How humans, vanishing cougars changed Yosemite (San Francisco Chronicle)
Agile, fast and fierce, cougars once hunted their prey throughout Yosemite National Park, but as human invasions and hunting began about 80 years ago, the predators steadily disappeared, and the entire ecology of the fabled valley was disrupted, researchers…

Yosemite Grad Called Up To Grizzlies (KFSN-TV Fresno)
Dayton Buller called Wednesday the longest and best day of his life.

Woman injured falling 50 feet in Yosemite park (Merced Sun-Star)
A woman was badly injured when she fell more than 50 feet from an embankment Sunday in Yosemite National Park, a park official reported.

Yosemite relocates El Portal Market to new building (Merced Sun-Star)
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK — Yosemite National Park’s management team decided Thursday to relocate El Portal Market to the Special Park Uses building.

HOT TOPICS (The Hanford Sentinel)
HANFORD — Alicia Hayes and Andrea Staler three won events apiece as the Hanford West High girls captured first place in the West Yosemite League frosh/soph track and field championships.

HOT TOPICS (The Hanford Sentinel)
HANFORD — The Hanford High baseball team continued its West Yosemite League surge Tuesday, pounding out 14 hits and three home runs in a 10-0 victory over host Hanford West. A stellar outing from Jeff Bench enabled the Bullpups to improve to 8-1 in league play at 18-5 overall.

Oregon boasts a record and bounty of snowpack (The Oregonian)
The cumulative snowfall at Mt. Hood Meadows ski area from Nov. 1 through Monday — 650 inches — is the most ever recorded there.

Ruling puts Yosemite construction in question (Modesto Bee)
FRESNO — An appeals court ruled Thursday that Yosemite National Park can’t continue with more than $100 million in planned construction projects because the development threatens the fragile ecosystem of Yosemite Valley.

Mother Lode Views To Focus On Yosemite Community College District (MyMotherLode.com)
Sonora, CA — This weekend Mother Lode Views will focus on the Yosemite Community College District and its impact on the community. Columbia College and Modesto Junior College comprise the two Y.C.C.D. campuses.

Lake Don Pedro (Merced Sun-Star)
WHERE: Off Highway 132 (Yosemite Boulevard) between La Grange and Coulterville. From Merced take La Grange Road or Merced Falls Road to Highway 132.

In Switzerland, an Alpine Perch (New York Times)
Sandy and Vaughn Hysinger found their Swiss home while on a weekend trip to the Alps.

Yosemite Valley work is halted by court (The Union Democrat)
A Fresno appellate court Thursday again blocked construction projects in Yosemite Valley, affirming an earlier ruling that the National Park Service had failed to adequately assess their impacts on the Merced River.

Ski Season Coming to a Close in Yosemite (KFSN-TV Fresno)
Sunday was the last day Badger Pass opened for business.

Eight weekly prizes of two-night getaways to Yosemite and Mariposa County lodging - including a stay at the Yosemite View Lodge - will also be awarded (two each week) along with park admission and - in several cases - other extras. To enter and be eligible to win any of these prizes, CLICK HERE once each week through April 13.

And, listen for more information about the Yosemite Getaway Sweepstakes and hear Mike Cleary’s Mariposa Minutes on these radio stations in the San Francisco and Sacramento areas: KGO-AM810, KDFC-FM, KBLX-FM, KSFO-AM, KOIT-FM, 957 The Wolf, The Eagle 969, KSSJ and ESPN1320.

Chilling fog (The Fresno Bee)
Thick fog Tuesday contributed to a fatal traffic accident and a rash of other collisions, closed down a major highway to the Central Coast and interrupted flight services at Fresno Yosemite International Airport.

Yosemite’s high camp amenities in question (Modesto Bee)
YOSEMITE — It’s almost like a conversation between John Muir and Edward Abbey.

Cause for celebration (Sierra Star)
Marty Cox on the left and his wife Cyd Muramoto on the right flank Mark Grogan at the entrance to the spaghetti fundraiser the Yosemite Gateway Association of Realtors hosted Saturday night at the Oakhurst Community Center to help Grogan with living expenses during his treatment for lung cancer.

Falcons Make Historic Visit to Yosemite on Monday (OurSports Central)
Fresno, CA…The Fresno Falcons professional hockey team, proud members of the ECHL, have announced that several members of the team and mascot Freddie Falcon will be traveling to Yosemite National Park on Monday, January 14th to skate at the historic Curry Village Ice Rink in Yosemite Village.

Taste of Merced County and Beyond: An agriculture luncheon (Merced Sun-Star)
The Catholic Professional and Business Club luncheon will begin at noon Thursday at St. Patrick’s Parish Hall, 671 East Yosemite Ave.

Knights host free throw contest (Sierra Star)
On Saturday, the Harry Baker Gym at Yosemite High School was the setting for the seventh annual Knights of Columbus (Council No. 13085) Free Throw Championships.

Environmentalists concerned over Yosemite road plan (Arizona Daily Star)
Fearing danger to motorists and damage to a scenic river canyon, some environmentalists say California is moving too quickly to rebuild the western route into Yosemite National Park.

Sequoia, Kings Canyon to change with the times (The Fresno Bee)
SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK — Laurie LeLouis of Bakersfield remembers camping as a youngster with her family at Sequoia National Park.

Facing the snow (The Fresno Bee)
Storms that swept through the region this weekend began to lose steam Sunday — but they left behind puddles of water, downed trees and prime ski conditions in the mountains.

Yosemite Roads Open And Clear (MyMotherLode.com)
Yosemite National Park, CA — According to Ranger Scott Gediman the majority of the roads are open and clear in Yosemite despite the inclement weather.

Badger Pass ski area closed (The Fresno Bee)
The Badger Pass ski area in Yosemite National Park did not open Friday due to winds associated with a storm front moving across central California.

Less is more for Seahawks: Fewer penalties, fewer scowls (Tacoma News Tribune)
KIRKLAND The television cameras occasionally catch Mike Holmgren in full Yosemite Sam outburst on the sidelines; veins popping, eyes bulging, face aflame, steam shooting from his ears.

Yosemite, Sequoia and Tahoe Slated for the Next Big Segway Tours by Segway of Oakland (PRWeb)
Segway of Oakland innovates turn-key Segway rental program for California Parks. (PRWeb Jan 6, 2008) Post Comment:Trackback URL: http://www.prweb.com/pingpr.php/UHJvZi1Qcm9mLVNxdWEtUGlnZy1Mb3ZlLVplcm8=

How’s the weather? (The Fresno Bee)
You don’t have to be a farmer to care about the weather.

HOT TOPICS (The Sentinel)
The Hanford West Huskies and Lemoore Tigers will meet in a boys basketball matchup on Wednesday at Lemoore as the West Yosemite League season tips off.

WYL basketball season tips off tonight (The Sentinel)
The Hanford High boys and girls basketball teams will tip off their West Yosemite League seasons tonight, and both will do so as favorites. Meanwhile, the Hanford West and Lemoore boys squads will also open their league slates — against each other in a rematch at Lemoore.

Yosemite peak is one of the most famous day hikes in the nation (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
YOSEMITE VALLEY, Calif. — The legend says the name of the native American woman was Tesaiyac. …

Obituary: David H. Brady, ex-West Palm official (The Palm Beach Post)
When he was a West Palm Beach city commissioner in the late ’60s, David H. Brady argued that the planned city auditorium was badly designed, too expensive and would never pay for itself.

More Visitors Came To Yosemite In 2007 (MyMotherLode.com)
Yosemite, Ca — It was big year when it came to tourists visiting Yosemite National Park. In 2006, Yosemite had 3.35 million visitors.

Orphaned cub to get help with hibernation (The Sacramento Bee)
Hoping to beat a heavy, weeklong snowstorm predicted to begin Thursday, state Department of Fish and Game officials plan today to tuck a rescued bear cub into a hibernation den they’re constructing near Truckee.

Ringing in the New Year: ‘08 greeted at banquet (Madera Tribune)
Over 100 people greeted the new year at Hatfield Hall during a fundraising dinner and party hosted by Madera County’s Men of Integrity. People of virtually all ages enjoyed a dinner with live entertainment by Yosemite Jazz Band and music by Change of Heart.

Mariposa fights back (The Fresno Bee)
The Yosemite gateway community of Mariposa, hurt by the rockslide closure of Highway 140 in 2006, saw tourism recover in 2007, driven by an increase in visitors to the national park and a detour opening the highway to traffic.

Readers Respond: Your Sacred Places (US News & World Report)
We had a strong response to our call for locations sacred to our readers.

Yosemite peak is one of the most famous day hikes in the nation (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
YOSEMITE VALLEY, Calif. — The legend says the name of the native American woman was Tesaiyac. …

(From the last 12 hours) (Oroville Mercury-Register)
Chio firefighter Jim Lucanic hoses down a vehicle that started a vegetation fire a mile east of Yosemite Drive in Chico Aug. 25.

DOMESTIC DREAMS (The Buffalo News)
NEW YORK Travel in 2007 was marked by high gas prices, new passport rules, record lows for the dollar and record-high air travel. In 2008, experts say, Americans may take shorter trips or choose destinations closer to home where their dollar goes further. But they will still travel. The Conference Board s most recent consumer survey found 45.8 percent of Americans intend to take a vacation …

Season of Sharing: Once homeless, veteran’s family moves upscale (San Francisco Chronicle)
Umoja Selassie and his three daughters were the first family to move into the tony planned community of Bayport Alameda last year. They remember everything seemed to sparkle, with sidewalks that were flawless and a street so empty that their footsteps echoed…

Hike Half Dome in the spring (Baltimore Sun)
When is the best time of year to hike to the top of Half Dome? Any tips for an enjoyable experience?

Yosemite peak is one of the most famous day hikes in the nation (Lexington Herald-Leader)
The legend says the name of the native American woman was Tesaiyac. She fled from an angry husband long ago through the High Sierra in what is now central California. Her footsteps became the Merced River in what is now Yosemite National Park. Acorns that spilled from her basket became the mighty oaks that grow along the stream in the Yosemite Valley. She threw a basket at her husband. It became …

Travel in 2008: Shorter trips and closer to home (Deseret Morning News)
Travel in 2007 was marked by high gas prices, new passport rules, record lows for the dollar, and record-high air travel.

A Great Alternative to Time-share (Benton Evening News)
(ARA) - Ever since they first became available in the 1960s, time-share — the deeded ownership of an interval of time at a hotel unit, resort condominium or other vacation property — has been an American tradition.