04/25/2014 7:07 pm PST        Tracey Petersen, MML Reporter 

 

Sonora, CA — Mother Lode residents have less than a week of open burning before permits will be required.

Cal Fire says burn permits will be needed within the state responsibility areas including Tuolumne and Calaveras Counties beginning at 8 a.m., Thursday, May 1.

Beginning on that day, burning will only be allowed from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. on “permissive burn days” declared by the local Air Pollution Control District. You will be required to check to make sure it is a permissive burn day. You can find that out easily on myMotherLode.com by just clicking onto the home page.

Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit Chief Josh White warns, “Because the surrounding vegetation is already much drier than normal for this time of year, please use extra caution with all outdoor burning, or any other projects that could start a wildfire.”

Cal Fire also urges resident to create and maintain 100 feet of defensible space around all structures.

REMINDER:  Local volunteers will begin house to house inspections by mid-May.  For more information, click HERE to review the post from a few days ago. 
 

FRIDAY, APRIL 25th -- IS SOMEONE MESSING WITH US???? PLUS Hwy 108 road conditions.....

Three days ago we were tricked by Mother Nature and meteorologists to bring our deck furniture from winter storage (covered on the back deck) to the front deck.

Two days ago Sonora Pass was closed after being open for about 3 days.

Late this afternoon:  hail, corn snow and now, real snow!

 6 p.m.

 6 p.m.

 6 p.m.

Highway 108

IN THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA AREA & SIERRA NEVADA

Sonora Pass is closed.  Again.

IS CLOSED FROM 26.4 MI EAST OF STRAWBERRY (TUOLUMNE CO) TO 3 MI WEST OF THE JCT OF US 395 (MONO CO) /SONORA PASS/ - DUE TO SNOW - MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO USE AN ALTERNATE ROUTE 

CHAINS OR SNOW TIRES ARE REQUIRED FROM 4 MI EAST OF STRAWBERRY 7.2 MI EAST OF STRAWBERRY (TUOLUMNE CO) and then on TO 26.4 MI EAST OF STRAWBERRY (TUOLUMNE CO).  I'm guessing that that's Kennedy Meadows where the road is closed.

Let's see what tomorrow brings!

 7 p.m.

By the way.............the snow has fallen on the dogwood blossoms.  

SONORA PASS CLOSED! THAT NEW SNOWFALL...........it came!

Highway 108

IN THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA AREA & SIERRA NEVADA

IS CLOSED FROM 26.4 MI EAST OF STRAWBERRY (TUOLUMNE CO) TO 3 MI WEST OF THE JCT OF US 395 (MONO CO) /SONORA PASS/ - DUE TO SNOW - MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO USE AN ALTERNATE ROUTE

1-WAY CONTROLLED TRAFFIC AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS FROM 13 MI EAST TO 18 MI EAST OF STRAWBERRY (TUOLUMNE CO) FROM 0830 HRS TO 1500 HRS MONDAY THRU FRIDAY THRU 4/25/14 - DUE TO MAINTENANCE

Crazy huh?

SONORA & EBBETTS PASSES ARE OPEN

The entire lengths of Highways 108 and 4 can now be traveled for the season--barring some unforeseen heavy snowfall which is quite unlikely. 

Sonora and Ebbetts Passes opened yesterday, April 18th, at noon.  

SATURDAY AFTERNOON'S EASTER EGG HUNT

What a lovely day it was to be outside with a whole bunch of friends and neighbors, waiting to participant Mi Wuk's annual Easter Egg Hunt.

The 0-4 year olds were sent off first, across the street to the back side of the water company's property.

Alice asked the Easter Bunny if he/she would like a little break.  Response:  thumbs up!

Natalie and her cousin's had their photo taken with the Easter Bunny:

Do you recall, when we had the wind and rain storm on February 28th, and an 80 foot tree crashed through a house on Lama Road???  You can check the brief mention of it here.  Well, the homeowners were at today's Easter Egg Hunt.

Left to right:  Sarah, Patrick, John and Marie

Due to insurance haggling they have been staying at the Black Oak Casino and Resort since that incident.  They'll be moving back up to another cabin in Mi Wuk in a few days to try to put some "normalcy" into their lives, especially for the children Patrick and Marie, while they wait for the insurance companies to put their 'big boy clothes on' and get this taken care of so the family can move into the home they had just purchased!!! (sorry, I know that was editorializing).  The damage was far more serious than initially thought so there is a lot to be worked out.  It was nice to see Sarah, meet John, and now know who it is who had their lives turned upsidedown.

If YOU have a dead tree in your back yard, whether you are full or part time, whether it's your permanent home or weekend get-away cabin, please be responsible and take care of it.  That dead tree could fall on your house or your neighbor's and cause serious injury.  Little Patrick was in his crib in one of the rooms the dead tree fell across.  It missed him.  He is one lucky little boy!

Back to the Easter Egg Hunt:  every child walked away with a prize, large or small, and all who I saw left with a smile on their face.  It was a fun hour.   And the cookies, made by the volunteers were appreciated by all.

I almost forgot Aunt Ida!  I met her niece, Sandy, through this blog and the Spaghetti Dinner last August.  Sandy stopped to say hello and introduce me to Aunt Ida.  What a lady!

She's creative and crafty and I can't wait to see her again.  Can you see that pendant she's wearing:  she made it---from pine needles.   She also holds the Guiness Book of Records award for making the world's smallest Pine Needle Basket.  With a lid.  Think pinkie fingernail size.

Have a lovely Easter everyone.

PUBLIC MEETING MONDAY, APRIL 21, 2014, 6:00 p.m.

Mi Wuk Sugar Pine Fire Protection Station

24247 Highway 108

Cal Fire Battalion Chief Barry Randolph will talk about the shaded fuel break, the Rim Fire fighting efforts, and the piles that remain in the fuel break -- what can, can't and will be done to mitigate hazards presented by those piles.

Mi Wuk Sugar Pine Fire Protection District

(209) 586-5256

PROPERTY INSPECTIONS in MI WUK VILLAGE and SUGAR PINE TO BEGIN SOON

Property inspections will begin in early to mid May in Mi Wuk and Sugar Pine.  Volunteers, under the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's (Cal Fire) direction, will be going door to door throughout our communities looking for compliance of Defensible Space on each property.

Defensible Space includes decks, stairs and out 30 feet or to the property line, whichever is closest.

• Needles, leaves and other vegetation must be removed from roofs, gutters, decks, porches and stairways.
• All parts of trees, branches or other vegetation must be removed within 10 feet of chimney/stovepipe openings.
• Chimney/stovepipe openings must be covered with 3/8" - 1/2" mesh screen.
• Dead or dying trees, branches or other plants adjacent or overhanging buildings must be removed.
• Dead vegetation (branches, leaves, needles, grass, weeds and trimmings) must be removed within 30 feet of all structures.
• Mountain misery/bear clover must be all be removed.

Reduced Fuel Zone (between 30-100 feet from all structures, decks, stairs, etc. or to the property line, whichever is closest) includes:

• Mountain misery/bear clover: maintain at less than 4" high.
• Dead/dying grass, weeds:  cut to 4" or less; 'duff' (last year's decomposing needles/leaves) maximum 4" deep.

The items above are just a start to what will be looked for on each property.  The inspections are long overdue and are for the safety of individuals as well as the entire community.

Brochures and other informational publications can be picked up at the Hwy 108 fire station.

For more information regarding defensible space clearance requirements, visit www.readyforwildfire.org or www.fire.ca.gov

This is important to all of us, individually and as a community.  Please see that your property is cleared or that you have made arrangements for clearing.

I will post again when these inspections have actually begun.  In the meantime---get raking!  :)

UPCOMING EVENTS IN OUR AREA

May 2nd 

Annual Fashion Show Fundraiser presented by the Mi Wuk Sugar Pine Fire Protection District Auxiliary. 

Salad lunch
Time:  12 noon
Tickets:  Check with Linda or Bonnie at the Hwy 108 fire station. 
Fashions by Sharon Malone, Sonora
Location:  Mount Calvary Lutheran Church

MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

Annual Auxiliary Rummage Sale Fundraiser

NEW:  Chili Cookoff on Saturday

Details to follow

LATE NOTICE: EASTER EGG HUNT TODAY!

I have been very tardy in posting today's EASTER EGG HUNT at the Mi Wuk Library/Community Center:

Mi Wuk Area Easter Egg Hunt

Saturday, April 19th at 1:00 p.m.

Mi-Wuk Community Center/Library

For children ages 1-12, when accompanied by an adult.

Sponsored By:
Val O. at Real Living Sugar Pine Realty
Mi-Wuk General Store
Word of Life Fellowship
Mi-Wuk Wash & Dry
Angel's Pest Control  
Andy's Mountain Grill & Deli
High Country Friends of the Library
Mi-Wuk Area Homeowners' Association

Prizes - - - - - - - - - - Refreshments - - - - - - - - - - - Drawing for Easter Ham

Bring Camera for picture with the Easter Bunny

~Blythe ~

EARLY FIRE SEASON????

Sierra Village, CA —  Tracy Peterson, MyMotherlode.com, 04/18/2014 6:18 pm PST

Cal Fire reports crews are getting a handle on the blaze near Highway 108 in Tuolumne County. The flames broke out around 3 p.m. this afternoon near the Lyons Dam east of Sierra Village.

Cal Fire reports the forward rate of spread has been stopped at 3.3 acres.

Cal Fire Capt. Mike Spear says, “Access has been an issue for our resources.  It is steep terrain and getting firefighters to the flames has been a problem.”

Cal Fire currently has five engines and three hand crews on the scene.  There are three water tenders from the Tuolumne County Fire Department.  Mi-Wuk Sugar Pine Fire is also assisting with the blaze.  Cal Fire says crews will remain on the scene into the night.

 

USE CAUTION!  This could be an early fire season.

ADDENDUM:  

04/19/2014 6:10 am PST   Tracey Petersen, MML Reporter 

 

Sierra Village, CA — A vegetation fire is still not contained near Lyons Dam off Highway 108 in Tuolumne County. Cal Fire says the forward rate of spread has been stopped at 3.3 acres, but firefighters do not have a containment line all the way around the flames.

Cal Fire Capt. Mike Spear says the steep terrain is causing access problems for firefighters.

The flames broke out before three Friday afternoon east of Sierra Village. Cal Fire reports the forward rate of spread was halted around six p.m.

Cal Fire says two engines have been on the scene all night. In addition, crews continue to check for hot spots. No structures are threatened in the blaze.

THAT WHITE STUFF YOU FINALLY SEE IS *SNOW*

"Weather" has been threatened for several days.  Sunday late afternoon/evening we had rain, hail, corn snow, slush and cold.  My point of reference is, as most always, my "back" and "front" yards.

Around 5.40 p.m., Sunday...........

Around 6.15 p.m., Sunday

Around 7.00 p.m., Sunday

Around 8.30 p.m. Sunday

Around 7.00 a.m., Monday morning:

Around 7.55 a.m. Monday

Compare the 7.55 a.m. photo to the 5.40 p.m. photo to see our progress.  Finally!  At 8.15 Monday morning there is no sign of the snow fall lessening.  KEEP IT COMING!  We need it!

SONORA this morning:

Road restrictions for Hwy. 108:

IN THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA AREA & SIERRA NEVADA

IS CLOSED FROM 13 MI EAST OF STRAWBERRY (TUOLUMNE CO) TO 5.3 MI WEST OF THE JCT OF US 395 /SONORA PASS/ - FOR THE WINTER - MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO USE AN ALTERNATE ROUTE

CHAINS OR SNOW TIRES ARE REQUIRED FROM 6 MI EAST OF SONORA TO 13 MI EAST OF STRAWBERRY (TUOLUMNE CO) 

CHAINS OR SNOW TIRES ARE REQUIRED FROM 5.3 MI WEST OF THE JCT OF US 395 TO THE JCT OF US 395 (MONO CO)


There is a weather advisory (snow) until 11 a.m. today.  And here's the weather projection for exactly our area for the next few days.

 Have a safe day.  If I get out and about I'll take some more photos.  It's so nice to see the village draped in white.  We need it.

And if you take some pix from our area, send them to me at blythek@mac.com and I'll post them.