What 14ers are in rocky mountain national park

Over half a million acres within the triangulated borderlands of California, Nevada and Arizona have become a national monument for preservation and protection from development. About 15 miles from the California border, the new monument links with the Mojave Desert to further expand the largest concentration of Joshua trees in the world. Last week during the White House Conservation in Action Summit, President Joe Biden designated Avi Kwa Ame in Nevada (which translates to “Spirit Mountain” in Mojave) as the state’s newest national monument. It joins Nevada's three other monuments: Basin and Range, Gold Butte, and Tule Springs. The designation encompasses 506,814 acres, including Ava Kwa Ame, which rises 5,963 feet. BEST OF SFGATE Travel | I went to Yosemite National Park for firefall — and almost missed it | This San Francisco-made film helped launch the porn industry Local | What it's like to drive the zipper car on the Golden Gate Bridge | 'Get here … [Read more...] about Avi Kwa Ame, or Spirit Mountain, near Nevada-California border designated a national monument

The Pacific Crest Trail draws thousands of people from all experience levels annually. Some are thru-hikers hoping to complete the 2,650-mile trek through California, Oregon and Washington (from the Mexican border to Canada), in one journey, while others are weekend backpackers and day hikers taking on smaller sections of the trail. The hikers regularly contend with challenges like hypothermia, heat exhaustion, poisonous plants, lightning, bears and rattlesnakes, along with wildfires and other impacts of climate change . But this year, experts warn, hikers face one of the greatest risks in the trail’s history: the record-setting Sierra Nevada snowpack . "These large snowpacks can be susceptible to fast melt if the weather conditions are right," Andrew Schwartz, lead scientist at the Central Sierra Snow Lab , told SFGATE. "Periods of above-average temperatures, particularly if they're prolonged, can cause significant rises in stream and river flows, which can be dangerous.” … [Read more...] about Why the Pacific Crest Trail will be more dangerous than ever this year

Here we go again. A low-pressure system from the Gulf of Alaska is forecast to impact the San Francisco Bay Area from Monday through Wednesday, bringing more rain and wind to a region that was battered by a storm less than a week ago. This system is expected to reach peak intensity over the Pacific Ocean off the coast of the California-Oregon border before drifting south along the California coast and passing by the Bay Area. The storm is expected to bring less severe impacts to the region than the last area of low pressure that passed directly over San Francisco, said Rick Canepa, a forecaster with the National Weather Service. The National Weather Service expanded the Monday-Tuesday wind advisory to include the North Bay, East Bay and eastern Santa Clara hills in addition to the coastal areas. The advisory is in effect Monday night through Tuesday afternoon, with peak gusts expected to be up to 40 to 50 mph. Winds are expected to begin developing in the North Bay at … [Read more...] about Another storm is forecast to hit the Bay Area. Here’s what to expect.