With No Snow – Central California Ski Resorts Throw In Towel
It’s April 2013 and its been a duster for the past three months.So it should come as no surprise that Central Sierra ski resorts have closed for the season.
At China Peak management announced that “unfortunately we are closed for the 2012/13 season, unless we receive a significant snowfall (2-3 feet) in April, where we would possibly reopen. The lack of snow in the first quarter of 2013 is historic, and unfortunately we ran out of snow much earlier than is almost always the case; we are generally open until the end of April, which is our plan for 2013/14!” In Yosemite Badger Pass closed as of March 31.
Still open for skiing is Bear Valley,Alpine Meadows,Squaw Valley,Northstar and Mammoth to name some of the more popular.
If skiing ends early – let the hiking and tourist busses begin.
That’s what is happening in Sequoia /Kings Canyon where the early snowmelt and warm weather has prompted the return of tour buses early this year.
Already the road to Moro Rock and popular Crescent Meadow is open. I personally hiked up the cross country ski road to Panoramic Point a few weeks ago taking a picnic lunch to enjoy the Great Western Divide view at the top. The road to Cedar Grove at the end of Kings Canyon will open April 26.
Over in the high country of Yosemite there is still good cross country skiing around Tuolumne Meadow after an early April snow storm brought in 8 inches (see pic). Still, it is likely Tioga Pass will open early this year for cross-Sierra traffic,perhaps before Memorial Day. Earliest opening was April 8 in the 1977 drought year.
Fresno Walmart Will Swap Corners
Walmart has filed plans with the city to relocate the existing Walmart Store No. 1815 from 3680 W. Shaw Avenue to the project site (4080 W. Shaw Avenue). (The two sites are located on opposite sides of N. Brawley Avenue). The interior building square feet of the new location would be approximately 193,361, with 111,724 sf assigned to general merchandise sales, 38,231 sf assigned to grocery sales, and the remaining 43,406 sf allocated to various other uses. The outdoor garden center would total 5,795 sf.
TULARE SUPERVISORS IN WASHINGTON, D.C. THIS WEEK
The Tulare County Board of Supervisors and senior staff began a series of meetings with Federal officials in Washington, D.C early this week.
Tuesday*s meetings will include the following topics: Lake Success,
potential federal budget impacts to Tulare County, marijuana cultivation
on public lands, Secure Rural Schools, and the Payment in Lieu of Taxes
(PILT) program. All full list of topics and requests are listed below.
Chairman of the Board of Supervisors Pete Vander Poel said past visits
to Washington, D.C. have proven to be beneficial and have helped obtain
federal funding for Tulare County.
*It*s important that Tulare County provides its representatives in
Congress with local input,* Chairman Vander Poel said. *This annual
visit helps Federal officials understand Tulare County*s issues, as
well as prepare them to advocate for our priority requests.*
During this week*s visit to Washington, D.C., the Board of
Supervisors is scheduled to meet with the offices of Congressmen Devin
Nunes, Kevin McCarthy and David Valadao. In addition, meetings with
staff of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy & Water, the
Senate Committee of the Budget, House Appropriations Subcommittee on
Interior & Environment, the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the
Department of the Interior, the Department of Justice, and the United
States Forest Service have been scheduled.
The Board of Supervisors has scheduled its visit at the same time as
the Tulare County Association of Governments* annual One Voice visit.