One hundred miles of murderous terrain stretches out the field of Western States Endurance Run, but the legendary race still sees an occasional photo finish. Those in Placer High School’s…

John Muir Trail hikers rave about its extraordinary scenery, but perhaps for once we should rave about its extraordinary hikers. Among this year’s class are U.S. Army Sgt. Justin Bond…

A climber risks his dream to help a friend. Another risks his life for hard-to-fathom reasons. Yosemite big wall climbing comes alive on the big screen like never before in…

Before Brian Johnson won the Giants’ biggest game of the 90s, Rod Beck saved it. And together the 1997 Giants put San Francisco on the baseball map in a way…

Barry Bonds will make a dramatic return to 24 Willie Mays Plaza when the Giants add him to their Wall of Fame on June 8. Thousands of excited fans will…

With Inauguration Day behind us, Republicans at last can embrace a president who promotes the ideals of their party: Barack Obama. Though Republicans reviled, opposed and obstructed him for eight…

Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers gave their fans a long-awaited gift on Christmas Eve: a rousing, comeback win over the Los Angeles Rams to snap their 13-game losing streak. The…

Summit day started with a 1 a.m. wakeup call, a quick bite and final equipment check before setting out into a dark and freezing night. A line of climbers’ headlamps…

Alex Honnold wants us to know that there’s more to him than the difficult rock climbs he ascends without a rope. Then again, he titled his new book “Alone on…

For a middling fisherman like me, a nibble in a backcountry lake is a big deal, especially the first one after eight days on the trail. I eagerly reeled in…

His line drive to right scored a run against the Rockies, putting the Athletics comfortably ahead in the eighth inning, 7-1, but Oakland’s new third baseman did not let up….

Talk about “Clockwork Angels.” Playing for perhaps the last time in Northern California, Rush took more than 10,000 fans on a celestial journey through time at San Jose’s SAP Center…

When my wife and I carried our bags down the red carpet into a plush lobby, I could still hardly believe it. In all the years we had visited Yosemite,…

Common Core has changed public education in recent years as teachers revised practices to help students achieve greater “depth of knowledge.” But those who created a deeply flawed testing system…

Seven of us waited pensively for the sold-out program to begin. Our meeting was supposed to take place after it ended, but then word arrived that we were wanted backstage….

With one out to get for the 2014 World Series title, a colossally bad defensive play threatened to lose the Giants a championship. San Francisco center fielder Gregor Blanco missed…

Maybe I’m amazed. For nearly three hours, Paul McCartney beautifully serenaded 50,000 adoring fans in San Francisco on Aug. 24. The former Beatle made the sellout crowd dance and sing…

Those who climb the Kor-Ingalls Route of Castleton Tower, a classic adventure on a coveted desert tower, face a choice on the third pitch. There are two ways to scale…

During our national search for answers following the Sandy Hook massacre and the United States’ spike in mass shootings, the National Rifle Association contributed this surprising revelation: what schools need…

In his first full year with Oakland, Josh Donaldson has shown what he can give the club. Time after time, the third baseman has delivered clutch, run-scoring hits in crucial…

Like a starting pistol, the buzzer sounded at 10 a.m. and nine robed justices entered the chamber. Chief Justice John Roberts immediately called on his colleagues to announce the court’s…

NEW ORLEANS – In a span of three months, Colin Kaepernick rose from an unknown backup to a starting quarterback to a postseason sensation, leading the Forty-Niners to exhilarating wins…

NEW ORLEANS – Looks like I should have paid that street magician who promised to fix the game with a spell, but though the Niners lost the Super Bowl, the…

NEW ORLEANS – Under normal circumstances, this city runs to wild. In the lively French Quarter, street performers, musicians, adult entertainers and free-flowing alcohol entertain tourists from all over the…

President Obama’s re-election and the Democrats’ generally good showing at the polls have caused the GOP a good deal of despair and anguish. But Republicans should take heart that many…

Giants of recent glory years are even better people than they are players, General Manager Brian Sabean says. That’s certainly true of Brian Wilson, the newest former Giant, who was,…

The outlook wasn’t brilliant as the Giants left the Bay. They trailed the Reds by two games in Division Series play. But they rallied in game three; in game four…

Coming soon to California schools near you: larger classes, fewer courses, and an end to sports and arts programs. All of this and much worse could come to pass after…

Tea Party activists have made history in recent years and our movement will continue to shape the nation’s future. To fully promote our conservative principles, the True Tea Party wishes…

Robin and I talked about Yosemite, the Giants, more Giants and more Yosemite.

Lord Voldemort killed Harry Potter’s parents and tried, many times, to slay him. Draco Malfoy only broke Harry’s nose and the two eventually made up. There’s a lesson here for…

Though separated by a language barrier and an ocean, Germany and the United States have both common political ground and varying challenges in a time of great political change. Such…

Forcing Carl to focus through a week of STAR testing was harder than beating Darth Vader in a light saber duel. “Do I have to take the test?” Carl moaned….

Noelia could always make a teacher’s day, so I was glad to do the same for her. A 17-year-old who moved to the country just recently, she told me she…

Rousing hymns, stirring prayers, a candlelight procession and blissful smiles filled one of the most beautiful weddings I’ve ever attended. Happiness permeated the recent ceremony in Oakland  for my wife’s…

I’ve felt out of sync since the World Series ended, like a hitter swinging late at a fastball. Now that my pulse has finally slowed from a month of heart…

When the government bans homework, lowers the drinking age and prohibits senior citizens from driving all on the same day, there can be only one explanation: those yahoos in Congress…

When Captain James T. Kirk, the most heterosexual man in the universe, agrees to perform a gay wedding on the Starship Enterprise, the future bodes well for equality. As Mr….

Before the big race, my teammates and I huddled together, stacked our hands and cheered like the pumped-up teenagers we were. Twenty-five years later, I still hear the echoes. Castro…

In the annals of major league pranks, the “silent treatment” is a classic. When a batter hits an exciting home run, his teammates ignore him in the dugout, as if…

Ascending a sea of knobs on the steep west face of Yosemite’s Fairview Dome, John Bachar was enjoying a fine autumn day, cool and quiet without another climber in sight….

When the Yankees opened their new stadium and pinstriped stars like Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera ran onto the green grass for the first time, the cheers of delirious New…

Near the top of Mt. Diablo stands a challenging rock climb called Amazing Face. Climbers who wish to scale it had better go soon, as the state may close the…

John Muir never wanted for words when it came to protecting the wilderness, especially his beloved Sierra Nevada mountains. But what would the father of American environmentalism say if he were alive today?

“I’m back, and I’m really ticked off!” Muir might roar. “I’m back to track down Lord Man, to make him a better beast, because California, the home that I love, is on the brink of being lost.”

As homosexual marriage spreads state by state, everyone knows the struggle is far from over. Now Americans must speedily unite to ban the unholy unions of … straight people. Why?…

To Alan Embree, the years have been kind. Nearly two decades of professional baseball have made the friendly Athletic a well-traveled veteran, an October star and a World Series champion….

Getting world leaders to recognize the incremental effects of global warming has challenged environmental leaders for decades, but Frank Huber doesn’t have to look far to see evidence that his…

Teachers face no shortage of adversity, from high-maintenance kids and parents to high-stakes tests and false fire alarms. Sometimes the good news seems rare, so this article tacked to my…

Fans of the television sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati” may remember Dr. Johnny Fever’s funniest moment in the series. After he smashed a telephone to pieces in a fit of rage,…

Four days into a 50-mile winter trek, our team reached a steep and formidable ice slope. We quickly recognized that this grade was our most hazardous obstacle so far, because…