Twain Harte TimesTwain Harte Information & Photo Gallery

Stanislaus National Forest

It’s been a very busy week in Twain Harte, someone turned the heat on and left it on. I’m glad I’m not paying the propane bill for all this heat. The heat has brought people to the mountains in droves. Traffic hasn’t been this bad since – well since ever as far as I can recall.

While you are up here enjoying yourself with family and friends, I’d like you to please keep an eye out for Sandy, she’s been gone a week now.

We are seeing a lot more humidity than we normally see in the month of July, so be prepared to be hot and sticky. Speaking of hot and sticky, I know most of your vehicles are equipped with air conditioning because you are escaping the valley heat but you don’t have to cool yourselves driving 100 miles an hour.

Where is the fire? You come to the mountains to relax and unwind. Highway 108 is not The Indy 500. Slow down for pity sake. Because of our funky winter, we had a bumper crop of deer this season — I say had because far too many have been slaughtered this summer by motorists driving too fast. Just this week alone I’ve seen…

• deer
• raccoons
• squirrels
• birds
• opossum
• and other DEAD animals laying on the road.

It would be like a stranger driving through your home at 65 miles an hour. I normally have deer and turkeys visit my home daily as well as raccoons and many many squirrels. I’ve seen only one deer and a couple of squirrels all week. How can you enjoy nature if you drive it away or worse, kill it. Please slow down. Hell, stop and smell the flowers while you are here.

It’s great to get away and let your hair down but please take your trash with you. I wonder if you would be ashamed to know that we have 80 year old women who pick up the trash you leave behind? Crews of volunteers take to the streets to pick up the beer bottles, paper cups, and even entire bags of garbage that get tossed out beside the road. I love these mountains and the wildlife that call this area home. Your mother doesn’t live here. Pick up after yourself! If you bring it with you, or buy it here, take it home or dispose of it properly.

Lastly, if you enjoy the wildlife, please don’t feed it, don’t hold it and don’t treat it like a pet. Animals can be trained and tamed but then it will be doomed to death. Deer who are hand fed, petted and become too familiar with people, become tame, then are killed by hunters during hunting season or by motorists throughout the year – because they have come to trust man. I don’t have a problem with hunting but the deer should at least have a sporting chance at survival.

Want to have a good time in Twain Harte?

• Take all the pictures you want.
• Take some time for a nature walk.
• Go fishing, boating, swimming, skydiving, caving, spelunking or zip-lining.
• Partake of the local night life.
• Buy a pizza, shop at The Market.

Always remember to:

• Slow down
• Pick up your trash
• Don’t feed the wildlife
• One last thing: Don’t dump your pet here.

Apparently, many valley people think that turning their unwanted dog or cat out into the wild is a good idea and that they can fend for themselves or will be happier in the great outdoors. Every year dozens of cat and dogs are lost and never found or left behind in the mountains only to end up road kill or lion bait. If you bring your pet with you, keep your dog or cat on a leash. Don’t let them wander off alone.

Have a terrific summer and enjoy the majestic Stanislaus National Forest, we certainly do. Be sure to stop up to Pinecrest for their Ranger programs and movies at the amphitheater.

Happy July 4th!

Are you planning a long road trip over the Fourth of July weekend? Many families will take off for cooler parts this weekend. The motherlode provides a great place to get alone with nature and experience the squirrels chatter and the birds song for a refreshing change of pace.

Let’s face it camping in the great outdoors is a terrific experience for the children and it can be easy on the wallet or as expensive as you wish. Regardless of whether or not you camp, drive an RV, or you are ordering up room service from your 5 start hotel room; planning can make all the difference between having a terrific time and being miserable for the entire weekend.

Have you considered the costs of your trip? If you drive at all, you realize that gas prices aren’t what they used to be and can vary wildly from region to region. Do your homework before you leave home, always calculate lower gas mileage than you expect and be sure to add incidental miles (like trips to the grocery store, the beach or any other planned outtings).

Use caution when using online widgets when checking for gas prices, they are often inaccurate, so don’t let your fluid levels get too low before you start hunting for a station. In some areas they can be few and far between — especially when traveling in the mountains. Last year, for example, Wayne’s Shell here in Twain Harte was closed for months – during the Summer, Fall and Winter months people expecting to find gas when they arrived in Twain Harte were disappointed.

Is your vehicle road worthy?

1. Check and fill all fluid levels; oil, transmission, brake fluid, window washer solvent (not water, the solvent will clean the bugs off due to night driving). Check your hoses, in the heat of the summer, hoses often crack and break during a long trip.
2. Check the brake pads, most communities have service stations which offer free brake inspection. Get them looked at by a professional.
3. Check the tire tread and air pressure. (If you plan to head up into the mountains, pack the snow chains, you could need them this year.)

Be sure to have at least a small financial cushion, even if it’s nothing more than room on a credit card in case your vehicle leaves you stranded unexpectedly.

What to pack?

1. Sleeping bags or blankets (if camping)
2. A warm jacket
3. Two changes of clothing per day (one for cooler morning and evening weather, another set for the warm afternoons).
4. Two pairs of shoes (sandles, tennis shoes, hiking boots, flip flops, water socks) pick 2 or 3 but always have a spare pair.
5. Swimming trunks
6. Sunscreen/Mosquito Repellent
7. Camera
8. Cell Phone
9. Laptop
10. iPod
11. Map (be sure to print off a copy just in case the GPS goes out)
12. Walkie Talkie’s if you have them. They make a great backup in the absence of cell phone service, which is typical of many mountain communities and rural areas.
13. Prescription Medicine (in their original containers).

Your specific needs will vary depending on personal preferences, medical needs, the age of travelers and more. Create your own list of items to add to this list as you think of them. Be sure to call and stop the newspaper delivery or arrange for someone to pick them up while you are away.

Be sure the house is locked up properly, check the doors and windows. Look around your yard, does it look like the house is abandoned? Set a timer for your lights, have a family friend or neighbor check on things in your absence. Be sure your animals have someone looking after them while you are gone.

If you have a large family, be sure to count the kids at each stop to ensure that no one is left behind. Go ahead and laugh, many parents are reading this sentence nodding in agreement. It’s not that hard to forget one on occasion and it’s one quick way to spoil a vacation.

Travel Safe!

Posting the weather on a day like today isn’t high on my priority list but I know first-hand just how unpredictable the weather can be this time of year and just how hard it to plan what to wear at these higher elevations.

I say that as I sit here, staring at a pile of folded clothing, resting atop a plastic bin – full of SUMMER clothing. Around about three weeks ago or so, the weather was warming up so much that we had lugged our heavy hurricane fans out of winter storage and had discussed preparing the air conditioner — only to have the heavens open up and dump more snow on us.

I haven’t heard any reports from the higher elevation just yet as to whether it is raining or snowing — snow is expected at 7,500 feet.  Here at 4,000′ The sky is overcast and gray making the leaves on the trees appear to be an eerie shade of green. I can’t help but stare out the window today, even though the sun isn’t shining and it’s drizzling rain, it doesn’t feel all that bad out.

Mymotherlode reports: No Weekend Opening For Passes

Sonora, CA– Due to another wet weekend, two area mountain passes will remain closed. Saturday, a quarter to three quarters of an inch of rain is expected in the Sierra Nevada. Snow levels will remain above 7500 feet with several inches of accumulation expected on Sunday. Highway 120 Tioga Pass remains closed. [read more...]

Locally, the weather remains the main topic for casual conversations, coming in second is pollen. The pollen isn’t as bad as it was about 3-years ago, if I remember correctly. The frequent rain and snow showers have helped keep the pollen count down tremendously.

I expect it to continue to rain intermittantly throughout the day. The temperature is currently at 46 degrees with little change expected overnight.

If you haven’t been to Yosemite for your yearly pilgrimage (and you enjoy the off peak season), this really is a nice time to go — grab a pair of sturdy (waterproof) hiking boots and get out in the fresh air. The falls are spectacular just now due to the heavy snowfall we’ve had this year. They keep the roads up that way pretty clear. It will be a little messy, especially around Camp Curry but if you take it slow and watch for icy patches, it’s a nice trip. (Remember to carry chains.)

The flower display along highway 140 can be quite spectacular this time of year.

And as if those weren’t good enough reasons to make the drive, consider this: Yesterday the National Park Service announced…

Yosemite National Park Unveils New Exhibit to Feature Early Visitor Photographs, Prints, and Artifacts

A new exhibit entitled “Views & Visitors: The Yosemite Experience in the Early 20th Century,” will open to the public on Wednesday, June 8, 2011.  The exhibit will be in the Yosemite Valley Museum (adjacent to the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center) and will feature photographs, prints, artifacts and ephemera from Yosemite’s early years.

An Opening Reception will be held at the Yosemite Valley Museum on Tuesday, June 7, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. There is no cost to attend and food and drink will be served.

What a terrific opportunity to learn more about the history and local culture of Yosemite and those who settled this area.