Sierra Mountain Times

Steve Hayes holds a copy of his book next to a model of the Salt Lake City depot within in his 1,800 square foot train model room that covers the entire Western Pacific route. Photo by Thomas Atkins.
By Thomas Atkins

After laborious years of laying hundreds of miles of tracks and ties across the desolate countryside […]

A young Marlin Heldstab as a senior quarterback for Summerville High in 1952 at Ellis Field (Old Tuolumne Square).
By Brianna Willis

To some, a handshake is merely a frivolous act that passes by in nearly a second. For others, it personifies the genuine character of a man or woman, representing a person’s unaffected, true self more […]

 The Tuolumne River flowing calmly through Tuolumne Meadows.
Story and Photos by Thomas Atkins
Having lived in Tuolumne my entire life, I have spent countless hours exploring the Tuolumne River and its vast network of tributaries cascading through the Sierra. In fact, during the summer, these sparkling stretches of water become a second home as I retreat […]

Wyatt Parke poses with the 28 medallions he won over the last eight years (hanging from a stick); as well as the five awards he won at this show, (around his neck). “I worked in the water department and walked the ditches up here,” Wyatt explains. “I’d always see this amazing poison oak, everywhere! And […]

Squatting on Pot
Lincoln, NE. – If you’re in an apartment illegally and growing pot, don’t call the police when the apartment manager tries to evict you. This squatter, who apparently didn’t know that squatting was illegal (or growing pot for that matter), called police to tell them that someone was trying to break into ‘his’ […]