By Paul Rogers From The Mercury News San Jose—The massive snowpack in the Sierra Nevada this year has transformed California’s most famous park, Yosemite. And the impacts are likely to last all summer, and perhaps even longer. The park’s world-famous waterfalls are thundering now as billions of gallons of melted snow cascade 1,000 feet or…

By Patrick Connolly From South Florida Sun Sentinel It was a quiet morning as dawn was breaking over the horizon, sunlight just barely peeking through the clouds when I pulled up to one of my favorite sights: an empty trailhead. Granted, it was a Wednesday, but on a busy weekend, this was a far cry…

By Christopher Reynolds From Los Angeles Times Hikers dribble in to this Sierra crossroads from dawn to dusk, all sizes, ages and conditions. Some look fresh and bouncy as a soap commercial, ready to explore Rainbow Falls, the eerie formations of Devils Postpile National Monument and other highlights of the Reds Meadow Valley. Others show…

One remarkable photographer is capturing the beauty and wonder of motherhood—along with the hearts of we the viewers—by taking some extraordinary portraits of mother and child from all parts of the world. Mihaela Noroc, a Romanian photographer, is known for her photographs of 500 women from over 50 different countries. She created the top-selling book…