To place an AD send us an email (sosclassifiednews@gmail.com)or call
Writers
SIERRA NEVADA 411
BY JARRETT SMITH 3/24/2026
SIERRA NEVADA - Spring may have just sprung, but recent hot temperatures are teasing an early return to hot summer months.
Whether that is the case or not, there is no doubt summer fun is on the way! So what is open and what remains closed? Let’s check in on the national parks/forests in our backyard.
KINGS CANYON & SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK
Generals Highway is open through both entrances! That means A LOT more hikes, peaks and the trees within an hour of Squaw Valley…woo hoo! There are still closures for favorites such as Cedar Grove, Crystal Cave and Moro Rock. Expect those to reopen in late April to early May.
Some of the Garnet Fire burn scar has reopened, such as Garnet Dike along the Kings River and Dinkey Creek Road east of Shaver Lake. But further access along McKinley Grove Road to Wishon and Courtright is still under winter closure. It is slated to open at the start of May. Kaiser Pass Road is still two months away, as the road and Mono Hot Springs are
scheduled to kick off its season Memorial Day weekend (May 23-25).
With winter in the rearview, the roads into Yosemite look to be clear for the foreseeable future. The exceptions are roads within the park: Tioga Pass (Highway 120), Glacier Point and Mariposa Grove. The grove is scheduled to swing open its gates in late April. Tioga Pass and Glacier Point will be a longer wait, late May-early June. With recent hot temps and rapidly shrinking snowpack, perhaps sooner. An important reminder, reservations for Yosemite are no longer required, so expect heaps of traffic and visitors.
Be sure to check local National Parks and Forest Service websites for current conditions/road closures before your visit!
Pinehurst Lodge
3/24/2026
Pinehurst Lodge Turns a Page:
New Local Management Works to Rebuild Trust After Controversy
By Sal Fonseca, SOS Classified News
The historic Pinehurst Lodge, a staple of the mountain community since 1909, is stepping into a new chapter—one shaped as much by its past as by the promise of its future.
After several months of closure, the lodge reopened in March 2026 under a new, all-women cooperative management team. The transition follows controversy tied to the previous manager and owner, whose social media comments drew strong backlash from locals. In widely shared posts, he expressed disregard for the local community, indicating a preference for relying on passing tourists as the primary source of income. In a small mountain community where local support is essential, those remarks struck a deep chord.
The reaction was immediate. Many residents voiced frustration and disappointment, with some stating they would not support the business as long as ownership remained the same. Others noted the contradiction of criticizing the very community a business depends on. The situation played out publicly, with heated exchanges before the lodge’s social media presence was ultimately taken down. New Facebook activity is expected in the near future.
At present, the former manager has stepped back and now serves only as a silent owner, no longer involved in daily operations.
According to Sal Fonseca of the SOS Classified News, the lodge is now under new management, marking a clear shift in direction. Five local women—Georgia, Cristina, Connie, Sara, and Steffi—have formed a cooperative to run the lodge with a renewed focus on community connection.
“We saw something we held dear to our hearts being forgotten,” the team shared. “Pinehurst Lodge has been part of this community for 116 years. We want to bring it back so everyone—locals and visitors alike—can enjoy its rustic and familiar charm.”
Each member of the cooperative brings her own strengths, working together to manage daily operations. Their priorities are clear: consistent hours, quality food, and reliable service—key elements they believe will help rebuild public trust.
The lodge held a soft opening in March to work through day-to-day operations and plans to transition to full-time service in April. Weekend breakfasts are already being served, along with daily specials, a full bar, and house-made desserts.
Early online feedback has been encouraging. Peggy Hellweg described the lodge as
“The epitome of local color,” highlighting friendly service, quick meals, and reasonable prices. “I definitely recommend you stop by if you are in the area,” she said.
Even so, the shadow of past controversy remains. Some locals are still hesitant, noting that ownership has not changed. For many, rebuilding trust will take time—and consistent, positive experiences. The new management team understands that challenge. Though not owners, they are longtime locals with deep ties to the community and say they are committed to running the lodge as if it were their own. Their message is simple: come in, give it a chance, and be part of restoring a historic gathering place.
Whether the community fully embraces this new chapter remains to be seen. But for the first time in months, there is a sense that the story of Pinehurst Lodge is no longer defined solely by controversy—but by the possibility of renewal.
Paulette and I stopped by to interview them and to see firsthand the changes taking place. While we do not personally support the owners, we do support the local women working hard to save this historic establishment and its role in the community. We hope many of our readers will consider supporting these dedicated ladies—Georgia, Cristina, Connie, Sara, and Steffi—who clearly care about the place they call home. We ordered a burger and fries and enjoyed every bite. The management team has also chosen to advertise with the SOS Classified News. We welcome them and wish them success.
Musing of life 3/24/2026
Jasleen Says
Building Safety, Foundations & Mud Lessons
By Jasleen Moran
When we first arrived on our property, there was no time to settle in quietly. We had work to do. With five kids and only a travel trailer and a rooftop tent to call home, the land around us had to be made safe and livable.
Those first days weren’t easy; they were filled with sweat and sore muscles: putting up a privacy fence, digging post holes, mixing cement, trimming back overgrown branches, and clearing out thick weeds. Living just below 3,000 feet above sea level meant sharing our new home with mountain lions, bobcats, bears, coyotes, and rattlesnakes. So every bit of progress mattered.
It was exhausting, but also deeply grounding. Each hole we dug, and every fence panel we raised, was a small act of faith, building not just a barrier of safety, but the
beginnings of a safe refuge. It was the start of shaping raw wilderness into a home.
Just when we thought we were making progress: privacy fence up, things looking good, the weather decided to humble us. Days of rain turned our driveway into a giant mud pit.
With both our cars being 2-wheel drive, we were stranded. My husband, ever the problem-solver, thought: “No worries, the Tacoma can handle it!” Well, it didn’t. The mud won. Wheels spinning, tires sinking, nowhere to go. Lesson learned the hard (and muddy) way: 4-wheel drive isn’t optional out here, it’s survival.
And if that wasn’t enough, when our neighbor rented us his skid steer to help grade the land, we managed to get that stuck, too, right on the ridge! We were both praying it wouldn’t slide down the hill, our hearts racing as we tried to figure out how to explain this to the neighbor. In a panic, we anchored it to the shipping container just in case. Talk about stress!
But here’s the thing, even the mud had its blessings. That rain gave us water we could collect, filter, and pump back into the trailer. And by the end, we had our first level pad around the container, setting the stage for everything to come. What felt like a frustrating mess became one of our earliest homestead lessons: sometimes you get stuck, sometimes you get soaked, but God always makes a way forward.