sierra Nevada national park was closed to visitors Thursday while rangers helicoptered in to destroy a sizable marijuana growing operation just a half-mile away from a crystal-filled cave popular with tourists. Authorities said the proximity of the pot plants to such a heavily trafficked tourist site was unusual and reflects a newfound boldness among growers, who are now planting marijuana near trails and access roads at an increasing number of parks. (Click2Houston, TX)
Lockheed Fire 90 Percent Contained Aug 22, 2009
State fire officials said there is no longer any threat to homes in the Sierra Nevada foothills, and all evacuations have been lifted. The blaze -- which burned nearly 4,000 acres, or 6 square miles -- is 90 percent contained. (KSBW 8, CA)
Firefighters Make Progress Against Calif. Wildfires Aug 20, 2009
A wildfire in the Sierra Nevada foothills is 50 percent contained, allowing officials to lift all evacuations by Wednesday morning. And a massive blaze in the Los Padres National Forest that's covered 139 square miles is 75 percent contained. (Newsmax)
Marijuana growers sought in wildfire Aug 19, 2009
Some evacuation orders also have been lifted in the Sierra Nevada foothills, where a wildfire has charred more than 3,500 acres ... In the Sierra Nevada, an ongoing search has resulted in dozens of prosecutions and the destruction of more than 400,000 marijuana plants. (MSNBC -- Race)
Some evacuations lifted in California wildfire Aug 18, 2009
Authorities are lifting some evacuations near a wildfire in the Sierra Nevada foothills as firefighters make progress against the flames ... Firefighters are gaining ground on two large Northern California wildfires, while hundreds of residents remain under evacuation orders in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Sierra Nevada foothills ... -- Authorities are lifting some evacuations near a wildfire in Northern California's Sierra Nevada foothills as firefighters make progress against the flames. (Fresno Bee -- Nation)
Firefighters Gain Ground in Calif. Blazes Aug 18, 2009
Firefighters are gaining ground on two large Northern California wildfires, while hundreds of residents remain under evacuation orders in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Sierra Nevada foothills. The fire in the Bonny Doon area of Santa Cruz County is now about 65 percent contained after burning 11 square miles. (CBS News)
Hundreds allowed to go home amid Calif. wildfires Aug 17, 2009
A fire in Yuba County, north of Sacramento, had burned more than 5 square miles after jumping the Yuba River and moving away from the Sierra Nevada foothills community of Dobbins. About 120 residents who had left their homes were able to return, Berlant said. (Fresno Bee -- Nation)
Once a leader, state's been eclipsed on renewables Aug 16, 2009
After the Gold Rush faded in the Sierra Nevada in the 19th century, many of the 49ers turned to a new form of gold: the water gushing down mountain streams. Hard to believe, but PGes its roots to a few entrepreneurs who figured out how to transmit hydroelectricity from places such as Nevada City first to Sacramento and then to Oakland. (Sacramento Bee -- Opinion)
Venezuela: Natural beauty for bold travelers Aug 13, 2009
The city of Merida is a charming, university town providing a perfect jumping-off point for visits to nearby snowcapped mountains in Sierra Nevada National Park. The world's longest and highest cable car normally brings travelers directly from the city to a lookout near Espejo Peak located 15,633 feet above sea level. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Travel)
Fresno-area dove hunts planned Aug 6, 2009
Or take a week-long backpacking trip in the Sierra Nevada. Or finish your first triathlon, ride your first century or catch your first 5-pound rainbow trout. (Fresno Bee)
Undergrads from near, far unveil research at UM conference Aug 6, 2009
For two months this summer, Klaassen Van Oorschot, 24, camped in the eastern Sierra Nevada mountain range on the border of Yosemite National Park. There, he looked at why the sparrows nest in lodgepole pines and willows, but also shrubs near the ground. (Missoulian, MT)
From weddings to rescues, Niagara pilot helps out Aug 2, 2009
Almost three years after a glacier 70 miles east of Fresno surrendered the first of two mummified airmen, their 66-year-old crash remains one of many enduring aviation mysteries in the sprawling Sierra Nevada. Hundreds of military and private aircraft have fallen here, victims of some of the world s most dangerous winds, sudden storms, no-way-out canyons or even their own mistakes. (Fresno Bee -- Nation)
August 2009 Geology and GSA Today media highlights Aug 1, 2009
Also in Geology: briny eruptions on Mars; the only basin known to have both a marine and terrestrial P-T boundary; a major Silurian fish die-off; and mapping naturally occurring asbestos in the Sierra Nevada ... Rock and soil that may contain naturally occurring asbestos (NOA), a known human carcinogen, were mapped in the Sierra Nevada, California, using an airborne imaging spectrometer, to determine if these materials could be uniquely identified with reflectance spectroscopy. (EurekAlert!)
Population Of Nearly Extinct Mountain Yellow-Legged Frog Discovered Jul 29, 2009
ScienceDaily (July 28, 2009) For the first time in nearly 50 years, a population of a nearly extinct frog has been rediscovered in the San Bernardino National Forest s San Jacinto Wilderness. Biologists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) assessing suitability of sites to re-establish frogs and scientists from the San Diego Natural History Museum retracing a 1908 natural history expedition both rediscovered the rare mountain yellow-legged frog in the San Jacinto Wilderness near Idyllwild,... (Science Daily)
Austin MurphyINSIDE THE TOUR DE FRANCE Jul 28, 2009
To subject riders to less rain, and take them higher into the stunning Sierra Nevada mountains, the Tour of California has moved from February to May, a ballsy move that conflicts with the Giro d'Italia. As Messick reasons, however, "For this sport to be truly global, there need to be important races outside of western Europe. And we think ours should be one of them.". (SportsIllustrated.CNN -- More)
Evidence of endangered frog group found in Calif. Jul 25, 2009
A new study shows frogs in the Sierra Nevada mountains are threatened by airborne pesticides that drift eastward from California's Central Valley. Researchers at Southern Illinois University and the U.S. Geological Survey measured toxicity levels of two pesticides, chlorpyrifos and endosulfan, to Pacific treefrogs and foothill yellow-legged frogs. (Fresno Bee -- State)
American, Japanese climbers found dead on Mt. Fuji Jul 24, 2009
The history of Sierra Nevada mountaineering and rock climbing is filled with legendary names and legendary feats. But when stories get passed around a campfire on cold nights at high elevations, one name towers above them all: Norman Clyde. (Fresno Bee -- Local)
Donkeys help soldiers get hands-on training for Afghanistan Jul 12, 2009
The two Marines assigned to her pushed, pulled, and sweet-talked her up the steep, twisting trail on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada mountains ... Opened in 1951 to train troops for Korea, the center with its several administrative buildings, barracks, enormous tent for visiting troops, and a few corrals is set on 47,000 acres of Toiyabe National Forest, where the Sierra Nevada s peaks soar above 10,000 feet, perfect terrain to teach high-altitude combat skills. (Boston Globe)
* Downdraft blamed for Steve Fossett 2007 crash Jul 11, 2009
The radar track shows what is now believed to have been Fossetts plane flying south the along a crest of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The track started about 56km south-southwest from where he had taken off that morning and continued roughly parallel to Highway 395 about 16km to the west of the road. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Business)
Turbulence 'downed Fossett plane' Jul 10, 2009
His remains were found a year later in the Sierra Nevada mountains ... But the search resumed in November 2008, after a hiker recovered identification documents from a remote location in the Sierra Nevada mountains. (BBC News -- Americas)
Fourth-graders pen California-themed essays Jul 9, 2009
This was the second year that the Native Daughters of the Golden West Parlor No. 46 in Murphys sponsored a fourth-grade essay contest called The Wonders of California. On the last day of the school year at Michelson Elementary School, members of the Native Daughters handed out a 20 check and ribbon to first-place winner Elise Sanzeri and a fourth-place ribbon and 5 check to Morgan Puccinelli, students of Michelle Wright. (San Andreas Calaveras Enterprise, CA)
Wilderness areas on front burner Jul 6, 2009
Congress voted earlier this year to set aside more than 2 million acres in nine states as protected wilderness from California s Sierra Nevada mountains to the Jefferson National Forest in Virginia. Montana was not included in those designations. (Helena Independent Record)
America's healthiest beach and lake getaways Jul 5, 2009
"You're not looking at beach condos --the Sierra Nevada mountains are right there," judge Howes says. And don't worry about bringing a bunch of gear. (CNN -- Travel)
Pacific Northwest forests could store more carbon, help address greenhouse issues Jul 3, 2009
Contrary to accepted views on biomass stabilization and decline, biomass is still increasing in stands more than 300 years old in the Coast Range, Sierra Nevada and the West Cascade Range, and in stands more than 600 years old in the Klamath Mountains ... If forests in this region were managed over hundreds of years to maximize carbon sequestration, the carbon in live and dead biomass could theoretically double in the Coast Range, west and east Cascade Range and Sierra Nevada; and triple in the... (EurekAlert!)
AustinMurphyInside The Tour De France The Tour de France could quickly devolve into a soap opera. Jul 3, 2009
Classic, a brief but brutal 40-lap circuit in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Asked afterward about the upcoming Tour, which starts Saturday in Monaco, the Texan poor-mouthed his own chances, pointing to Astana teammates Alberto Contador and Levi Leipheimer as clear favorites. (SportsIllustrated.CNN)
Tuolumne River's beautiful melody Jul 2, 2009
The best Sierra Nevada hikes. The Sierra Nevada is packed with day hikes. (Fresno Bee)
Must-see fireworks: Vegas to Rushmore to Cape Cod Jun 28, 2009
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Nevada: The "Lights on the Lake" July Fourth fireworks event can be seen from the beach, from boats on the lake and from the surrounding Sierra Nevada mountains. From the Sunday, June 28, 2009 edition of the Augusta Chronicle Reader Comments Note: Comments are not edited and don't represent the views of The Augusta Chronicle. (The Augusta Chronicle)
Don't Miss These Must-See Fireworks Jun 26, 2009
The "Lights on the Lake" July Fourth fireworks event can be seen from the beach, from boats on the lake and from the surrounding Sierra Nevada mountains. Copyright 2009 by. (Click2Houston, TX)
Calif. Denies Legal Protections For Pika Jun 26, 2009
The pika live in the cooler, upper reaches of California's Sierra Nevada, and the mountains of 10 other western states. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is also studying whether the pika should be protected by federal law. (KSBW 8, CA)
Chico, California Jun 19, 2009
Unlike the flat, shady sprawl of Lower Park, Upper Park consists of rocky terrain in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains ... Sierra Nevada Brewing Company ... Another notable place to visit is the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, located on East 20th Street, close to the Chico Mall. (Suite101.com)
Storm rumbles into Valley Jun 6, 2009
Thunderstorms will persist in the Sierra Nevada into next week, forecasters said. Sheldon Sandstrom, who owns the Sierra Marina at Shaver Lake, said he woke up to snow in the foothills Friday morning. (Fresno Bee -- Local)
Ancient sea life thrived in Central Valley Jun 6, 2009
During that epoch, the Sierra Nevada range was still rising, and sand from the growing mountains must have run down to the shore and into the shallow waters of the broad Miocene embayment that geologists now call the Temblor Sea. Eventually over many years, the sand buried the bodies of all the marine and land animals to create a layer of bones from 6 to 20 inches thick above a deeper layer of dense mud riddled with the burrows of long-extinct shrimp, Lipps said. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Science)
More of this story Jun 6, 2009
he asked, adding that when he goes hiking in the Sierra Nevada mountains near his home, he never comes back the way he went. I have got to come back another way, he said Why would I do that. (Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise, OK)
* Caretaking: no overheads and a dream location May 17, 2009
Earl Delno has a lot more duties on an estate high in the Sierra Nevada on Lake Tahoe, California. My predecessor was a partier, and it showed, Delno said. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Sports)
Scientists urge global action to preserve water supplies for billions worldwide May 13, 2009
Melting glaciers, weakening monsoon rains, less mountain snowpack and other effects of a warmer climate will lead to significant disruptions in the supply of water to highly populated regions of the world, especially near the Himalayas in Asia and the Sierra Nevada Mountains of the western United States, according to an international group of scientists who met for three days at the University of California, San Diego ... Participants at the workshop held May 4-6 at Scripps Oceanography's Robert... (EurekAlert! -- Business News)
American River and its hidden treasures May 12, 2009
There is white water to ride on California s American River, and it flows through the mountain scenery of the Sierra Nevada and some of the state s historic Gold Rush country ... If you d rather not shoot the rapids, look under More Recreation for ample information on pursuing wild trout, hiking and biking the extensive trails in this section of the Sierra Nevada, or letting a horse do the hiking for you. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Travel)
Americans want it both ways May 10, 2009
And for both environmental and financial reasons, we long ago stopped building canals and dams in the Sierra Nevada mountains to find sources of replacement irrigation water. So farmers are asked to produce more food for more people in a desert climate with less water -- while environmentalists dream of returning to a pristine 19th-century sparsely populated California of smelt and salmon in their inland rivers. (Fresno Bee -- Opinion)
Fighting a high-tech war on a low-tech mule May 5, 2009
US Marine infantry pets his mule as he arrives from a hike in some of the most rugged terrain in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Hawthorne,Nevada ... Bridgeport, in the eastern Sierra Nevada near the Nevada state line, most nearly replicates the high-altitude terrain troops will encounter in Afghanistan. (Christian Science Monitor -- World)
Low snow, reservoir levels force rationing May 2, 2009
April's warm, dry weather melted the Sierra Nevada snowpack to two-thirds of normal, according to the last measure of the season Thursday, as agencies serving cities and farms across California prepare to cut water use this summer. Images. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Origins of wolverine in California genetically verified Apr 30, 2009
Study provides first evidence of connection between Rocky, Sierra Nevada Mountain populations ... The U.S. Forest Service funded the study, which demonstrated the first evidence of connectivity between wolverine populations living in the Rocky and Sierra Nevada Mountains. (EurekAlert!)
The Long, Long Trailer Movie (1953) Apr 20, 2009
Despite Nicky's reluctance, the couple buy their dream home on wheels and depart for the Sierra Nevada Mountains for their honeymoon ... Add to that some stunning scenery of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and The Long, Long Trailer becomes a charming travelogue/romantic comedy. (Suite101.com)
From Marblehead to D.C., an environmental activist sounds his watery alarm Apr 19, 2009
And John Muir, a founder of the Sierra Club, took long hiking adventures through the Sierra Nevada Mountains. "Duck hunters and fishermen are excellent conservationists because they come back with enthusiasm from the activities they enjoy," said Swain. (Boston Globe)
Museum explores legendary life of climber Apr 19, 2009
The history of Sierra Nevada mountaineering and rock climbing is filled with legendary names and legendary feats ... Legendary mountaineer Norman Clyde is credited with more first ascents than anyone else in the Sierra Nevada. (Fresno Bee -- Sports)
Temperatures will rise through weekend Apr 18, 2009
With the high temperatures will come increased snowmelt in the Southern Sierra Nevada mountains. The runoff could cause increased risk for hikers and campers as mountain streams and rivers rise and become fast moving. (Fresno Bee)
